Edoardo Ferrari-Fontana
July 8, 1878 (Rome) – July 4, 1936 (Toronto)
Ferrari-Fontana studied medicine, but gave it up in 1902. He entered the Italian diplomatic service.
He went, as a secretary, to the Italian consulate in Montevideo. It was there that his vocal talent began
to assert itself.
He started singing small baritone parts in operettas and musicals in Brazil around 1906.
He toured Brazil and Argentina with an operetta company around 1907.
He moved back to Italy in 1908 and continued his career singing operettas and musicals.
He made his tenor debut as Tristan in Torino at the Regio on December 29, 1909 with Elsa Bland, Maria Curellich,
Francesco Maria Bonini and José Torres de Luna. It must be noted that he shared the role with Edoardo Garbin.
Ferrari-Fontana sang in many major European theaters, including: Paris (Opéra: Otello on June 20, 1914;
Th. des Champs-Élysées: Otello with Melba Nellie/Marcel Lucille, Vanni-Marcoux Jean-Émile), Scala
(1909 in Boris Godunov with Fjodor Shaljapin, and the world premiere of Italo Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re on April 10 , 1913), Barcelona,
Madrid, and South America.
On October 21, 1910, he sang Tannhäuser, alongside Riccardo Stracciari and then Giuseppe De
Luca at the Comunale in Bologna, where he also sang Pollione in 1910 in Norma with Ester
Mazzoleni and in 1912 Tristan.
He also sang at the Met: Avito in L'amore dei tre re, 11 times between
January 2, 1914 (with Bori, Amato, Bada) and April 10, 1915.
At one time, he was married to the soprano Margarethe Matzenauer (1881–1963).
He retired to Toronto, where he opened a singing school. He died there in 1936.
Some of his performances include:
Cavalleria rusticana
1913, Boston - Opera House during December (sharing with Léon Lafitte) with Amsden Elisabeth/White Carolina, Rienskaia Lydia/Leveroni Elisa, Angelini Fornari R.
La fanciulla del West
1911, Buenos Aires - Teatro Colón during July with Agostinelli Adelina, Titta Ruffo
1911, Montevideo - Teatro Urquiza during August with Agostinelli Adelina , Titta Ruffo
Otello
1914, Paris - Champs-Élysées during May with Melba Nellie/Marcel Lucille, Vanni-Marcoux Jean-Émile
1914, Paris - Opéra on June 20
Pagliacci
1913, Boston - Opera House during December with Nielsen Alice, Ancona Mario, Everett George, Giaccone Ernesto
1914, Paris - Champs-Élysées during May (sharing with Martinelli Giovanni) with Destinn Emmy/Muzio Claudia, Ancona Mario/Amato Pasquale, Pulcini Attilio/
Angelini Fornari Rodolfo, Fusco Natale
1915, Chicago - Civic Opera House during December wit Melis Carmen , Ancona Mario
Tannhäuser
1910, Ferrara - Teatro Comunale during May with Siebanech Lina, Lahoska Aga, Segura Tallien José, Friggi Pietro, Gorrelli Enrico
1910, Bologna - Teatro Comunale during October with Bland Elsa, Llacer Maria, Stracciari Riccardo/De Luca Giuseppe, Cirino Giulio, Richards Pietro
1911, Torino Teatro Regio during February with Bland Elsa/Petrella Oliva, Hotkowska Ladislava, Bonini Francesco Maria, Torres de Luna José
1911, Buenos aires - Teatro Colon during May with Pasini Vitale Lina, De Falken, De Luca Giuseppe, De Angelis Nazzareno, Lussardi Gino
1911, Montevideo - Teatro Urquiza during August with Pasini Vitale Lina, De Falken, De Luca Giuseppe, De Angelis Nazzareno, Lussardi Gino
Norma
1910, Bologna - Teatro Comunale during November (sharing with Castellani Fausto) with Mazzoleni Ester, Garibaldi Luisa, Cirino Giulio
1912, Napoli - Teatro San Carlo during January with Mazzoleni Ester/Capella Juanita, Fiammingo Olga, Torres de Luna José
1912, Torino - Teatro Regio during February with Capella Juanita, Fiammingo Olga, Torres de Luna José
1912. Milano - La Scala during March with Burzio Eugenia, Druetti Emma, Torres de Luna José
1913, Milano - La Scala during March with Russ Giannina, Garibaldi Luisa, De Angelis Nazzareno
Tristan und Isolde
1909, Torino - Teatro Regio during December (sharing with Garbin) with Bland Elsa, Curellich Maria, Bonini Francesco Maria, Torres de Luna José
1911, Torino - Teatro Regio during March with Bland Elsa, Hotkowska Ladislava, Bonini Francesco Maria, Quinzi Tapergi Giuseppe
1911, Buenos Aires - Teatro Colón during August with Pasini Vitale Lina, Garibaldi Luisa, Titta Ruffo, De Angelis Nazzareno
1911, Sao Paolo, - Teatro Municipal during September with Pasini Vitale Lina, Perini Flora, Titta Ruffo, Ludikar Pavel
1911, Napoli - Teatro San Carlo during December with Mazzoleni Ester, Petri Elisa, Romboli Arturo, Torres de Luna José
