Matteo Manuguerra
Encyclopedia
Matteo Manuguerra was a Tunisian-born French baritone
, one of the leading Verdi baritones of the 1970s.
Manuguerra was born in Tunis
, Tunisia
, to Italian parents, who later moved to Argentina. He came late to music, starting his vocal study at the age of 35, at the Buenos Aires
Music Conservatory, with Umberto Landi. He made his debut as a tenor
, in Mozart's Requiem
. He settled in France in 1961, and after new studies, made his debut the following year as a baritone in the role of Valentin in Faust
, at the Opéra de Lyon where he was to remain for three years.
Manuguerra made his Paris Opéra
debut in 1966, as Rigoletto
. He appeared throughout France, and sang on French radio particularly in Verdi operas such as, Nabucco
, Ernani
, I masnadieri
, Luisa Miller
, as well as in I vespri siciliani and Don Carlo, both in their original French versions.
After singing widely in Europe, Manuguerra made his American debut in 1968, as Gérard in Andrea Chénier
, in Seattle. He made his Metropolitan Opera
debut on January 11, 1971, as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor
, other roles included Barnaba in La Gioconda
, Carlo in La forza del destino
, Amonasro in Aida
, Alfio in Cavalleria rusticana
, Tonio in I Pagliacci, and others. He also appeared at the San Francisco Opera
and the Dallas Opera
.
Manuguerra had a rich and supple voice enabling him to excel in both belcanto and verismo
repertoire, with Verdi being always at the core, which his impressive discography clearly demonstrates.
Matteo Manuguerra enjoyed a long career and was still active when he died suddenly of a heart attack, in Montpellier
, France.
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, one of the leading Verdi baritones of the 1970s.
Manuguerra was born in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, to Italian parents, who later moved to Argentina. He came late to music, starting his vocal study at the age of 35, at the Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
Music Conservatory, with Umberto Landi. He made his debut as a 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...
, in Mozart's Requiem
Requiem (Mozart)
The Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1791 and left unfinished at the composer's death. A completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a requiem Mass to commemorate the...
. He settled in France in 1961, and after new studies, made his debut the following year as a baritone in the role of Valentin in Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
, at the Opéra de Lyon where he was to remain for three years.
Manuguerra made his Paris Opéra
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
debut in 1966, as Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
. He appeared throughout France, and sang on French radio particularly in Verdi operas such as, Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue...
, Ernani
Ernani
Ernani is an operatic dramma lirico in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play Hernani by Victor Hugo. The first production took place at La Fenice Theatre, Venice on 9 March 1844...
, I masnadieri
I masnadieri
I masnadieri is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Andrea Maffei, based on Die Räuber by Friedrich von Schiller....
, Luisa Miller
Luisa Miller
Luisa Miller is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play Kabale und Liebe by Friedrich von Schiller. The first performance was given at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on December 8, 1849...
, as well as in I vespri siciliani and Don Carlo, both in their original French versions.
After singing widely in Europe, Manuguerra made his American debut in 1968, as Gérard in Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier is a verismo opera in four acts by the composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier , who was executed during the French Revolution....
, in Seattle. He made his Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
debut on January 11, 1971, as Enrico in 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....
, other roles included Barnaba in La Gioconda
La Gioconda (opera)
La Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli set to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835...
, Carlo in La forza del destino
La forza del destino
La forza del destino is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino , by Ángel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas, with a scene adapted from Friedrich Schiller's Wallensteins Lager. It was first performed...
, Amonasro in Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
, Alfio in Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
, Tonio in I Pagliacci, and others. He also appeared at the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
and the Dallas Opera
Dallas Opera
The Dallas Opera is an opera company located in Dallas, Texas . The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic Opera by Laurence Kelly and Nicolà Rescigno, both of whom had been active with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the first as administrator, the second as artistic director.-The company's...
.
Manuguerra had a rich and supple voice enabling him to excel in both belcanto and verismo
Verismo
Verismo was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s....
repertoire, with Verdi being always at the core, which his impressive discography clearly demonstrates.
Matteo Manuguerra enjoyed a long career and was still active when he died suddenly of a heart attack, in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, France.
Studio recordings
- Rossini - Le barbier de Séville - Jean-Pierre Marty - EMI - 1974
- Bellini - I puritani - Riccardo Muti - EMI - 1979
- Verdi - Nabucco - Riccardo Muti - EMI - 1977-78
- Verdi - I masnadieri - Richard Bonynge - DECCA/LONDON - 1979
- Verdi - La battaglia di Legnano - Lamberto Gardelli - PHILLIPS - 1977
- Verdi - Stiffelio - Lamberto Gardelli - PHILLIPS - 1979
- Verdi - La traviata - Richard Bonynge - DECCA/LONDON - 1979
- Massenet - Werther - Michel Plasson - EMI - 1979
- Mascagni - Cavalleria rusticana - Riccardo Muti - EMI - 1979
- Puccini - La bohème - James Levine - EMI - 1979
- Puccini - Tosca - Mstislav Rostropovich - DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON - 1976
- Zandonai - Francesca da Rimini - Maurizio Arena - BALKATON - 1987
Sources
- Dictionnaire des interprètes, Alain Pâris, Editions Robert Laffont, 1989, ISBN 2-221-06660-X
- Guide de l’opéra, Roland Mancini & Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, Fayard, 1995, ISBN 2-213-01563-6