Mirto Picchi
Encyclopedia
Mirto Picchi was an Italian dramatic tenor
, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, and with contemporary works.
Picchi studied in Milan
with Giulia Tess and Giuseppe Armani, and made his debut there as Radamès
in Aïda, in 1946.
In 1947, he appeared in Vienna, as Don José
in Carmen, and in London, at the Cambridge Theatre, as the Duca di Mantua
in Rigoletto, Rodolfo
in La bohème, Cavaradossi
in Tosca, and sang Riccardo
in Un ballo in maschera at Edinburgh, in 1949. He made his debut at the Royal Opera House
in 1952, as Pollione in Norma
, opposite Maria Callas
. He also appeared in Rio de Janeiro in 1950, and Chicago in 1954.
However, the main part of his career was in Italy, notably in Milan (Teatro alla Scala), Rome, Naples, and Florence, where he first sang Jason in a revival of Cherubini's Médée (in the Italian version), opposite Callas, in 1953.
He created roles in many contemporary works, notably Ildebrando Pizzetti
's Cagliastro and La figlia di Iorio, and Juan Jose Castro
's Proserpina y el Extranjero.
One of the leading tenors of the post-war period, he had a fine voice and was an accomplished singing-actor. He retired from the stage in 1974 (Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro, at La Scala), and published his autobiography, Un trono vicino al sol, in 1978.
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...
, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, and with contemporary works.
Picchi studied in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
with Giulia Tess and Giuseppe Armani, and made his debut there as Radamès
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...
in Aïda, in 1946.
In 1947, he appeared in Vienna, as Don José
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
in Carmen, and in London, at the Cambridge Theatre, as the Duca di Mantua
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...
in Rigoletto, Rodolfo
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
in La bohème, Cavaradossi
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
in Tosca, and sang Riccardo
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
in Un ballo in maschera at Edinburgh, in 1949. He made his debut at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
in 1952, as Pollione in Norma
Norma (opera)
Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition...
, opposite Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
. He also appeared in Rio de Janeiro in 1950, and Chicago in 1954.
However, the main part of his career was in Italy, notably in Milan (Teatro alla Scala), Rome, Naples, and Florence, where he first sang Jason in a revival of Cherubini's Médée (in the Italian version), opposite Callas, in 1953.
He created roles in many contemporary works, notably Ildebrando Pizzetti
Ildebrando Pizzetti
Ildebrando Pizzetti was an Italian composer of classical music.- Biography :Pizzetti was born in Parma in 1880. He was part of the "Generation of 1880" along with Ottorino Respighi and Gian Francesco Malipiero. They were among the first Italian composers in some time whose primary contributions...
's Cagliastro and La figlia di Iorio, and Juan Jose Castro
Juan José Castro
Juan José Castro was an Argentine composer and conductor.Born in Avellaneda, Castro studied piano and violin under Manuel Posadas and composition under Eduarno Fornarini, in Buenos Aires. In the 1920s he was awarded the Europa Prize, and then went on to study in Paris at the Schola Cantorum under...
's Proserpina y el Extranjero.
One of the leading tenors of the post-war period, he had a fine voice and was an accomplished singing-actor. He retired from the stage in 1974 (Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro, at La Scala), and published his autobiography, Un trono vicino al sol, in 1978.
Studio Discography
- Verdi: Don Carlos (Caniglia, Stignani, Rossi-Lemeni; Previtali, 1951) CetraCetraCetra Records was an Italian company which produced opera recordings from the 1930s onwards. Its roster of artists included Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Lina Pagliughi, Ebe Stignani, Carlo Bergonzi, Galliano Masini, Giovanni Malipiero, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Carlo Tagliabue, Rolando Panerai,...
- Cherubini: Médée (Callas, Scotto, Pirazzini, Modesti; Serafin, 1957) RicordiCasa RicordiCasa Ricordi is a classical music publishing company founded in 1808 as G. Ricordi & Co. by violinist Giovanni Ricordi in Milan, Italy...
/EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53H3tifftcI YouTube: Mirto Picchi in an excerpt from Il tabarro, with Clara PetrellaClara PetrellaClara Petrella was an Italian operatic soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, an outstanding singing-actress nicknamed the "Duse of Singers"....
(1956).
Sources
- Le guide de l'opéra, les indispensables de la musique, R. Mancini & J-J. Rouvereux, Fayard, 1986, ISBN 2-213-01563-6