Armando Agnini (July 11, 1884 – March 27, 1960) was a successful Italian stage director of

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

Metropolitan Opera

Born in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, he went to the United States as a

steerage Steerage is a term for the lowest category of passenger accommodation in a ship. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century considerable numbers of persons travelled from their homeland to seek a new life elsewhere, in many cases North America ...

passenger on the S/S ''Auguste Victoria'' from Naples to New York in 1902, at the age of eighteen. He was associated with companies in Boston and Montreal, and made his debut with the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

with a production of ''I puritani'' (with

Maria Barrientos María Alejandra Barrientos Llopis (4 March 1884 - 8 August 1946) was a Spanish opera singer, a light coloratura soprano. Biography Barrientos was born in Barcelona on 4 March 1884. She received a thorough musical education (piano and violin ...

), in 1919. His work was seen at the Met until 1934, with ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'' (with

Titta Ruffo Titta Ruffo (9 June 1877 – 5 July 1953), born as Ruffo Cafiero (double forename) Titta, was an Italian operatic baritone who had a major international singing career. Known as the "Voce del leone" ("voice of the lion"), he was greatly adm ...

as Figaro, and, later,

Elvira de Hidalgo Elvira Juana Rodríguez Roglán (December 28, 1891 – January 21, 1980), known professionally as Elvira de Hidalgo, was a prominent Spanish coloratura soprano, who later became a teacher and vocal coach. Her most famous pupil was Maria C ...

as Rosina), ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' (with

Amelita Galli-Curci Amelita Galli-Curci (18 November 1882 – 26 November 1963) was an Italian coloratura soprano. She was one of the most popular operatic singers of the 20th century, with her recordings selling in large numbers. Early life She was born as Am ...

and

Beniamino Gigli Beniamino Gigli ( , ; 20 March 1890 – 30 November 1957) was an Italian opera singer (lyric tenor). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tenors of his generation. Early life Gigli was born in Recanati, in the Marche, the son of a shoem ...

, later

Toti dal Monte Antonietta Meneghel (27 June 189326 January 1975), better known by her stage name Toti Dal Monte, was a celebrated Italian operatic lyric soprano . She may be best remembered today for her performance as Cio-cio-san in Puccini's ''Madama Butterfl ...

), ''Tosca'', ''Aïda'' (with

Rosa Ponselle Rosa Melba Ponzillo, known as Rosa Ponselle (January 22, 1897 – May 25, 1981) was an American operatic soprano. She sang mainly at the New York Metropolitan Opera and is generally considered to have been one of the greatest sopranos of the 20 ...

, later

Elisabeth Rethberg Elisabeth Rethberg ( Lisbeth Sättler; 22 September 1894 – 6 June 1976) was a German operatic soprano singer who was active from the period of the First World War through the early 1940s. Early years Rethberg was born Lisbeth Sättler i ...

), ''Madama Butterfly'' (with

Geraldine Farrar Alice Geraldine Farrar (February 28, 1882 – March 11, 1967) was an American lyric soprano who could also sing Dramatic soprano, dramatic roles. She was noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." She had a ...

and

Giovanni Martinelli Giovanni Martinelli (22 October 1885 – 2 February 1969) was an Italian operatic tenor. He was associated with the Italian lyric-dramatic repertory, although he performed French operatic roles to great acclaim as well. Martinelli was one of t ...

), ''Rigoletto'', ''Cavalleria rusticana'', ''La bohème'', ''Manon Lescaut'' (with

Aureliano Pertile Aureliano Pertile (9 November 1885 – 11 January 1952) was an Italian lyric tenor. Many critics consider him one of the most exciting operatic artists of the inter-war period, and one of the most important tenors of the 20th century. Life and ...

as des Grieux), ''Pagliacci'', ''Zazà'', ''La navarraise'', ''L'oracolo'' (with

Antonio Scotti Antonio Scotti (25 January 1866 – 26 February 1936) was an Italian baritone. He was a principal artist of the New York Metropolitan Opera for more than 33 seasons, but also sang with great success at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, ...

