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Lebendige Vergangenheit - Tancredi Pasero

Artist Tancredi Pasero
Title Lebendige Vergangenheit - Tancredi Pasero
Release Date Thursday, August 31, 2006
Genre Classical > Choro
Composers Arrigo Boito, Ambroise Thomas, Giuseppe Verdi, Gioacchino Rossini, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Vincenzo Bellini, Amilcare Ponchielli
Songwriters Tancredi Pasero, Tancredi Pasero / Giuseppina Zinetti, Tancredi Pasero / Francesco Merli / Bianca Scacciati, Tancredi Pasero / Paolo Civil / Gina Cigna
Copyright © Preiser Records
Country AUSTRIA

Promotion Text

Lebendige Vergangenheit

Tancredi Pasero owes his vocal training to the once well known baritone Arturo Pessina. He made his debut in 1917 in Turin, the city of bis birth, in the role of the King in "Aida". There followed numerous engagements in smaller parts before he sang bis first major role (Rodolfo in Bellini's "La Sonnambula") in Vincenza on December 15, 1918 - the date which the singer later considered to be the beginning of his artistic life. Shortly afterward he repeated the role at La Scala in Milan. In the course of bis illustrious and unusually long career Pasero appeared mostly in Italy. His main house was the Scala, where Toscanini engaged him for leading roles. He guested with success at Covent Garden in London, and also in Paris, Brussels, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Berlin and Hamburg. He was a member of the Metropolitan Opera from November 1929 to March 1933, where he had the opportunity to appear in the great bass roles of the Italian repertoire. His most memorable achievements were in "Aida" (Ramphis), "Trovatore", "Luisa Miller", "La Gioconda", "Norma", "La Boheme", "La Forza del Destino", "William Tell", "Lucia di Lammermoor", "Simon Boccanegra" and "Don Giovanni" (Leporello). His appearances at the Met coincide with that fortunate era which was blessed with an amazing number of glorious voices. Among his partners numbered such legendary singers as Elisabeth Rethberg, Frances Alda, Rosa Ponselle, Lucrezia Bori, Karin Branzell, Beniamino Gigli, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, Giovanni Martinelli, Aureliano Pertile, Lawrence Tibbett and Giuseppe De Luca. In 1933 he enjoyed an enormous success at the Maggio Musicale in Florence in Spontini's "La Vestale" with the fabulous Rosa Ponselle as protagonist. Pasero also appeared very often during the summer sessions at the Arena di Verona. The repertoire presented there in course of more than a decade and a half clearly indicates the artistic breadth of this artist. In 1933 he sang Marcel in Meyerbeer's "Les Huguenots" (with Lauri-Volpi and Rosa Raisa), in 1935 Oroveso in "Norma" (with Gina Cigna and Francesco Merli) and in 1936 Ramphis in "Aida" (with Maria Caniglia and Galliano Masini). In 1937 he embodied the title role in Boito's "Mefistofele" and in 1938 he was heard as Zaccaria in "Nabucco" (with Ebe Stignani and Carlo Tagliabue) as well as Baldassare in Donizetti's "La Favorita" and in 1939 as Mephisto in Gounod's "Faust". In 1948 he sang at a concert commemorating the lOOthe anniversary of Donizetti's death and in 1950 he appeared for the last time on Verona as Wotan in Wagner's "Walküre". To Pasero's most famous roles must also be numbered the leading role in Rossini's "Mose in Egitto", Lothario in "Mignon", Sarastro, Don Basilio, Philip II, Boris Godunov and Escamillo as weil as several important Wagner assumptions: König Heinrich, Gurnemanz, König Marke, Pogner and Hagen. In the last phase of his career he broadened his repertoire to include dramatic baritone roles. His interpretation of the bass solo in Verdi's Requiem was considered tobe one of his most impressive achievements. Pasero also participated in the world premieres of several operas, among them Mascagni's "Nerone" at La Scala and Pinzetti's "Orseolo" in Florence, both of which took place in 1935. Tancredi Pasero must be regarded as a prototypical Italian bass. Together with Nazzareno De Angelis and Ezio Pinza he belongs to the most famous representatives of this vocal category. His voice is preserved on numerous recordings (single selections and complete operas). Its unique beauty, spacious fullness and tonal splendor have led many experts on singing to con­ sider it to be the most exquisite and refined instrument among all Italian singers of his range.