100 Singers - AUGUSTO FERRAUTO
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Augusto Ferrauto, Tenor (1903-1986)
Giacomo Puccini TURANDOT
"Non piangere Liu" / "Nessun dorma"
My personal opinion: Nice that you found once again the way to this little noticed channel at the edge of the UA-cam universe. For this valor and loyalty I would like to present you another forgotten tenor. But first please allow me a short introduction about the history of the Italian record company 'Cetra', which was formed during the 1930's to promote Italian music and musicians. Prior to the outbreak of the World War, 'Cetra' already produced complete recordings of NORMA (with Gina Cigna), LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (Lina Pagliughi) and the first complete TURANDOT (with Cigna and Francesco Merli). In an arrangement with 'Parlophone-Odeon', the 'Cetra' operas were distributed worldwide. For the main parts, the company featured top ranking stars and in supporting roles many singers from Italian opera houses. The regular orchestras came from the Italian Broadcasting authorities. Already ten years after formation, 'Cetra' was firmly established, although the technical quality was not comparable with the standards of the major studios. In the 1950's, the company produced some now legendary recordings, for example the only Callas studio recording of LA TRAVIATA or probably the best of all RIGOLETTO versions (with Giuseppe Taddei and Lina Pagliughi).
The leading 'Cetra' tenor was Ferruccio Tagliavini, primarily used in complete opera recordings next to Pagliughi. Because the main parts were all cast with the 'stars', innumerable unknown Italian opera singers never got the chance to show their talents in adequate manner, and if they were lucky enough, they could record a few solo 78 rpm's with the usual arias or popular Italian songs.
Also the Neapolitan Augusto Ferrauto never took part in full opera recordings. Like many Italian tenors of his day, Ferrauto was a short and portly man; an optical mixture of Gigli, Tagliavini and Schipa - not really the exemplary model of an opera hero. Although Ferrauto's singing was cultivated, he had not in his throat the golden qualities of the latter ones: The honeyed sound and the tender phrasing of words. And with regard to his physical appearance, only a place in the second or even third row was destined for him. With the rise of Di Stefano, Del Monaco and Corelli, Ferrauto's fame fell rapidely and in 1959, at the age of 56, he retired from stage.
He was born 1903 in Naples, educated in his hometown, after working as a teacher, and made his debut in 1929 in an open air performance of LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR as Edgardo. In the 1930's he performed the most popular opera heroes: Pinkerton, Rodolfo, Alfredo and Calaf. His Rome debut was as Luigi in Puccini's dark one-act opera IL TABARRO in 1935. After engagements in Bologna (1938) and Florence (1939), he came to 'La Scala' in 1940 - to realize he had no chance against Gigli. After two years he returned to Naples. During the next three seasons, Ferrauto sang at the 'Teatro San Carlo' his rich spinto repertoire in more than 200 performances: Cavaradossi, Radamés, Enzo, Otello, Turiddu, Canio and Chénier. He also appeared in contemporary operas and made guest performances in France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria and Egypt.
Augusto Ferrauto's voice was an effective instrument for a mid-size opera stage. The range was limited, articulation and expression without the final touch. And yet his 'Cetra' recordings exhort us, how much we have accepted during the last decades all the loud and ugly tones of the so-called superstars. And this in such a strange way that we are amused when we hear with our modern listening habits an apparently old-fashioned voice like that of Ferrauto. His spinto repertoire and his relative longevity in it shows us, that he obviously was a 'tenore robusto' with a ringing voice - quite comparable to the Corsican tenor César Vezzani (1888-1951), the tough and heroic FAUST in Henri Busser's 1930 recording with Marcel Journet as Mephisto. Ferrauto, of course, had less style.
Here we have him with two scenes from TURANDOT in place for a large number of forgotten tenors from the past. It was the merit of 'Cetra' to give at least some of them the opportunity to immortalize their voices for future generations. Style and manner of a singer from a bygone era is a reflection of the age he lived in, and sometimes we should be gracious and offer a sympathetic ear - even if we think the singing of the 'old warriors' is a little bit dusty and outdated.
Thank you.
Desconhecia, muito bonito !
BRAVO! Bravissimo!
VIVA!
I found this Nessum powerful, virile and without fussiness. The sound is clear, beautiful and the diction perfect. He was world class according to my ears. However, with the movie star looking Corelli and intoxicating Del Monaco he definitely would have been 3rd casting. Thank you for a rare look at this artist who fate could have been a little more generous to. Would love to hear some Pinkerton.
Another man behind the curtain... Thank you Mike again and again for your wonderful work...
Beautiful singing! Thanks for sharing!
A lovely "find", thank you Mike. A voice full of character and feeling and what wonderful diction.
I am inclined more to the 'old warriors' than some modern ones. Of course, today this singer couldn't be very successful. The producers would surely think, that he isn't handsome enough for their spectacular productions or for DVDs. A pity.