Carlos Kleiber

The Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi only discovered his true vocal range on his second attempt. Born on July 13, 1924, in Vidalenzo, Italy, he initially studied as a baritone at the Arrigo Boito Conservatory in Parma. He made his stage debut in 1948 in Lecce in Rossini's "Il Barbiere Di Siviglia" in the role of Figaro. He then took on the roles of Rigoletto and Marcel from Puccini's "La Bohème," but was not satisfied with the vocal results of his performances and began studying again three years later. His skepticism was well-founded, for it was only when he embraced the higher range of the tenor that he found his true voice. He made his debut in the new Fach on January 12, 1951, in Bari as André Chénier in Umberto Giordano's opera of the same name. From then on, things moved quickly. Shortly thereafter, Italian radio engaged him as a guest for the celebrations of Verdi's fiftieth death anniversary. His voice then resonated nationwide and was enthusiastically received by radio listeners. In the following years, Bergonzi sang plenty of Verdi and was celebrated with roles in "Giovanna D'Arco," "La Forza del Destino," and "Simone Boccanegra." Having thus quickly risen to stardom in the national tenor scene, invitations to the great opera houses of Europe and the USA were not long in coming. Bergonzi was invited to London and Chicago ("Il Tabarro," "Cavalleria Rusicana") in 1955. The following year, he made his debut at the Met ("Aida," "Il Trovatore"). The audience was captivated, and Bergonzi remained a fixture of the Metropolitan Opera's seasons until 1972. Since the late fifties, his reputation grew steadily, especially after he shone alongside Maria Callas in Donizetti's "Lucia Di Lammermoor." Bergonzi developed into one of the leading tenors of the Italian repertoire, singing over 60 different roles with a stylistic range from Amilcare Ponchielli to Jules Massenet, with his favorite role remaining Alvaro in "La Forza del Destino." Bergonzi possessed a sophisticated breathing technique and a vocal color palette that allowed him to portray very different characters. Carlo Bergonzi officially ended his stage career twelve years ago. He also gave his last major concerts in 1995 and again in 2000 at the Vienna State Opera. Since then, he has indulged in the tranquility of old age, which he has richly earned after almost half a century on stage. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, Decca released two compilations commemorating the golden years of the great tenor. One is the 3-CD box "Verdi Arias" with a chronological selection of famous arias, and the other is the re-release of the LP "Operatic Recitals," which he recorded in 1957 and became one of his most popular albums.   6/2005