Romeo Berti

1867 Ravenna – 1954 London

Romeo Berti is the epitome of a mystery tenor. Most everything about him is mysterious. Even the photo reproduced above is doubtful, and I cannot vouch that it really shows Berti. Just his dates of life are certain, and his last decades: he spent them in London, teaching voice (from 1914 onwards). One of his pupils was Benvenuto Finelli.

As far as his beginnings, he is said to have studied in Paris with Paul Lhérie and Jean de Reszke. And he made lots of recordings, at least 151 (see below). But nobody ever found any hint to a career. That's why collectors started very early on, already in the 1930s, to make wild conjectures: that "Romeo Berti" was just a pseudonym of Carlo Albani. Or better still, of Jean de Reszke. (Yeah, 151 Jean de Reszke recordings! That's what each of us would be craving, right?) Of course, not only Romeo Berti's life is largely mysterious; it's also a mystery why so many collectors are deaf, and were deaf even back in the golden old times. Albani??!!!? Didn't they hear that Romeo Berti was a clown singer, barely able to hold a high note without cracking it? At least as far as de Reszke, there were, in the 1930s, enough people still alive who had heard de Reszke on stage, and they immediately protested the idea that Berti was actually de Reszke, and testified that there was no similarity between those two singers.

Romeo Berti's son, in a 1950s radio interview, claimed that his father had sung "at all important European theaters". This, at least, can easily be proven wrong: he had not sung at one single important theater, never. The history of the important theaters is documented well enough, and a Romeo Berti is nowhere to be found.

Kutsch & Riemens wrote a funny entry about him, without really knowing much (inevitably so, nobody does), and claimed that he had sung in provincial theaters in Italy and France, as well as in London. Well, in Italy, not so; in Roberto Marcocci's larger-than-life performance chronologies of the provincial Italian theaters from 1870 to 1930, the name Romeo Berti does not pop up. Not a single time. Even though even Marcocci's chronologies are certainly not 100 percent complete (but probably 95 percent), we can safely exclude that Berti ever sang in his native Italy. London is probably a deduction from his few Nicole recordings that he made in London in 1904, without any further evidence. Which leaves us with the possibility that he may have sung in the French provinces; I don't exclude it, since the history of the smaller opera theaters in France is so terribly ill-documented, and since he was almost always recording and hence obviously living in France (Kutsch & Riemens say from 1895 to 1905, for what it's worth; in fact, he recorded in Paris until 1909), and his French diction was excellent, good enough to support another wild conjecture, that he was actually French and not Italian. But again, his career in the French provinces is but an assumption, and not one single performance has been proven so far; he may well have been a studio tenor only.

It's congruous with his discography, and it must have been told by his son in that radio interview: in 1910, he suffered a voice crisis that proved definitive; so he gave up singing and, see above, moved to London to teach voice.

But actually, and here comes the best part, I found one stage appearance of Berti! In 1950, at Cambridge Theater in London, a very successful musical revue for children was staged: "Christmas party" by Cecil Landeau; and the part of "The Tenor" (probably a small part since he's the last of the cast) was played by – Romeo Berti! He was 83 by then! Was that perhaps his stage debut?

Reference 1: Kutsch & Riemens, reference 2, reference 3, reference 4, reference 5: The Gramophone, September 1936

Discography

Société des Phonographes Bettini, Paris, January/February 1904
901			Manon (Massenet): Ah! fuyez								901
902			Manon (Massenet): En fermant les yeux					902
903			Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba						903
904			Faust (Gounod): Salut, demeure							904
905			Werther (Massenet): unknown selection					905
906			La forza del destino (Verdi): O tu che in seno				906
907			Ballata (Mascagni)										907
929			Mefistofele (Boito): unknown selection						929
930			Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): O Colombine						930
952			Werther (Massenet): unknown selection					952
971			Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet): Mi par d'udir ancora				971
972			Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna è mobile						972
973			Il trovatore (Verdi): Deserto sulla terra						973
991			Souvenir (Lalo)											991
992			Le rêve du prisonnier (= Zhelanie) (Rubinstein)				992



Columbia, Paris, 1904
50512-1		Sigurd (Reyer): Esprits gardiens							50512 
50513-1		Jérusalem (Verdi): Je veux encore entendre				50513 

Beka-Idéal, Paris, June/July 1904
7470		Les huguenots (Meyerbeer): Plus blanche					7470
7471		Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Un tal gioco, credetemi				7471
7472		Rigoletto (Verdi) Questa o quella per me pari sono			7472
7473		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni) Viva il vino					7473
7474		Tosca (Puccini): unknown selection						7474

Nicole, London, summer 1904
15..			Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba						5539
15..			Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola					5540
15..			Carmen (Bizet): Il fior									5541

