Gianni Raimondi

Gianni Raimondi ( born April 17, 1923 in Bologna, † 19 October, 2008 Pianoro ) was an Italian operatic tenor.

He studied singing in Mantua. He made his debut in 1947 in Budrio (BO ) as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi. In 1948 he sang the role of Ernesto in Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti. After that, he appeared in many Italian and foreign theaters.

The breakthrough came in 1956 as Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata on the side of Maria Callas at La Scala. On the side of the "Divine " he also sang the Percy in Donizetti's Anna Bolena and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor.

Its full and resonant voice as a lyric tenor with warm and powerful timbre allowed him appearances in I Puritani by Vincenzo Bellini, in Guglielmo Tell of Gioachino Rossini, La Favorita by Donizetti and in La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, the latter in 1963 at La Scala, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.

He was one of the few lyric tenors of his time who was able to get involved in the theater Rossini and Donizetti, though. Loyalty not by style, so by the strength of his voice, especially in the higher pitch

At the age of 79 years Gianni Raimondi retired from the stage of life. After 45 years of stage life he taught in the small town of Budrio south of Milan at the Academy of La Scala. It is highly appreciated by opera fans in Asia; There were fans from Japan and Korea, which followed him from performance to performance.

Discography

• Gaetano Donizetti: Anna Bolena. Ital. Total recording, live La Scala in Milan, April 14, 1957. EMI 1997.
• Vincenzo Bellini: I Puritani. Ital. Total recording, live La Scala, RAI, October 24, 1959. MYTO 2009.
• Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata. Total intake, German Grammophon reissue on CD, 2007.
• Giacomo Puccini: La Boheme. Filmed recording from 1963, conductor Herbert von Karajan, German Grammophon, DVD, 2006.