Guido Vaccari

He was an early Italian specialist in Wagner and other German music, much like Giuseppe Borgatti – but unlike Borgatti, Vaccari has long been almost forgotten. Siegmund was his most famous role. Quite a suprising choice of repertory for us, who are accustomed to Wagner being inevitably bellowed instead of sung! Just look at the chronology below: in spring 1902, he sang Nemorino in April; and Tristan in May!!
Vaccari studied with Vittorio Orefice in Padova. His career lasted at least (it's less than well-documented) from 1898 to 1920. He was Italy's second and Rome's first Parsifal in 1914 (after Borgatti in Bologna). He was married to the mezzo-soprano Maria Vaccari.

The following chronology is certainly far from being complete:
Fall 1898 Ancona, Teatro delle Muse: Sapho (Massenet)
Carnival 1899 Venice, La Fenice: Walküre
1899 Torino: Tristan und Isolde; Trieste, Teatro Verdi: Tristan und Isolde, Cornil Schut (Smareglia), La Gioconda; 13 and 14 April Vienna, Musikverein: La risurrezione di Lazzaro (Perosi), under the baton of Gustav Mahler
1901 Treviso: Walküre
April 1902 Venice, Teatro Rossini: Elisir d'amore; Mai 1902 Ravenna: Tristan und Isolde
Carnival 1903 Venice, La Fenice: Euryanthe (Weber) 1905 Rome, Teatro dell'Opera: Walküre
1906 Milano, La Scala: Freischütz; Parma, Teatro Regio: Freischütz; Trieste, Teatro Verdi: Walküre
1908 Trieste, Teatro Verdi: Loreley; Rome, Teatro dell'Opera: Walküre; Bologna, Teatro Comunale: Walküre, La Wally
1909 Milano, La Scala: Walküre; Parma, Teatro Regio: Walküre
1910 Milano, La Scala: Walküre
1912 Trieste, Teatro Verdi: Walküre
1913 Montevideo, Teatro Solis: Walküre
1914 Rome, Teatro dell'Opera: Parsifal
Carnival 1915 Parma, Teatro Regio: Francesca da Rimini
Carnival 1916 Madrid, Teatro Real: Tristan und Isolde, Walküre
1919 Rome, Teatro dell'Opera: Walküre
13 April 1920 Florence, Politeama Vittorio Emanuele: Walküre

Reference for the chronology: Dizionario della musica del ducato di Parma e Piacenza
Reference for the pictures and some further biographical details: www.gustav-mahler.eu.

I would like to thank Richard J. Venezia for the recording.

Discography

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-03-14
XPh1707 	Walküre (Wagner): Un brando il padre promise					unpubl

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-03-15
XPh1708 	Freischütz (Weber): Lieto il colle (Durch die Wälder, pt 1) 			39523
XPh1709 	Freischütz (Weber): La finestra s'apre (Durch die Wälder, pt 2) 	39524
XPh1710 	Walküre (Wagner): Cede il verno ai rai								39557

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-03-17
XPh1711 	Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Se il mio nome 						39558
XPh1712 	Lohengrin (Wagner): S'ei torna alfin	 							unpubl

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-07-07
XPh1986 	Ideale (Tosti) 														unpubl

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-07-10
XPh1996 	Lohengrin (Wagner): S'ei torna alfin 								39836
XPh1997 	Lohengrin (Wagner): Mercè, mercè cigno gentil					unpubl

Reference for the discography: Robert Johannesson's invaluable but alas defunct website www.78opera.com.