Enzo Dara
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Enzo Dara | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 October 1938 Mantua, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 25 August 2017 (aged 78) Mantua, Italy |
| Genres | Opera |
| Instrument | Vocals |
Enzo Dara (13 October 1938 – 25 August 2017)[1] was an Italian basso buffo. Opera News described him as "one of the most famous Italian basses on the opera stage [known for] portraying a cluster of touchstone roles that highlighted his natural gifts for comedy, rapid-fire patter and bel canto technique."[2] He is particularly admired for his performances in operas by Rossini.[3]
Career
[edit]Dara began his professional life as a journalist before deciding to pursue a career as an opera singer. He studied singing with Bruno Sutti in Mantua, and made his professional debut as Colline in Puccini's La Bohème in 1960 in Fano, a town and commune in the Marche region of Italy.[2]
He performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York 59 times. In Reggio Emilia, in 1967, Dara played Don Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia. At the Festival of the Due Mondi in Spoleto in 1969, he was Mustafà in L'Italiana in Algeri, and at La Scala, two years later, again Don Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, directed by Claudio Abbado. On tour at La Scala and at the Royal Opera House in London in 1976 he played Dandini in La Cenerentola.[3] Among his most famous roles were Don Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, which he played in more than 400 performances,[4] L'Italiana in Algeri as Taddeo, Dulcamara in L'Elisir D'Amore, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola and Don Pasquale in Don Pasquale. In 2000 he performed as the Sacristan in Puccini's Tosca in Rome opposite Ines Salazar and Luciano Pavarotti, with Placido Domingo conducting.
He performed with various other famous singers as Samuel Ramey, Paolo Montarsolo, Leo Nucci, Luigi Alva, Hermann Prey, Luciano Pavarotti, Teresa Berganza, Lucia Valentini Terrani, Marilyn Horne, Kathleen Battle, Cecilia Bartoli and others.
Dara was also an author. In 1994 he released his first book Anche il buffo nel suo piccolo, a collection of memories, anecdotes and observations.[5]
In the 1990s Enzo Dara's performances became less frequent, and he tried his hand at directing.[6] He directed several productions, including Il maestro di cappella and Don Pasquale.[3]
In 1992 he was awarded the Donizetti Prize by the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo.[7]
Bibliography
[edit]- Anche il buffo nel suo piccolo (1994)
References
[edit]- ^ "Muere el bajo italiano Enzo Dara". Codalario.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Obituaries: Enzo Dara". Opera News. November 2017.
- ^ a b c "Enzo Dara | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ "The great basso buffo, Enzo Dara, dies at 78". Gramilano. 26 August 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ Dara, Enzo (1994). Anche il buffo nel suo piccolo. Personaggi tra il rigo (in Italian). Gioiosa. ISBN 9788886403016.
- ^ "È morto Enzo Dara, addio al 'basso buffo' più famoso d'Italia". Spettacoli – La Repubblica (in Italian). 27 August 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ "OPERA NEWS – Acclaimed Italian Basso Buffo Enzo Dara has Died". operanews.com. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
Sources
[edit]- Stinchelli, Enrico, Le stelle della lirica, Roma, Gremese Editore, 1986, p. 193