1912, Buenos Aires - Teatro Colón during May with Weidt Lucia, Gagliardi Cecilia/Matzenauer Margarete, Amato Pasquale, De Angelis Nazzareno
1912, Bologna - Teatro Comunale during December (sharing with Mariani Carlo) with Burchi Teresa, Petri Elisa, Passuello Amerigo, Benazzo Liani Ernesto
1913, Boston - Opera House during January (sharing with Burrian Karl/Urlus Jacques) with Fremstad Olive/Saltzman Stevens Minnie/Nordica Lillian, Gay Maria, Weil Hermann/Goritz Otto/Buers Herman, Lankow Edward
1913, Botson - Opera House during November with Matzenauer Marguerite, Niessen Stone Matja, Weil Hermann/Amato Pasquale, Ludikar Pavel
1914, Milano - Teatro La Scala during March with Pinto Amelia, Garibaldi Luisa, Viglione Borghese Domenico, Berardi Berardo
1914, Paris - Champs-Élysées during May (sharing with Cornelius Peter) with Van der Osten Eva/Matzenauer Margarete, Claussen Julia/De Cisneros Eleonora, Kiess August/Amato Pasquale, Fonss Johannes
1920, Lisbon Teatro San Carlos during February with Turchetti Ofelia, Gay Maria, Sarobe Celestino, Olaizola Gabriele
1920, Buenos Aires - Teatro Colón during May with Ruszkowska Elena, Claessens Maria, Cigada Francesco, Ludikar Pavel
1920, Montevideo - Solis on August 24 with Ruszkowska Elena, Claessens Maria, Cigada Francesco, Ludikar Pavel
1920, Rio de Janeiro - Teatro Municipal during September with Ruszkowska Elena, Claessens Maria, Cigada Francesco, Ludikar Pavel
Reference
Reference Kutsch & Riemens
In RA format
Repertory
Die lustige Witwe – Italian premiere
Ein Walzertraum – Italy
Blue moon – Italy
Hans, le joueur de flute – Italy
Tristan und Isolde – Torino, Regio, 23 December 1909
Guglielmo Ratcliff – Torino, Regio
Aura (composer Zanella) – Pesaro, 27 August 1910
Tannhäuser – Bologna, Comunale, 21 October 1910
La vestale – Torino, Regio
Norma – Bologna, Comunale
Don Sebastiano – Roma, Costanzi, 12 April 1911
La fanciulla del West – Buenos Aires, summer 1911
Samson et Dalila – Boston
Cavalleria rusticana – Boston
Pagliacci – Boston
I gioielli della Madonna – Boston
L'amore dei tre re – Milano, Scala, 10 April 1913
Otello – Paris, des Champs-Élysées, May 1914
Carmen
Tosca
Aida
Lohengrin
Die Götterdämmerung
Siegfried
Die Walküre
Discography
Columbia, New York, 1914/5
36877-1 I gioielli della Madonna: Madonna dei dolori UNPUBLISHED
36877-2 I gioielli della Madonna: Madonna dei dolori 36877 A5663 CRS31 GV61
36878-1 I gioielli della Madonna: Madonna, con sospiri UNPUBLISHED
36878-2 I gioielli della Madonna: Madonna, con sospiri 36878 A5663 CRS31 GV61
37235-1 Otello: Niun mi tema UNPUBLISHED
37235-2 Otello: Niun mi tema 37235 A5721 GV61
37237-1 Carmen: Il fior 37237 A5721
37268-1 Otello: Già nella notte densa UNPUBLISHED
with Matzenauer
37269-1 Otello: Ed io vedea la tue tempie UNPUBLISHED
With Matzenauer
39259-1 Tristan und Isolde: Noto, Regina è me il UNPUBLISHED
39259-2 Tristan und Isolde: Noto, Regina è me il 39259 A1731 GV61 ML6099 TAP T-322
39260-1 Pagliacci: Un tal gioco, credetemi UNPUBLISHED
39260-2 Pagliacci: Un tal gioco, credetemi 39260 A1731 GV61
45613-1 M'ama non m'ama UNPUBLISHED
Odeon, Milano, 1915
xm 1327 Lohengrin: Cigno fedel 37821 (Parlophone 98)
xm 1328 Lohengrin: S'ei torna alfin 37822 (Parlophone 98)
Edison, New York, 1916/8/23
4331-A Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
4331-B Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
4331-F Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
4331-G Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
4331-H Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
4331-C Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
4332-A Tosca: E lucevan le stelle 83047
4332-B Tosca: E lucevan le stelle UNPUBLISHED
4332-C Tosca: E lucevan le stelle UNPUBLISHED
6435-A Inno di Garibaldi UNPUBLISHED
6435-B Inno di Garibaldi UNPUBLISHED
6435-C Inno di Garibaldi 82555 GV92
6456-A Luna cortese UNPUBLISHED
6456-B Luna cortese UNPUBLISHED GV61
6456-C Luna cortese UNPUBLISHED
6456-F Luna cortese UNPUBLISHED
6456-G Luna cortese UNPUBLISHED
6456-H Luna cortese UNPUBLISHED
9280-A Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
9280-B Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
9280-C Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba UNPUBLISHED
I wish to thank Eduardo Marcelino Herrera for the additions to the
discography.
Reference: The Record Collector, Volume 36, March 1991.
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