Gaetano Bardini

He came from a poor family, and his voice was discovered when he sang while working in the fields. He studied in Livorno with a local voice teacher, and got some technical advice from Galliano Masini (who lived in Livorno).

Livorno was also where he made his 1956 debut (in Iris, no less!), and he sang the same role soon in Catania. He was a success, and went on to sing Turiddu in Catania, at the San Carlo in Naples, and the Massimo in Palermo. He had his next major success in 1960 in Switzerland as Manrico (a production that started in Basel and was shown 52 times in various theaters). Again in Basel, he sang his first Chénier, in a production that went on to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Berlin. He made long tours to South Africa in 1963 and Latin America (Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Bolivia) in 1964. In 1964, he was also back at the San Carlo, this time as Turiddu (his favorite role).

In 1966, he was at the Metropolitan Opera for six performances of La fanciulla del West, including the very first performance at the new Met theater at Lincoln Center. Bardini stayed in the USA until 1969, singing in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Dallas or New Orleans.

Back to Europe, he sang in many countries, for instance at the Vienna Staatsoper in 1973 (Turiddu) and 1974 (Pinkerton), or in Malta (Radames), but primarily in Eastern Europe: Yugoslavia, Warsaw (Radames), Budapest (Chénier, Turiddu, Canio), and most prominently in Czechoslovakia, where he scored enormous success until late in his career (for instance in Prague 1988).

Reference

LP
1967  Recital - Romanze d'opera - Dir: Ino Savini - Supraphon
1968  Verdi - Il trovatore - G.Bardini, Linda Vajna, Franco Pagliazzi - 
      Coro e Orchestra Filarmonica di Praga - Direttore M° Ino Savini - F.lli Fabbri editori - 
      Cofanetto con 33 giri (1° edizione Fabbri e 2 ristampe, tra cui una Supraphon del 1969)
1970  Recital - Romanze d'opera - Dir: Jan Stych - Supraphon 1 12 1158 G
1972  Verdi - Requiem con Margaret Tynes, Vera Soukupova, Jan Kyzlink - 
      live Praga Cattedrale di San Vito 9.9.72 Orchestra Sinf. di Ostrava Dir: Ino Savini 2 LP
1973  Recital di canzoni napoletane - Opus Praga (ristampato in parte dalla Champion Records - UK)
1979  Mascagni - Isabeau - (in prima mondiale) con Aldo Protti.
1979  Recital di arie d'opera - Dir: Jan Stych - Supraphon 1116 2729 G

CD
Mascagni - Cavalleria rusticana - Santuzza: Marina Krilovici, Turiddu: Gaetano Bardini, 
      Alfio: Kostas Paskalis, Mamma Lucia: Hilde Rössl-Majdan, Lola: Rohangiz Yachmi - 
      Direttore: Anton Guadagno - Wiener Staatsopernchor und Orchester - live 14 Settembre 1973 - 
      2 CD RKM 006-2 631
Gaetano Bardini, tenor. "The best of Prague recordings" (Studio - 1975, 1970, 1968 - 
      licensed by Supraphon, digitally remastered) Jan Štych and Ino Savini, conductors

Bardini also recorded La forza del destino for the state television of Czechoslovakia.