Leo Nucci
Encyclopedia
Leo Nucci is an Italian operatic baritone
, particularly suited to Verdi
roles.
Born at Castiglione dei Pepoli
, near Bologna
, he studied with Giuseppe Marchese and made his stage debut in Spoleto
, as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, in 1967, he then joined the chorus of La Scala
in Milan, and made his solo debut there in 1975, again as Figaro.
His career quickly took an international turn with debut at the Royal Opera House
in London, as Miller in Luisa Miller
, in 1978, and at the Metropolitan Opera
in New York, as Renato/Ancharstrom in Un ballo in maschera
, in 1980. Renato was also his debut role at the Paris Opéra
in 1981, and the Salzburg Festival
in 1989, under Herbert Von Karajan
. His career is remembered for famous performances in the opera world, including works with Luciano Pavarotti
, Joan Sutherland
, Placido Domingo
and others.
His repertoire encompasses the entire Italian repertory from bel canto
to verismo
, but his sonorous voice, secure technique and dramatic abilities are best displayed in Verdi - notably as Macbeth
, Rigoletto
, Luna
, Germont
, Posa, Amonasro
, Iago
, Falstaff
, Rodridue
. He has sung the role of Rigoletto alone more than 400 times.
Nucci has enjoyed a long and successul career and is still active. He is married to soprano Adriana Anelli, with whom he has a daughter.
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...
, particularly suited to 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...
roles.
Born at Castiglione dei Pepoli
Castiglione dei Pepoli
Castiglione dei Pepoli is a comune in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, located about 40 km southwest of Bologna.It takes its name from the Pepoli noble family of Bologna.-External links:...
, near Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, he studied with Giuseppe Marchese and made his stage debut in Spoleto
Spoleto
Spoleto is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.-History:...
, as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, in 1967, he then joined the chorus of 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...
in Milan, and made his solo debut there in 1975, again as Figaro.
His career quickly took an international turn with 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 London, as Miller in 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...
, in 1978, and at the 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...
in New York, as Renato/Ancharstrom in Un ballo in maschera
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 1980. Renato was also his debut role at the 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...
in 1981, and the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
in 1989, under Herbert Von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
. His career is remembered for famous performances in the opera world, including works with Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
, Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....
, Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
and others.
His repertoire encompasses the entire Italian repertory from bel canto
Bel canto
Bel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term...
to verismo
Verismo
Verismo was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s....
, but his sonorous voice, secure technique and dramatic abilities are best displayed in Verdi - notably as Macbeth
Macbeth (opera)
Macbeth is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and additions by Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's play of the same name...
, 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...
, Luna
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
, Germont
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
, Posa, Amonasro
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...
, Iago
Otello
Otello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
, Falstaff
Falstaff (opera)
Falstaff is an operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare's plays The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV. It was Verdi's last opera, written in the composer's ninth decade, and only the second of his 26 operas to be a comedy...
, Rodridue
Don Carlos
Don Carlos is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French language libretto by Camille du Locle and Joseph Méry, based on the dramatic play Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien by Friedrich Schiller...
. He has sung the role of Rigoletto alone more than 400 times.
Nucci has enjoyed a long and successul career and is still active. He is married to soprano Adriana Anelli, with whom he has a daughter.
Sources
- Grove Music Online, Elizabeth Forbes, May 2008