Giuseppe Di Stefano

Giuseppe Di Stefano ( born July 24, 1921 in Motta Santa Anastasia (CT ), Italy, † March 3, 2008 in Santa Maria Hoè ( LC), Italy ) was an Italian opera singer (tenor ). He is considered one of the most important tenors of the 20th century.

Life

After studying at Adriano Tocchio, Luigi Monte Santo and Mariano Stabile he gave his debut in 1946 in Reggio Emilia in the role of Des Grieux in Jules Massenet's " Manon ". On March 15, 1947, he appeared in the same role at La Scala and a year later he made his debut at the Met, where he celebrated as Faust ( Gounod ), Rodolfo (La Bohème ) and again large as Des Grieux triumphs. He sang almost all the great opera houses of the world. He became famous for his frequent appearances on the side of Maria Callas.

First vocal problems occurred after overuse in 1963 at London's Covent Garden with a performance of Puccini's La Bohème, and Di Stefano had to be replaced by a promising young singer in the following year: this was the beginning of the career of Luciano Pavarotti.

Several comeback attempts Di Stefano, including in 1973 with Maria Callas, failed, after which he retired to Africa. There he lived with his wife Monika several months a year in Diani on the Kenyan coast south of Mombasa. Early December 2004 were attacked in their home by unknown assailants he and his wife. Di Stefano suffered this severe head injuries and was operated on twice in a hospital in Mombasa. After his health did not improve, he was then transferred to the neurosurgical department of the hospital San Raffaele in Milan. From his injuries he has never recovered; In December 2007 he once again fell into a coma and died on 3 March 2008 at his home near Milan.

Giuseppe Di Stefano was married twice in 1949 with Maria Girolami, with her he had a son and a daughter ( you became seriously ill, so that he in 1973 on a tour organized for which he was also Maria Callas persuade. Whereby a large part of his salary for the was used financing medical treatments ). As well as in 1994 with soprano Monica Curth until his death.