), ''Il trovatore'', ''La forza del destino'', ''L'amore dei tre re'', ''Manon'', ''Samson et Dalila'', ''Boris Godunov'' (with

Feodor Chaliapin Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ( rus, Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин, Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin, ˈfʲɵdər ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ʂɐˈlʲapʲɪn}; April 12, 1938) was a Russian opera singer. Possessing a deep and expressive bass v ...

in the name part, and

Ezio Pinza Ezio Fortunato Pinza (May 18, 1892May 9, 1957) was an Italian opera singer. Pinza possessed a rich, smooth and sonorous voice, with a flexibility unusual for a bass. He spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 ...

as Pimenn), ''Faust'', Pizzetti's ''Fra Gherardo'' (United States premiere, conducted by

Tullio Serafin Tullio Serafin (1 September 18782 February 1968) was an Italian conductor and former Musical Director at La Scala. Biography Tullio Serafin was a leading Italian opera conductor with a long career and a very broad repertoire who revived many 19t ...

, 1929), ''La traviata'' (with Ponselle, later

Claudia Muzio Claudia Muzio (7 February 1889 – 24 May 1936) was an Italian operatic soprano who enjoyed an international career during the early 20th century. Early years Claudina Emilia Maria Muzzio was born in Pavia, the daughter of Carlo Muzio, an opera ...

and

Tito Schipa Tito Schipa (; born Raffaele Attilio Amedeo Schipa; 2 January 1889 in Lecce16 December 1965) was an Italian lyric tenor, considered the greatest tenore di grazia and one of the most popular tenors of the century. Biography Schipa was born as ...

), ''Les contes d'Hoffmann'', ''Il signor Bruschino'' (U.S. premiere, 1932), ''Lakmé'' (with

Lily Pons Alice Joséphine Pons (April 12, 1898 – February 13, 1976), known professionally as Lily Pons, was a French-American operatic soprano and actress who had an active career from the late 1920s through the early 1970s. As an opera singer, she ...

), ''L'africaine'', ''The Emperor Jones'' (with

Lawrence Tibbett Lawrence Mervil Tibbett (November 16, 1896 – July 15, 1960) was an American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone, he sang leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera in New York ...

), ''Simon Boccanegra'', ''Gianni Schicchi'', and ''Roméo et Juliette''. Agnini was also on the staff of the

San Francisco Opera San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California. History Gaetano Merola (1923–1953) Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 when h ...

, and guest-directed in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

Hollywood

Maestro Agnini was "Technical Advisor" for the film ''Metropolitan'' (with Tibbett, 1935). Uncredited, he held the same position for ''Going My Way'' (with

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

and

Risë Stevens Risë Stevens (; June 11, 1913 – March 20, 2013) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano and actress. Beginning in 1938, she sang for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for more than two decades during the 1940s and 1950s. She was mos ...

, 1944) and ''The Lost Weekend'' (with

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

and

Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007)"Actress, P ...

, directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

, 1945).

New Orleans Opera

In 1947, Agnini debuted at the

New Orleans Opera Opera has long been part of the musical culture of New Orleans, Louisiana. Operas have regularly been performed in the city since the 1790s, and since the early 19th century, New Orleans has had a resident company regularly performing opera in ad ...

Association, with ''Il trovatore'' (with Stella Roman and

Enzo Mascherini Enzo Mascherini (6 August 1910, Florence - 29 July 1981, Livorno) was an Italian operatic baritone, one of the leading baritones of his generation. He studied in Florence with Titta Ruffo and Riccardo Stracciari and made his debut there in 193 ...

, conducted by Walter Herbert), and went on to stage ''Carmen'', ''Faust'' (with Pinza), ''Madama Butterfly'' (with

Mario Lanza Mario Lanza (, ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer at ...

in a rare operatic appearance, 1948), and ''Samson et Dalila''. By 1954, he had joined the Association's staff, and directed ''La bohème'' (conducted by Renato Cellini), ''Otello'' (with

Ramón Vinay Ramón Vinay (August 31, 1911 – January 4, 1996) was a famous Chilean operatic tenor with a powerful, dramatic voice. He is probably best remembered for his appearances in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's tragic opera ''Otello''. Biography H ...

and

Herva Nelli Herva Nelli (January 9, 1909May 31, 1994) was an Italian-American operatic soprano. Biography Named after the French socialist Gustave Hervé, she was born in Florence, where she attended a convent school. At the age of ten, however, she and her f ...

