Filippo Galli (bass)
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Filippo Galli (1783 – 3 June 1853, in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
) was an Italian opera singer who began his career as a tenor in 1801 but went on to become one of the most acclaimed basses of the '' bel canto'' era, with a voice known for its wide range, extreme agility, and expressivity, and a remarkable gift for acting.


Early life

Born in Rome, Galli was a marginal buffo tenor, appearing in Naples, Bologna, Parma, and Turin, primarily in the works of Nasolini, Generali, and Zingarelli. It is said that following an illness in 1810, his voice changed markedly into that of bass, but this may have been a cover story for his technical transition into the bass repertoire upon the advice of the composer
Giovanni Paisiello Giovanni Paisiello (or Paesiello; 9 May 1740 – 5 June 1816) was an Italian composer of the Classical era, and was the most popular opera composer of the late 1700s. His operatic style influenced Mozart and Rossini. Life Paisiello was born i ...
or singer Luigi Marchesi. Galli's younger brother Vincenzo was also an opera singer noted for his performances in '' basso buffo'' roles.


Career as bass

His new career took rise in 1812: his meeting with Rossini allowed him to sing ''L'inganno felice'' on 1 August at the Teatro San Moisè, Venice (in the role of Tarabotto). After his creation of Polidoro in
Pietro Generali Pietro Generali (born Mercandetti Generali; 23 October 1773 – 3 November 1832) was an Italian composer primarily of operas and vocal music. Generali was born in Masserano. He studied counterpoint with Giovanni Masi in Rome and spent a few m ...
's '' La vedova stravagante'', he appeared in a new opera by Rossini—'' La pietra del paragone'' on 26 September 1812. His performance in the "Sigillara" aria was the hit of the immensely successful opera. His collaboration with Rossini increased: on 22 May 1813 he sang Mustafà in the premiere of ''
L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...
'' at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice. Rossini then composed numerous other bass parts specifically for Galli. On 14 August 1814 he appeared in '' Il turco in Italia'' at La Scala; on 31 May 1817 (again at La Scala), in the very difficult role of Fernando in ''
La gazza ladra ''La gazza ladra'' (, ''The Thieving Magpie'') is a ''melodramma'' or opera semiseria in two acts by Gioachino Rossini, with a libretto by Giovanni Gherardini based on ''La pie voleuse'' by Théodore Baudouin d'Aubigny and Louis-Charles Caigniez ...
''. The title role in '' Maometto II'' followed on 3 December 1820 at the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples plus, on 3 February 1823, he sang the role of Assur in '' Semiramide'' at
La Fenice Teatro La Fenice (; "The Phoenix Theatre") is a historic opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of "the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of Italian theatre" and in the history of opera as a whole. Especially in the 19th cen ...
in Venice. Galli also created the role of Enrico (Henry) VIII in Donizetti's '' Anna Bolena'' at the Teatro Carcano in Milan.


Repertoire

This is an alphabetical list of Filippo Galli's roles: *Adolfo, in Carlo Coccia's '' La donna selvaggia'' *Adolfo, in Carlo Evasio Soliva's ''La testa di bronzo o sia La capanna solitaria'' *Assur, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's '' Semiramide'' *Batone, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's ''
L'inganno felice ''L'inganno felice'' (''The Fortunate Deception'') is an opera in one act by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa. Rossini called his opera a ''farsa'', although as Richard Osborne explains: "Its designation as a ''farsa'' i ...
'' *Conte Asdrubale, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's '' La pietra del paragone'' *Dandini, in
Stefano Pavesi Stefano Pavesi (22 January 1779, Casaletto Vaprio – 28 July 1850) was an Italian composer. He is primarily known as a prolific opera composer; his breakthrough opera was ''Fingallo e Comala'', and his acknowledged opera masterpiece is ''Ser ...
's ''Agatina ovvero La virtù premiata'' *Dandini, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's '' La Cenerentola'' *Don Giovanni, in
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...
'' *Duca d'Ordowo, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's '' Torvaldo e Dorliska'' *Elpino, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's 1822 cantata '' Il vero omaggio'' *Enrico VIII, in Gaetano Donizetti's '' Anna Bolena'' *Fernando Villabella, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's ''
La gazza ladra ''La gazza ladra'' (, ''The Thieving Magpie'') is a ''melodramma'' or opera semiseria in two acts by Gioachino Rossini, with a libretto by Giovanni Gherardini based on ''La pie voleuse'' by Théodore Baudouin d'Aubigny and Louis-Charles Caigniez ...
'' *Figaro, in
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's '' Le nozze di Figaro'' *Gabriel, in François-Adrien Boieldieu's '' La dama bianca'' *Geronimo, in Domenico Cimarosa's '' Il matrimonio segreto'' *Giove, in Vittorio Trento's ''Andromeda'' *Gondair, in Giovanni Pacini's '' Gli arabi nelle Gallie'' *Ircano, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's '' Ricciardo e Zoraide'' *'' Maometto II'', by
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
*Mercurio, in Pietro Casella's '' Paride'' *Mustafà, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's ''
L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...
'' *Oroveso, in Vincenzo Bellini's '' Norma'' *Papageno, in
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's '' Die Zauberflöte'' *Podesta di Firenze, in Giovanni Pacini's '' Isabella ed Enrico'' *Polidoro, in
Pietro Generali Pietro Generali (born Mercandetti Generali; 23 October 1773 – 3 November 1832) was an Italian composer primarily of operas and vocal music. Generali was born in Masserano. He studied counterpoint with Giovanni Masi in Rome and spent a few m ...
's ''La vedova stravagante'' *Raimondo, in Ramon Carnicer's '' Adele di Lusignano'' *Richard, in Joseph Weigl's '' La famiglia svizzera'' *Selim, in
Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
's '' Il turco in Italia'' *Teodoro, in Giovanni Pacini's '' Il Barone di Dolsheim''


Sources

*Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', 782 pages, {{DEFAULTSORT:Galli, Filippo Italian operatic basses 19th-century Italian male opera singers 1783 births 1853 deaths People from the Papal States