Lorenzo Salvi
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo Salvi was an Italian opera
tic tenor
who had a major international opera career during the nineteenth century. He was particularly associated with the operas of Gaetano Donizetti
and Giuseppe Verdi
; notably singing lead roles is several world premieres by both composers.
before making his professional opera debut as Cam in the world premiere of Donizetti's Il diluvio universale
on 28 February 1830 at the Teatro San Carlo. This was followed by several appearance at the opera house
in Zadar
in 1830-1831. He then joined the roster of principal singers at the Teatro Valle
in Rome, singing there through 1832. While with the company he sang several leading tenor roles, including the title role in Rossini's Otello
opposite Maria Malibran
as Desdemona and Fernando in the world premiere of Gaetano Donizetti
's Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo
(1833).
Over the next two decades Salvi was one of Italy's leading tenors, singing roles with most of the country's major opera houses. On 21 August 1836 he portrayed Daniele in the world premiere of Donizetti's Betly
at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples. He went on to sing in two more Donizetti premieres, the title role in Gianni di Parigi
(1839, La Scala
), and Oliverio in Adelia
(1841, Teatro Apollo).
From 1836-1840 Salvi had a number of lauded successes at the Teatro Carlo Felice
. A particular triumph was the role of Arnold in that theatre's first mounting of Rossini's William Tell
(1840). From 1839-1842 Salvi was a regular performer at La Scala. While there he notably sang leading roles in the world premieres of the first two operas composed by Giuseppe Verdi
, portraying Riccardo in Oberto
on 17 November 1839 and Edoardo in Un giorno di regno
on 5 September 1840. Other La Scala highlights included an appearance in the original production of Federico Ricci
's Un duello sotto Richelieu (1839) and the role of Tonio in the house premiere of Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment
(1840).
In 1843 Salvi made his first appearances in France at the Théâtre-Italien as Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
and Riccardo in Donizetti's Maria di Rohan
. From 1847-1850 he sang annually as a guest artist at the Royal Opera, London
at Covent Garden
where he had tremedous successes portraying heroes from Donizetti and Bellini
operas. He also traveled to North America several time during his career, notably performing in a number of operas at Niblo's Garden
. In 1851 he made a lengthy concert tour of the United States with lauded Swedish soprano Jenny Lind
. He also took part in the first performance of the Mexican national anthem on September 15, 1854.
Salvi was married to Italian soprano Adelina Spech-Salvi who also had an important opera career. After their retirement from the stage, the couple moved to Bologna and worked as singing teachers. Salvi died in Bologna in 1879 at the age of 68.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
who had a major international opera career during the nineteenth century. He was particularly associated with the operas of Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. His best-known works are the operas L'elisir d'amore , Lucia di Lammermoor , and Don Pasquale , all in Italian, and the French operas La favorite and La fille du régiment...
and Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
; notably singing lead roles is several world premieres by both composers.
Biography
Salvi studied under Bonaccini in NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
before making his professional opera debut as Cam in the world premiere of Donizetti's Il diluvio universale
Il diluvio universale
Il diluvio universale is an azione tragico-sacra, or opera, by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Domenico Gilardoni after Lord Byron's Heaven and Earth and Padre Ringhieri's Il diluvio....
on 28 February 1830 at the Teatro San Carlo. This was followed by several appearance at the opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
in Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
in 1830-1831. He then joined the roster of principal singers at the Teatro Valle
Teatro Valle
The Teatro Valle is a theatre and former opera house in Rome, Italy.Commissioned by the Capranica family, the architect Tommaso Morelli designed the theatre which was built in 1726. It was inaugurated with the staging of the tragedy Matilde by Simon Falconio Pratoli...
in Rome, singing there through 1832. While with the company he sang several leading tenor roles, including the title role in Rossini's Otello
Otello (Rossini)
Otello is an opera in three acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Berio di Salsi, based on Shakespeare's play Othello....
opposite Maria Malibran
Maria Malibran
The mezzo-soprano Maria Malibran , was one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century. Malibran was known for her stormy personality and dramatic intensity, becoming a legendary figure after her death at age 28...
as Desdemona and Fernando in the world premiere of Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. His best-known works are the operas L'elisir d'amore , Lucia di Lammermoor , and Don Pasquale , all in Italian, and the French operas La favorite and La fille du régiment...
's Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo
Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo
Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo is a melodramma, or opera, in three acts by composer Gaetano Donizetti. Jacopo Ferretti wrote the Italian libretto after Miguel de Cervantes's novel Don Quixote. The opera premiered at the Teatro Valle in Rome, Italy on 2 January 1833...
(1833).
Over the next two decades Salvi was one of Italy's leading tenors, singing roles with most of the country's major opera houses. On 21 August 1836 he portrayed Daniele in the world premiere of Donizetti's Betly
Betly
Betly is a dramma giocoso in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. The composer wrote the Italian libretto after Eugène Scribe and Anne-Honoré-Joseph Duveyrier de Mélésville's libretto for Adolphe Adam's opéra comique Le châlet, in its turn based on Goethe's Singspiel Jery und...
at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples. He went on to sing in two more Donizetti premieres, the title role in Gianni di Parigi
Gianni di Parigi
Gianni di Parigi is a melodramma or opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti from a libretto by Felice Romani, which had been previously used by Francesco Morlacchi for an opera of the same name...
(1839, La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
), and Oliverio in Adelia
Adelia (opera)
Adelia, o La figlia dell'arciere is an opera in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Felice Romani and Girolamo Marini...
(1841, Teatro Apollo).
From 1836-1840 Salvi had a number of lauded successes at the Teatro Carlo Felice
Teatro Carlo Felice
The Teatro Carlo Felice is the principal opera house of Genoa, Italy, used for performances of opera, ballet, orchestral music, and recitals. It is located on the Piazza De Ferrari....
. A particular triumph was the role of Arnold in that theatre's first mounting of Rossini's William Tell
William Tell (opera)
Guillaume Tell is an opera in four acts by Gioachino Rossini to a French libretto by Etienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Bis, based on Friedrich Schiller's play Wilhelm Tell. Based on the legend of William Tell, this opera was Rossini's last, even though the composer lived for nearly forty more years...
(1840). From 1839-1842 Salvi was a regular performer at La Scala. While there he notably sang leading roles in the world premieres of the first two operas composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
, portraying Riccardo in Oberto
Oberto (opera)
Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio is an opera in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on an existing libretto by Antonio Piazza probably called Rocester....
on 17 November 1839 and Edoardo in Un giorno di regno
Un giorno di regno
Un giorno di regno, ossia il finto Stanislao is an operatic melodramma giocoso in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on the play Le faux Stanislas by Alexandre Vincent Pineu-Duval...
on 5 September 1840. Other La Scala highlights included an appearance in the original production of Federico Ricci
Federico Ricci
Federico Ricci , was an Italian composer, particularly of operas.Born in Naples, he was the younger brother of Luigi Ricci, with whom he collaborated on several works....
's Un duello sotto Richelieu (1839) and the role of Tonio in the house premiere of Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment
La fille du régiment
La fille du régiment is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. It was written while the composer was living in Paris, with a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard.La figlia del reggimento, a slightly different Italian-language version , was...
(1840).
In 1843 Salvi made his first appearances in France at the Théâtre-Italien as Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
and Riccardo in Donizetti's Maria di Rohan
Maria di Rohan
Maria di Rohan is a melodramma tragico, or tragic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Salvadore Cammarano, after Lockroy and Edmond Badon's Un duel sous le cardinal de Richelieu, which had played in Paris in 1832.- Roles :- Synopsis :The comte de...
. From 1847-1850 he sang annually as a guest artist at the Royal Opera, London
Royal Opera, London
The Royal Opera is an opera company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Along with the English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent Garden Opera Company, it was known by that title until 1968...
at Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
where he had tremedous successes portraying heroes from Donizetti and Bellini
Vincenzo Bellini
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer. His greatest works are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi , La sonnambula , Norma , Beatrice di Tenda , and I puritani...
operas. He also traveled to North America several time during his career, notably performing in a number of operas at Niblo's Garden
Niblo's Garden
Niblo's Garden was a New York theatre on Broadway, near Prince Street. It was established in 1823 as "Columbia Garden" which in 1828 gained the name of the Sans Souci and was later the property of the coffeehouse proprietor and caterer William Niblo. The large theatre that evolved in several...
. In 1851 he made a lengthy concert tour of the United States with lauded Swedish soprano Jenny Lind
Jenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
. He also took part in the first performance of the Mexican national anthem on September 15, 1854.
Salvi was married to Italian soprano Adelina Spech-Salvi who also had an important opera career. After their retirement from the stage, the couple moved to Bologna and worked as singing teachers. Salvi died in Bologna in 1879 at the age of 68.