Luca Canonici

When José Carreras came down with leukemia, he had the soundtrack ready for a new Bohème film – but the film was still to be shot. The production company chose a young unknown tenor who would act on Carreras' behalf and open and close his mouth to Carreras' singing: Luca Canonici (born September 22nd, 1960, in Montevarchi/Toscana), a pupil of Tito Gobbi. Simultaneously, Canonici's debut LP recital was recorded and published. But Canonici's career wasn't up to the expectations induced by this rather prominent start. He sang for a few years at the Pesaro festival and at theatres like La Scala, Covent Garden or the Vienna Staatsoper, but without great achievements, and it didn't last long. As early as 2004, he was performing in places like Chieti, and got terrible reviews even there.

I wish to thank Robert Schlesinger for the recording, notes and picture.