Odéon, Paris, September 1904
xP 982		Paillasse (Leoncavallo): Pauvre Paillasse					X 33881
xP 983		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola, blanche fleur		X 33882  
xP 984		Il trovatore (Verdi): Exilé sur la terre						X 33883
xP 985		Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d'étoiles						X 33884 
xP 986		La Juive (Halévy): Rachel, quand du Seigneur				X 33886
xP 987-1	Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent					X 33887
xP 997		Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba						X 37000
xP 998		Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle							X 37001

Disque Excelsior, Paris, September or October 1904
296F		Le roi d'Ys (Lalo): Vainement, ma bien aimée				296

Favorite, Paris, December 1904
106-b		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola					1-5022
107-b		Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba						1-5023

Société des Phonographes Bettini, Paris, unknown date
1229		Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia						1229

Favorite, Paris, February 1905
370-f		Werther (Massenet): Pourquoi me réveiller					1-5067
385-f		Il trovatore (Verdi): Exilé sur la terre						1-5075
423-f		Faust (Gounod): Laisse-moi contempler (w. Demougeot)	1-9001
424-f		Faust (Gounod): Il m'aime (w. Demougeot & Carbelly)		1-9002
			Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle							1-5029
			Jérusalem (Verdi): Je veux encore entendre				1-5035
			Le départ (Spinetti)										1-5036

Odéon, Paris, March 1905
xP 1272		Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant réprimer				X 36003
xP 1273		Souvenirs (Massé)										X 36022
xP 1274		Roland à Roncevaux (Mermet): Superbes Pyrérenées		X 36023
xP 1282		Sigurd (Reyer): Esprits gardiens							X 36017
xP 12..		Manon (Massenet): Ah! fuyez								X 36030
xP 12..		Werther (Massenet): Pourquoi me réveiller					X 36033

Columbia cylinders, Paris, July 1905
37193		Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d'étoiles						37193
37194		Paillasse (Leoncavallo): Pauvre Paillasse					37194
37195		Sigurd (Reyer): Esprits gardiens							37195
37196		Jérusalem (Verdi): Je veux encore entendre				37196
37197		Manon (Massenet): En fermant les yeux					37197
37198		La favorite (Donizetti): Ange si pur						37198
37199		Il trovatore (Verdi): Dieu que ma voix implore				37199
37200		Si vous n'étiez pas si jolie (Mathé)							37200
37201		Aida (Verdi): Ô céleste Aida								37201
37202		La favorite (Donizetti): Un ange, une femme inconnue		37202
37203		La bohéme(Puccini): Que cette main est froide				37203
37204		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Vive le vin qui pétille		37204

Columbia, Paris, July 1905
50695		Aida (Verdi): Ô céleste Aida								50695
50696-1		Si vous n'étiez-pas si jolie (Mathé) 							50696, E494
50697-1		Manon (Massenet): En fermant les yeux					50697, E494
50698 		La favorite (Donizetti): Ange si pur 						50698, E495
50699		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Vive le vin qui pétille		50699
50700 		La bohème (Puccini): Que cette main est froide 				50700 
50701-1		La favorite (Donizetti): Un ange, une femme inconnue  		50701, E495
50702		Il trovatore (Verdi): Dieu que ma voix implore				50702

Edison 2-min cylinders, Paris, September 1905
B7			Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba						B7
B17			Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola					B17
B18 		Rigoletto (Verdi): Questa o quella 							B18
B26 		Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle 						B26
B34 		Il trovatore (Verdi): Deserto sulla terra 					B34



Dutreih, Paris, about 1905
165020		Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Un dì all'azzurro spazio			165020, D 15020
165021		L'elisir d'amore (Donizetti): Una furtiva lagrima			165021, D 15021
165022		Rigoletto (Verdi): Questa o quella 							165022
165023		Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba						165023, D 15023
165024		Les pêcheurs de perles (Bizet): Della mia vita				165024
165025		Fedora (Giordano): Amor ti vieta							165025, D 15025
165026		Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle 						165026
165027		'O sole mio (Di Capua)									165027

Disque Excelsior, Paris, 1905 or 1906
40699		Les pêcheurs de perles (Bizet): Mi par d'udir ancora			40699
40700		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola					40700
40726		Otello (Verdi): Ora e per sempre addio						40726
40729		Otello (Verdi): Esultate									40729
			Ballata (Mascagni)										unpublished
60646		Il trovatore (Verdi): Miserere								60646
60647		Sigurd (Reyer): Grand air									60647
60648		Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant réprimer				60648
60650		La Juive (Halévy): Rachel, quand du Seigneur				60650
60682		La favorite (Donizetti): Ange si pur						60682
60683		Aida (Verdi): Ô céleste Aida								60683

Columbia, Milano, 1905 or 1906
10525-1		Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle							10525, C133, E123
10526-1		Ave Maria (Gounod)										10526, A534, D4021
10527		Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Un dì all'azzurro spazio			E189
10528-1		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Viva il vino				10528, A531, C117, E438
10529-1		La favorite (Donizetti): Spirto gentil						10529, A532, D4018, E105
10530-1		Manon (Massenet): Chiudo gli occhi						10530, D4019, E109
10531		Les pêcheurs de perles (Bizet): Mi par d'udir ancora			10531, E119
10532		Falstaff (Verdi): Dal labbro il canto						10532, E101
10533-1		Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Fra poco a me ricovero	10533, C140, E112
10535-1		Rigoletto (Verdi): Parmi veder le lagrime					10535, E120, Cort F626
10536-1		Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba						10536, E118, Cort F553, T11
10537-1		Rigoletto (Verdi): Questa o quella							10537, D3032, D4011, E120, Si-La-Fa 1034
10538-1		Gioconda (Ponchielli): Cielo e mar							10538, E106, T11
10539-1		L'Africaine (Meyerbeer): O paradiso						10539, C121, D4000, E90
10540-1		Rigoletto (Verdi): Parmi veder le legrime					10540
10541-1		L'elisir d'amore (Donizetti): Una furtiva lagrima			10541, D4004, E98, T11, Si-La-Fa 1013
10543-1		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola					10543, D3047, E95, E1336, C117, T10
10544-1		Aida (Verdi): Celeste Aida									10544, D3048, E91, E1336
10562-1		Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Un dì all'azzurro spazio			10562, E189



10563-1		La bohème (Puccini): Che gelida manina					10563, A5024
10565-1		Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna è mobile						10565, D4010, E124, E190
10566		Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Ah non v'avvicinate 				10566, E191
10568-1		Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Fra poco a me 			10568, A5013, D16254, D16542
10569		Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Ecco ridente 				10569, D4001, E192
10570		Iris (Mascagni): Apri la tua finestra						10570
10571		Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Se il mio nome 				10571, D4017, E193
10572-1		Luisa Miller (Verdi): Quando le sere 						10572, A5025
10573-1		Carmen (Bizet): Il fior 									10573, A5013, D16542

Homocord, Paris, April 1906
2101 		Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia						2101
2102 		Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Un dì all'azzurro spazio			2102
2103 		Seconda mattinata (Tosti) 								2103, Cabezas 2103
2106 		Manon (Massenet): Chiudo gli occhi 						2106, Cabezas 2106
2107		Aida (Verdi): Celeste Aida 								2107, Disco Lisboa 2107



2108 		Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle 						2108
2109		Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna è mobile						2109
2110		Rigoletto (Verdi): Questa o quella							2110
2111		Il trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira							2111, 12118 A, Rubin 100065
2112		Il trovatore (Verdi): Miserere 								2112, Rubin 100065, Cabezas 2112

APGA, Paris, October 1906
35000		Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle 						35000
35001		Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia 						35001
35002		Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna è mobile 						35002
35003		Rigoletto (Verdi): Ballata 									35003
35005-B	'O sole mio (di Capua) 									35005
35006		Mefistofele (Boito): Giunto sul passo estremo 				35006, CIP35006
35007		Mefistofele (Boito): Dai campi, dai prati 					35007, CIP35006
35008-A	Fedora (Giordano): Amor ti vieta 							35008
35009		Ballata (Mascagni) 										35009
35010		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola					35010
35011		Il trovatore (Verdi): Deserto sulla terra 					35011
35012		Il trovatore (Verdi): Miserere 								35012
35013		Aida (Verdi): Celeste Aida									35013
35014		Manon (Massenet): Il sogno 								35014

Homocord, Paris, December 1907
8520		Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola, blanche fleur		8520, Cabezas 8520
8522		Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Pauvre Paillase					8522
8523		Manon (Massenet): En fermant les yeux					8523

Homocord, Paris, date uncertain (January 1908?)
8562		Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba						8562
8563		Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant réprimer				8563
8563-2		Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant réprimer				8563
8565		Aida (Verdi): Ô céleste Aida								8565

Homocord, Paris, February 1909
8510 		Fedora (Giordano): Amor ti vieta 							8510, Cabezas 8510

APGA, Paris, 1909
A 187		Panis angelicus (Franck)									35202
A 188		Pietà, Signore (Fétis)										35203

A big thankyou to Christian Torrent for the discography and the pictures; major updates to the discography from Gesellschaft für historische Tonträger, Wien.

I would like to thank Richard J Venezia for the recordings (Trovatore, Africaine).

I would like to thank Tom Silverbörg for the recordings (Rigoletto, Pagliacci).