Antonio Melandri

Melandri was a cobbler before studying the oboe and playing it for years in the orchestra of the Teatro Comunale in his native Faenza. When his voice was discovered, he began taking private lessons in Milano, but soon was drafted and had to fight World War I. Back home in 1919, he sang a concert in Faenza, where tenor Andrea Toscani heard him – he became Melandri's new teacher. It took Melandri until 1923 to complete his studies; he made his debut, now 32 years old, on December 11th at the Teatro Coccia in Novara as Edgardo. He became soon well-known since Pietro Mascagni chose him to sing Folco in Isabeau in an open-air production on Piazza San Marco in Venice.

From 1926 to 1929, he traveled every year to South America, where he enjoyed major success (São Paulo, Buenos Aires). Also his debut at La Scala (as Calaf) took place in 1926, and he sang there a whole lot until 1934, including three world premieres: Thien-Houa by Guido Bianchini (9 April 1928), La Maddalena by Vincenzo Michetti (22 November 1928), La Sagredo by Franco Vittadini (27 April 1930). Other than that, he appeared often in Rome, including the world premieres of La donna serpente by Alfredo Casella (17 March 1932) and Re Lear b< Alberto Ghislanzoni (24 April 1937); he was also heard in Bologna, Torino, Palermo, Genova, Pisa, Florence (where he premiered another Re Lear, the one by Vito Frazzi, on 29 September 1939, and Volo di notte by Luigi Dallapiccola on 12 May 1940), Fiume/Rijeka, Venice, Naples, Trieste. He also returned to South America (Rio de Janeiro, 1935; Chile), plus he toured the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.

Melandri's repertory was interesting and varied; beyond the roles already mentioned, he sang Guidon (Skazka o tsare Saltane/The tale of Tsar Saltan), Florestan, Don José, Berlioz' Faust, Julien, Walter (Loreley by Catalani), Hagenbach, Maurizio, Loris, Andrea Chénier, Dick Johnson, Osaka, Turiddu, Canio, Paolo (Francesca da Rimini by Zandonai), Enrico (La campana sommersa by Respighi), Tannhäuser, the older Siegfried, Ernani, Alfredo, Otello, Riccardo, Enzo Grimaldo, Azaele (Il figliuol prodigo by Ponchielli).

After his 1942 stage farewell, Melandri taught voice at the Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini in Bologna; among his students were Gianni Raimondi and Luciano Saldari.

Reference 1: Preiser CD booklet notes; reference 2: Kutsch & Riemens; reference 3

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

I would like to thank Thomas Silverbörg for the recording (Fanciulla).

I wish to thank Vladimir Efimenko for the picture.