Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

You should know Bastianini, Bonisolli, Corelli.

Opera's studs

Had it not been for his cancer, Bastianini would be considered one of the greatest singers of all time.
Had it not been for his cancer, Bastianini would be considered one of the greatest singers of all time.

An insurmountable mountain of facts proves that we are living in the best period of known human history. Maybe things were better in pre-history when the aliens were here, but from infant mortality rates to murder rates to diseases (even considering Covid) to world poverty levels, things have never been better.

Video:

Ettore Bastianini sings

The Prologo of <em>Il Pagliacci</em>

The Prologo of Il Pagliacci

Even for the U.S. middle-class, a group that has become infected with the idea of being victimized, things have become better. In the 1950s the typical size of a new home was 950 square feet. In the 1960s it was 1100. Since the 2000s the typical size of a new home has been about 2300 square feet – almost two-and-a-half times larger.

Despite our quality of life, there is one area that isn’t close to the quality of the past. That area is opera singers.

I previously wrote about three female opera singers of the past. Here are three male singers that all opera singers should know. These singers were world famous but have faded into obscurity.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Video:

Bonisolli

"La donna e mobile"

"La donna e mobile"

Baritone Ettore Bastianini made his Metropolitan Opera first appearance in 1953 and debuted at La Scala in 1954. In 1962 he was diagnosed with a throat tumor that turned out to be cancerous. He died of cancer in 1967. For ten years, roughly 1953-1963, nobody was better in the great Italian baritone roles such as Rigoletto, Amanastro in Aida, and Scarpia in Tosca.

The voice was golden from top to bottom, but it was his top notes that were most impressive. His high notes remained focused and were never overblown. Had it not been for his cancer, Bastianini would be considered one of the greatest singers of all time.

Video:

Franco Corelli in Parma - Tosca

"E lucevan le stelle" (English subtitles)

"E lucevan le stelle" (English subtitles)

Nicknamed Il pazzo (the madman), Franco Bonisolli had a crazy voice and the personality to go with it. He once threw his sword into the orchestra pit during a rehearsal. The conductor, none other than Herbert von Karajan, replaced Bonisolli with Placido Domingo. Vocally, Domingo cannot come close to Bonisolli’s high notes but sometimes it isn’t just about the singing.

Bonisolli made his American debut in 1965 as Alfredo in Verdi’s *La Traviata. Believe it or not, it was with San Diego Opera. Opposite him, as Violetta was none other than Montserrat Caballé. It’s safe to say that all subsequent “Traviatas at San Diego Opera have been less impressive.

The voice and the personality leaped off the stage when Bonisolli performed. Look no further than the live performance of “La Donna e Mobile” on YouTube with Bonisolli skipping across the stage and jumping at the end of his tremendous high B. This was considered bad form by many but I love it.

The only singer whose high notes can compare to Franco Bonisolli is Franco Corelli. Corelli is simply the best tenor ever to sing roles such as Don Jose in Carmen, Manrico in Il Trovatore, Calaf in Turandot and Cavaradossi in Tosca.

There is a live recording of Corelli signing Cavaradossi in Parma, Italy in 1967. It is the greatest singing by any singer of any voice type ever recorded and, judging by their response, the live audience agrees. They went wild every time Corelli had an aria or a high note.

The entire performance is available on YouTube.

Video:

Franco Corelli's Tosca

Entire opera (1967 Parma live, remastered)

Entire opera (1967 Parma live, remastered)

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Love Thy Neighbor(Hood): Food & Art Exploration

Events November 2-November 6, 2024
Next Article

Extended family dynamics

Many of our neighbors live in the house they grew up in
Had it not been for his cancer, Bastianini would be considered one of the greatest singers of all time.
Had it not been for his cancer, Bastianini would be considered one of the greatest singers of all time.

An insurmountable mountain of facts proves that we are living in the best period of known human history. Maybe things were better in pre-history when the aliens were here, but from infant mortality rates to murder rates to diseases (even considering Covid) to world poverty levels, things have never been better.

Video:

Ettore Bastianini sings

The Prologo of <em>Il Pagliacci</em>

The Prologo of Il Pagliacci

Even for the U.S. middle-class, a group that has become infected with the idea of being victimized, things have become better. In the 1950s the typical size of a new home was 950 square feet. In the 1960s it was 1100. Since the 2000s the typical size of a new home has been about 2300 square feet – almost two-and-a-half times larger.

Despite our quality of life, there is one area that isn’t close to the quality of the past. That area is opera singers.

I previously wrote about three female opera singers of the past. Here are three male singers that all opera singers should know. These singers were world famous but have faded into obscurity.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Video:

Bonisolli

"La donna e mobile"

"La donna e mobile"

Baritone Ettore Bastianini made his Metropolitan Opera first appearance in 1953 and debuted at La Scala in 1954. In 1962 he was diagnosed with a throat tumor that turned out to be cancerous. He died of cancer in 1967. For ten years, roughly 1953-1963, nobody was better in the great Italian baritone roles such as Rigoletto, Amanastro in Aida, and Scarpia in Tosca.

The voice was golden from top to bottom, but it was his top notes that were most impressive. His high notes remained focused and were never overblown. Had it not been for his cancer, Bastianini would be considered one of the greatest singers of all time.

Video:

Franco Corelli in Parma - Tosca

"E lucevan le stelle" (English subtitles)

"E lucevan le stelle" (English subtitles)

Nicknamed Il pazzo (the madman), Franco Bonisolli had a crazy voice and the personality to go with it. He once threw his sword into the orchestra pit during a rehearsal. The conductor, none other than Herbert von Karajan, replaced Bonisolli with Placido Domingo. Vocally, Domingo cannot come close to Bonisolli’s high notes but sometimes it isn’t just about the singing.

Bonisolli made his American debut in 1965 as Alfredo in Verdi’s *La Traviata. Believe it or not, it was with San Diego Opera. Opposite him, as Violetta was none other than Montserrat Caballé. It’s safe to say that all subsequent “Traviatas at San Diego Opera have been less impressive.

The voice and the personality leaped off the stage when Bonisolli performed. Look no further than the live performance of “La Donna e Mobile” on YouTube with Bonisolli skipping across the stage and jumping at the end of his tremendous high B. This was considered bad form by many but I love it.

The only singer whose high notes can compare to Franco Bonisolli is Franco Corelli. Corelli is simply the best tenor ever to sing roles such as Don Jose in Carmen, Manrico in Il Trovatore, Calaf in Turandot and Cavaradossi in Tosca.

There is a live recording of Corelli signing Cavaradossi in Parma, Italy in 1967. It is the greatest singing by any singer of any voice type ever recorded and, judging by their response, the live audience agrees. They went wild every time Corelli had an aria or a high note.

The entire performance is available on YouTube.

Video:

Franco Corelli's Tosca

Entire opera (1967 Parma live, remastered)

Entire opera (1967 Parma live, remastered)

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Love Thy Neighbor(Hood): Food & Art Exploration

Events November 2-November 6, 2024
Next Article

Wild Wild Wets, Todo Mundo, Creepy Creeps, Laura Cantrell, Graham Nancarrow

Rock, Latin reggae, and country music in Little Italy, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Harbor Island
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
June 13, 2021
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader