Luigi Colazza

   

He studied in Rome with Aramis Toussan and later in Milan with Ranieri Baragli. He made his debut in 1892 at the Quirino in Rome in Norma.

In 1897/98, Colazza sang in Holland (dates indicate the first of several performances):
12 October, Il trovatore in 's-Gravenhage with Lunardi, Gilboni, Sambo, Cervi
29 October, La forza del destino in 's-Gravenhage with Carnielli, Morghen, Sambo, Spangher, Cervi
5 November, Pagliacci in 's-Gravenhage with Carnielli, Lunardi, Albert, Cervi
12 November, Ernani in 's-Gravenhage with Kunardi, Lucenti, Carnielli
7 December, Un ballo in maschera in 's-Gravenhage with Moro, Carnielli, Bobbio, Cappellato, Spangher, Cervi
21 January, Aida in 's-Gravenhage with Cervi, Sambo, Guasconi, Spangher, Lunardi

Parma, Teatro Regio, 24 February 1898: Un ballo in maschera with the tenor Nazzareno Breccia

La gazzetta di Parma, 25 February 1898, reported that the tenor was so inferior that the audience protested him so heavily that the performance was stopped after the first act and that the impressario in front of the curtain announced the termination of the performance and the reimbursement of the tickets.

A new cast was found to continue the season with Linda Micucci (Amelia), Lina Cassandro (Paggio), Elisa Mattiuzzi (Ulrica), Lugi Colazza (Riccardo), Alessandro Arcangeli (Renato, replaced at the performance by Modesti), Carlo De Probizzi (Samuele).

La gazzetta di Parma, 4 March 1998, reported that Miccuci had just sung last autumn at the Costanzi and that the tenor Colazza had sung during the Carnival season in Bucharest several operas with success, including Otello.

La gazzetta di Parma, 6 March 1898, reported that the young tenor had a voice similar to Galli. His medium and high registers mixed well, were powerful, and he had a nice timbre. He modulated artfully and received warm appreciation from the audience.

In 1899, Colazza created Andrea Chénier in Bergano.

In 1901, he sang Andrea Chénier in Parma.

In 1904, he sang Vasili in Siberia in Piacenza.

In 1906, while he was in Milan, he had the opportunity of listening to Ervino Landavai who talked about the Italian music in a very offensive way. His reaction was so violent that he was reported to the police.

In 1910, he sang in Montevideo (Radamès, Manrico, Chénier, Alvaro, Canio).

In 1911, he was a guest in Graz.

In 1912/13, he sang Otello, Canio, Ernani in Barcelona.

He retired around 1918.

His repertory also included: Turiddu, Pollione, Siegmund, Samson, Tannhäuser, Ruy Blas, Raoul, José, ...

After retiring, he taught singing in Trieste.
Reference: Kutsch & Riemens
Reference: Dietro il sipario, Parma 1985

I wish to thank Richard J Venezia for the recording (Huguenots).

Source for the chronology, pictures, recording (Siberia) and discography the extraordinary website of Roberto Marcocci.

Discography

Gramophone, Milano, August 1905
6930a	 Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Qui sotto il ciel					52889, 92097
6933a    Poliuto (Donizetti): Sfolgorò divino raggio					52890, 92098
7003b	 Prophète (Meyerbeer): Re del cielo						2-52415, X-92368, Vic 52516, 
											Vic 16578
7005b    Prophète (Meyerbeer): Sopra Berta						2-52416, X-92369
7010b    Forza del destino (Verdi): Solenne in quest'ora (w. Caronna)			54060, X-94121
7014b    Trovatore (Verdi): Mal reggendo (w. Esposito)					54263, X-94125
7015b    Forza del destino (Verdi): Solenne in quest'ora (w. Caronna)			54060x
7027b	 Trovatore (Verdi): Di geloso amor (w. Caronna, Bernacchi)			54261, Vic 61156
7027½b	 Trovatore (Verdi): Di geloso amor (w. Caronna, Bernacchi)			X-94093, Vic 52471, Vic 62418, 
											Vic 16808
7029b    Trovatore (Verdi): Ai nostri monti (w. Esposito)				52259, 654010, X-94127, 
											E119, Vic 52481, Vic 61166
7034b    Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Odi tu (w. Caronna, Bernacchi)			54255, V*94090, X-94090
7048b    Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Di' tu se fedele					2-52424, Vic 52409
7048½b	 Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Di' tu se fedele					2-52424x, X-92427, Vic 62087
7050b    Ernani (Verdi): Oro, quant'oro (w. Bernacchi, Torres de Luna)			54260, X-94092, Vic 52487, 
											Vic 61172, Vic 16569
7053b    Lombardi alla prima crociata (Verdi): La mia letizia infondere			2-52428, X-92373
490c	 Ernani (Verdi): A te, scegli, seguimi (w. Torres de Luna)			054047, Vic 58371, Vic 35169, 
											Vic 71035
491c     Ernani (Verdi): Ferma, crudele (w. Bernacchi, Torres de Luna)			054046
494½c	 Forza del destino (Verdi): Le minaccie (w. Caronna)				054049, Vic 58324
  	  	
Pathé, Milano, 1906
86127	 Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Come un bel dì					86127
86128	 Africaine (Meyerbeer): O paradiso						86128
86129	 Forza del destino (Verdi): O tu che in seno agli angeli			86129, 10274
86130	 Trovatore (Verdi): Deserto sulla terra						86130
86131	 Prophète (Meyerbeer): Re del ciel						86131, 10274
86132	 Trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira						86132
86133	 Norma (Bellini): Ah troppo tardi t'ho conosciuta				86133, 10155
86134	 Trovatore (Verdi): Miserere (w. Chelotti)					86134, 12552
86135	 Juive (Halévy): Rachele allor che Iddio					86135, 10155
86161	 Ballo in maschera (Verdi): La rivedrà nell'estasi				86161, 10172
86162	 Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia						86162, 10173
86163	 Otello (Verdi): Ora e per sempre addio						86163, 10173
86169	 Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Di' tu se fedele					86169, 10172

Gramophone, Milano, September 1906
798c     Norma (Bellini): Deh non volerli vittime (w. Boninsegna, de Segurola)		054097, Delta TQD3028

Gramophone, Milano, November 1906
9367b    Trovatore (Verdi): Ah sì, ben mio						2-52575, X-92395, Vic 52445
9443b	 Norma (Bellini): Oh, non tremare (w. Giacomelli, Codolini)			54323, X-94109
9447b	 Ernani (Verdi): Come rugiada al cespite                                	2-52576, X-92429, Vic 52444
854c     Ruy Blas (Marchetti): O dolce voluttà  (w. Boninsegna)				054109, VB28, Vic 92034
855c     Forza del destino (Verdi): Amici in vita e in morte (w. Minolfi)		054108, Vic 58352
860c     Guillaume Tell (Rossini): La congiura (w. Cigada)				054130
871c     Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Che finger tento (w. Cigada)				054131
	 Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Ve' se di notte (w. Cigada, Sillich, Giacomelli)	054133
881c     Ernani (Verdi): O sommo Carlo (w. Battistini, Corsi, Sillich)			054107, DB205, Polydor 76152, 
											Polydor 85195, Vic 89135, Vic 92046

Gramophone, Milano, November or December 1906
918½c	 Norma (Bellini): Oh, di qual sei tu vittima (w. Giacomelli, Cappiello)		054115

Columbia, Milano, about 1905
10408	 Otello (Verdi): Esultate							10408
10409	 Otello (Verdi): Ora e per sempre addio						10409
10410	 Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Figli miei, v'arrestate			10410
10411	 Germania (Franchetti): Studenti, udite						10411
10412	 Norma (Bellini): Me protegge							10412
10413	 Norma (Bellini): Ah, troppo tardi t'ho conosciuta				10413
10414	 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Sia lode a te						10414
10415	 Lombardi alla prima crociata (Verdi): La mia letizia infondere			10415, E 110
10416	 Africaine (Meyerbeer): O paradiso						10416
10417	 Siberia (Giordano): Orride steppe						10417

Beka, Milano, 1911 or 1912
42381 	 Otello (Verdi): Esultate / Ora e per sempre addio				42381
42382 	 Otello (Verdi): Niun mi tema							42382
42383 	 Prophète (Meyerbeer): Re del cielo						42383, Artephon 261
42384 	 Forza del destino (Verdi): O tu che in seno agli angeli			42384