Luciano Mariani
Encyclopedia
Luciano Mariani was an Italian operatic bass
. Amongst the several roles he created were Rodolfo in Bellini's La sonnambula
, Alfonso d'Este in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia
and Oroe in Rossini's Semiramide
. His elder sister, Rosa Mariani, was also an opera singer (contralto
) and sang Arsace in the premiere of Semiramide. They toured Italy singing together in many operas. Mariani sang in Lisbon at the Teatro São Carlos
from 1839 to 1840, where he appeared in several Portuguese premieres of Italian operas, as well as the world premieres of Antonio Luís Miró's opera Virginia and Manuel Inocêncio Liberato dos Santos
's opera Inês de Castro. Mariani was born in Cremona and died in Castell'Arquato
, aged 58.
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
. Amongst the several roles he created were Rodolfo in Bellini's La sonnambula
La sonnambula
La sonnambula is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the bel canto tradition by Vincenzo Bellini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ballet-pantomime by Eugène Scribe and Jean-Pierre Aumer called La somnambule, ou L'arrivée d'un nouveau seigneur.The first...
, Alfonso d'Este in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia (opera)
Lucrezia Borgia is a melodramma, or opera, in a prologue and two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto after the play by Victor Hugo, in its turn after the legend of Lucrezia Borgia. Lucrezia Borgia was first performed on 26 December 1833 at La Scala, Milan with...
and Oroe in Rossini's Semiramide
Semiramide
Semiramide is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini.The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy Semiramis, which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Babylon...
. His elder sister, Rosa Mariani, was also an opera singer (contralto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
) and sang Arsace in the premiere of Semiramide. They toured Italy singing together in many operas. Mariani sang in Lisbon at the Teatro São Carlos
Teatro Nacional de São Carlos
The Teatro Nacional de São Carlos is an opera house in Lisbon, Portugal. It was opened on July 30, 1793 by Queen Maria I as a replacement for the Tejo Opera House, which was destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake...
from 1839 to 1840, where he appeared in several Portuguese premieres of Italian operas, as well as the world premieres of Antonio Luís Miró's opera Virginia and Manuel Inocêncio Liberato dos Santos
Manuel Inocêncio Liberato dos Santos
Manuel Inocêncio Liberato dos Santos , was a Portuguese composer and pianist. He wrote many anthems, piano pieces, sacred music and some operas.- References :...
's opera Inês de Castro. Mariani was born in Cremona and died in Castell'Arquato
Castell'Arquato
Castell'Arquato is an Italian town located on the first hills of Val D’Arda in the province of Piacenza, in Emilia-Romagna, approximately 30 km from Piacenza and 35 km from Parma...
, aged 58.
Sources
- Casaglia, Gherardo, "Luciano Mariani", Almanacco Amadeus, 2005. Accessed 23 June 2010 (in Italian).
- Forbes, Elizabeth, "Mariani, Luciano" and "Mariani, Rosa" in Laura Williams Lacy (ed.), The Grove Book of Opera Singers, Oxford University Press US, 2008, p. 304. ISBN 0-19-533765-4