Evan Gorga

I wish to thank Giuseppe Tomaselli for the picture.

I wish to thank Thomas Silverbörg for the picture.

I wish to thank Fred Day for the picture.

Evan Gorga, the creator of Rodolfo, had a very short career. Gorga seems to have been a late choice for the role. Che gelida manina was transposed down as a result of Gorga's limited top range. Why he gave up his career so early is not known. I can only guess that it was due to declining vocal resources. Apparently, Gorga recorded privately. That record was to be made available by TimaClub on CD, but it never materialized.

! indicates the date of the telegram in Rivista teatrale melodrammatica,. The probable date of the performance is the previous day.

1894

Gorga could have made his debut in late 1894, because he was listed in the Rivista teatrale melodrammatica, but no performance review could be found.

1895

Cagliari, Civico, 1 January, Mignon, Olimpia Cuttolo ms., Lina Bignardi s., Oreste Poli bs. (total 15, alternating with Osvaldo di Gennaro, Giacinto Pinna)
Review
Il tenore Evan Gorga incontrò tutto il favore del pubblico. Egli è un artista di molto talento e certamente destinato a brillante carriera. La sua voce è dolcissima ed il suo metodo dei più corretti. Dovette bissare, fra unanimi applausi la romanza dell'atto secondo – ed ebbe una vera ovazione a quella dell'ultimo atto.
Il mondo artistico, Milano 10 gennaio 1895

Cagliari, Civico, 26 January, Manon, Olimpia Cuttolo s., Mario Roussel b., Poli bs. (total 16)
Cagliari, Civico, 10 February, L'amico Fritz, Lina Bignardi s., Rappini ms., Mario Roussel b. , Buzenac cond. (total 4)
Roma, Costanzi, 28 September, I lombardi alla prima crociata (Oronte), Bertini t., Rossi bs., E. Ferrari/I. Costa s., Zuccani/Faini cond. (total 8)

1896

Torino, Regio, 1 February, La bohème, C. Ferrani s., C. Pasini s., T. Wilmant b., A. Pini-Corsi b., M. Mazzara bs., A. Toscanini cond. (total 23)
Trento, Sociale, 6/9!/11!/24!/28!/29 June, La bohème, Ferrani, Pasini, Wigley b., Mazzara b., Guerras, Polonini, Toscanini
Fermo, dell'Aquilla, 16!/17!/?/22! August/4! (8th performance)/6/7/9! September La bohème, Ada Giachetti s., Maria Martelli s., Vittorio or Virgilio Bellatti b., Alessandro Guerras b., Luigi Lucenti bs., Edoardo Vitale cond. (total at least 11 performances)
Varese, Sociale, 16/21! (4th performance) September, La bohème, Cesira Ferrani s., Lina Pasini s., Wigley b., Guerras b., Arimondi bs., Edoardo Vitale cond.
Genova, Politeama Genovese, 3/6!/14 (6th performance) October, I lombardi alla prima crociata, Elena Bianchi Capelli/Bianca Barbieri s., Michele Mazzara, Alessandro Pomè cond.
Genova, Politeama Genovese, 22/25 October/27 November, La bohème, Cesira Ferrani s., Camilla Pasini, Michele Wigley, Virginio Bellati, Michele Mazzara, Alessandro Pomè cond.

1897

Torino, Regio, 24 January, Mefistofele, E. Corsi s., V. Arimondi bs., A. Toscanini cond. (total 2)
Venezia, Rossini, 17/19?/28! (7th performance) April, La bohème, Pandolfini, Pasini, Wilmant, Wigley, Arimondi, Sormani cond.
Ravenna, Alighieri, 6 May, La bohème, Amalia Corsi s., Anita Barone s., Maurizio Bensaude b., Giuseppe Dorini b., Oreste Poli bs., Antonio Palminteri (total 16)
Bari, Piccinni, 24! December, Mefistofele
Was sick and was replaced in later performances. This is not in the book on the Piccinni.

1898

Napoli, San Carlo, 5/9/13/17/18/20 January/21/27 February/2/5/19/26 March, La bohème, Angelica Pandolfini/Amelia Karola s., Maria Passari s., Mario Roussel b., Michelangelo Rossini b., Leopoldo Cromberg bs., Eduardo Vitale cond.
Roma, Costanzi, 13 April, Faust, Sabellico/Spangher bs., Benedetti b., E. D'Elisi/E. Angelini s., R. Galan ms., Mingardi cond. (total 10)

1899

Verona, Drammatico (aka Nuovo), 13! January, La bohème, Giovannoni-Zacchi s., Rommel s., Carrobbi b., Bovi cond.
Novara, Coccia, 11!/12!/18 March, Manon, Myrten s., De Franceschi b., Salotti b., Sabaino cond.
Fermo, dell'Aquila, 8/9/10 Aprile, La risurrezione di Lazzaro, Bianca Barbieri-Grandi s., Adriana Busi ms., Guglielmo Caruson b.,Luigi Marini b., Vincenzo lombardi cond.
Gorga may have sung in Imola as he was announced, but no review could be found. Gorga was for a while listed in the Rivista teatrale melodrammatica, then he disappeared without a word.

Mignon – Cagliari, Civico, 1 January 1895
Manon – Cagliari, Civico, 26 January 1895
L'amico Fritz – Cagliari, Civico, 10 February 1895
I lombardi alla prima crociata – Roma, Costanzi, 28 September 1895
La bohème – Torino, Regio, 1 February 1896
Mefistofele – Torino, Regio, 24 January 1897
Faust – Roma, Costanzi, 13 April 1898
La risurrezione di Lazzaro – Fermo, dell'Aquila, 8 April 1899

Mignon – Cagliari
Manon – Cagliari, Novara
L'amico Fritz – Cagliari
I lombardi all prima crociata – Roma, Genova
La bohème – Torino, Trento, Fermo, Varese, Genova, Venezia, Ravenna, Napoli, Verona
Mefistofele – Torino, Bari
Faust – Roma
La risurrezione di Lazzaro – Fermo

I wish to thank Valeria Gualerzi for the additions/corrections.

I wish to thank Roberto Marcocci for the corrections.

I wish to thank Tom Kaufman for giving me access to his library.