Franco Ventriglia
Franco Ventriglia ( born October 20, 1922 in Fairfield, Connecticut, † November 28, 2012 in Wallingford, Connecticut) was an American opera singer in the bass voice.
Life
Family and beginnings
Ventriglia was born as the son of Italian immigrants in Connecticut. His parents Salvatore and Rosa Ventriglia had a vegetable farm, grew up on the Ventriglia. He attended Roger Ludlowe High School in Fairfield, where he graduated in 1941. He pledged the United States Marine Corps and served during World War II in the First Marine Air Force Squadron ( 1st Marine Aircraft Wing ) in the South Pacific. After completing his military service, he worked in his brother's gas station in Easton. There, the singing teacher Mario Pagano became aware of Ventriglias talent. After a successful audition Ventriglia studied from 1947 at Pagano singing at the American Theatre Wing Professional School.
Ventriglia worked to earn his livelihood, as an inspector and inspector ( Inspector ) at the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Stratford and sang at local concerts. After the CEO Igor Sikorski, a music lover, had heard some of Ventriglias concerts in Bridgeport, he Ventriglia free one day a week of work, so that he could continue his vocal studies in New York City.
After Pagano's death went Ventriglia and his wife Jean Armstrong Ventriglia 1954 to Italy. When crossing the ocean liner SS Constitution, sang a concert at the Ventriglia for first-class passengers, where he lectured also core Ol ' Man River, he met an American businessman know who recommended him to the famous coloratura soprano and singing teacher Toti dal Monte seek, who taught in Rome. Ventriglia then continued his vocal studies in Rome with Toti dal Monte.
Career as a singer
His professional operatic debut was in 1956 at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo in the opera The Mastersingers of Nuremberg. In 1960 he sang at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In 1961, he was heard at the opera house in Monte Carlo. From 1961 to 1964 he performed at the Wexford Festival in Ireland, in 1963 at the Edinburgh Festival in the opera Luisa Miller.
Since 1963 he has frequently occurred in Naples at the Teatro San Carlo; since 1965, at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna and at the Teatro Regio di Parma. In 1964, he guested at the Opera House Rome, 1963, he sang at the Opera House in Cairo, since 1969 regularly in Genoa. Further guest had Ventriglia at the Teatro Regio di Torino (1972 ), at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Teatro Comunale di Firenze and at La Scala. He made guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera (1974-1976) and sang in Amsterdam ( 1965), Dublin (1965 ), London ( 1969) and at the Opera House of Dallas. He sang at the Festival at the Arena di Verona (1958-1959) and at the Festival in the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. He also appeared in New York's Carnegie Hall. In addition, he was bass soloist at the final concert at the end of the Second Vatican Council, where he. , In the presence of Pope Paul VI occurred in the Vatican. In 1984 he sang at the Connecticut Opera, the role of Norma Oroveso in 1986 there Basilio in the opera The Barber of Seville.
Among the important stage roles Ventriglias included: Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Ferrando in Il Trovatore, King and Ramfis in Aida, Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata, Conte di Walter and secretary Wurm in Luisa Miller, Sparafucile, the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos, Colline in La Bohème, Turandot and Timur in Alvise in La Gioconda.
Ventriglia also appeared as a concert singer in appearance. His career took a long time, over 47 years. He gave his last concert at the age of 79 years.
Audio
Ventriglia is also, mostly in smaller roles, to hear some opera recordings. The recordings appeared mainly at RCA. He sang, among other Dottore Grenvil in La Traviata (1961 ), in addition to Anna Moffo and a small role in Manon Lescaut (1957 ) alongside Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano. He has also taken on sacred works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Franz Schubert.