), ''Tosca'' (with

Inge Borkh Inge Borkh (born Ingeborg Simon, 26 May 1921 – 26 August 2018) was a German operatic dramatic soprano. She was first based in Switzerland, where she received international attention when she appeared in the first performance in German of Men ...

and

Robert Weede Robert Weede (February 22, 1903 – July 9, 1972) was an American operatic baritone. Life and career Born Robert Wiedefeld in Baltimore, Maryland, Weede studied voice at the Eastman School of Music and in Milan. He made his Metropolitan Ope ...

), ''Lakmé'', ''Rigoletto'', ''Andrea Chénier'', ''Martha'', ''Die Fledermaus'', ''Madama Butterfly'', ''Carmen'' (with

Norman Treigle Norman Treigle (né Adanelle Wilfred Treigle (March 6, 1927February 16, 1975) was an American operatic bass-baritone, who was acclaimed for his great abilities as a singing-actor, and specialized in roles that evoked villainy and terror. Biograp ...

in his first Escamillo), ''Gianni Schicchi'', ''Aïda'' (with Nelli), ''Manon'', ''Lucia di Lammermoor'', ''Elektra'', ''L'amore dei tre re'', ''La traviata'' (with Lucia Evangelista), ''Le nozze di Figaro'' (with

Virginia MacWatters Virginia MacWatters (June 19, 1912 – November 5, 2005) was an American coloratura soprano and university professor. Early life MacWatters was born in Philadelphia on June 19, 1912 to Frederick K. and Idoleein ( Hallowell) MacWatters. She b ...

as Susanna), ''Falstaff'' (with

Leonard Warren Leonard Warren (April 21, 1911 – March 4, 1960) was an American opera singer. A baritone, he was a leading artist for many years with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Especially noted for his portrayals of the leading baritone roles in ...

), ''Cavalleria rusticana'', ''Pagliacci'', ''Werther'', ''Faust'', ''La Cenerentola'', ''Boris Godunov'' (with

Boris Christoff Boris Christoff ( bg, Борис Кирилов Христов, Boris Kirilov Hristov, ; 18 May 1914 – 28 June 1993) was a Bulgarian opera singer, widely considered one of the greatest basses of the 20th century. Early life He was born i ...

), ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'', ''Manon Lescaut'' (with

Eleanor Steber Eleanor Steber (July 17, 1914October 3, 1990) was an American operatic soprano. Steber is noted as one of the first major opera stars to have achieved the highest success with training and a career based in the United States. Biography Eleano ...

), ''Il trovatore'' (with Nelli and Warren), ''Don Pasquale'', ''Turandot'', ''L'elisir d'amore'', ''Hänsel und Gretel'', ''Norma'', ''Don Giovanni'', ''Les contes d'Hoffmann'', and ''Tannhäuser''. Act IV (or an excerpt thereof) of Agnini's 1959 production of ''La bohème'' (with

Licia Albanese Licia Albanese (July 22, 1909 – August 15, 2014) was an Italian-born American operatic soprano. Noted especially for her portrayals of the lyric heroines of Giuseppe Verdi, Verdi and Giacomo Puccini, Puccini, Albanese was a leading artist with ...

Giuseppe di Stefano Giuseppe Di Stefano (24 July 19213 March 2008) was an Italian operatic tenor who sang professionally from the mid-1940s until the early 1990s. Called Pippo by both fans and friends, he was known as the "Golden voice" or "The most beautiful voi ...

Audrey Schuh Audrey Schuh (born June 11, 1931) is an American operatic soprano. She studied at Loyola University of the South. Schuh was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her first leading role with the New Orleans Opera Association (at the age of eighteen) was ...

Giuseppe Valdengo Giuseppe Valdengo (May 24, 1914, Turin – October 3, 2007, Aosta) was an Italian operatic baritone. ''Opera News'' said that, "Although his timbre lacked the innate beauty of some of his baritone contemporaries, Valdengo's performances were ...

, and Treigle) was televised in New Orleans, but a

kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940 ...

has never been discovered. He died on March 27, 1960, of a heart condition, during rehearsals for his production of ''Samson et Dalila'' (with Stevens and Vinay), in New Orleans, leaving behind his widow (Madeleine Leweck Agnini) and two daughters (Luisa Agnini and Cristina Agnini).

References

* "Armando Agnini Dies," ''The New York Times'', March 28, 1960.

External links

*
Photograph of Armando Agnini, Mario Lanza, and Walter Herbert, 1948.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agnini, Armando Italian opera directors 1884 births 1960 deaths 19th-century Neapolitan people Italian emigrants to the United States