Tito Schipa in Opera

Tito Schipa has been dubbed "A Singer's Singer" - a rare tribute, and only awarded to the greatest of vocal artists. His voice lacks the natural dark colours of Caruso, the hauntingly beautiful sweetness of Gigli, the exciting stentorian drama of Martinelli or the soaring high notes of Lauri-Volpi. Yet, listening to this selection of his many recordings will help explain the magical, majestic quality of his singing that has earned him international admiration to this day. From the first youthful recordings of 1913, with his freshness of voice and impeccable phrasing, we are able to follow the musical development of the next thirty years. Schipa always communicated directly to the listener, individually, and he commands our complete attention. Wonderful examples are his 'Il Sogno' from Manon, the two arias from Mignon, Federico's lament from L'Arlesiana, and his heartfelt 'Una furtiva lagrima', from L'Elisir d'Amore.

Tito Schipa was born in Lecce on 2nd January 1887. His voice was 'discovered' by the Bishop of Lecce who made it possible for the young Schipa to have singing lessons, first in his home town and later in Milan. His début as Alfredo in La Traviata was in 1911 at Vercelli. By 1913 he was singing in South America, and in 1915 he made his La Scala début as Vladimir in Prince Igor. In 1917 he created the role of Ruggiero in the world prèmiere of Puccini's La Rondine. He was clearly still a favourite at La Scala after his return in 1929, and he continued to appear there for the next twenty years. His career also included a long spell with the Chicago Opera, 1919 - 1932. Throughout his long career (he retired in 1962) Schipa was in demand in every major opera house in the world as a lyric tenor specialising in the Bel Canto roles of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. In the French repertoire he was noted for his outstanding interpretation of Werther.

Tito Schipa died in New York on 16th December 1965.