Giulio Neri (21 May 1909, in Torrita di Siena – 21 April 1958, in Rome) was an Italian operatic

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

, particularly associated with the Italian repertory. Neri studied first in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

with Ferraresi, and completed his studies in Rome. He made his stage debut in 1935, at the Teatro delle Quattro Fontane in Rome, where he sang mostly comprimario roles. He then joined the Rome Opera in 1938, where he quickly established himself as one of the leading basses of his generation. He sang throughout Italy, making his

La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...

debut in 1941. After the war he began appearing abroad, notably at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

in London, the Liceo in Barcelona, the

Bavarian State Opera The Bavarian State Opera () is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bavarian State Orchestra. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under El ...

in Munich, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, etc. He sang most of the great bass roles in opera by Verdi and some

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

, such as Sparafucile, Ferrando, Fiesco, Padre Guardiano, Grand Inquisitore, Ramfis, King Heinrich, King Marke, Gurnemanz, etc. Other notable roles included; Oroveso, Alvise and

Mefistofele ''Mefistofele'' () is an opera in a prologue and five acts, later reduced to four acts and an epilogue, the only completed opera with music by the Italian composer-librettist Arrigo Boito (there are several completed operas for which he was lib ...

, one of his greatest roles. Neri had a dark, powerful, cavernous voice and a strong stage presence. He can be heard in several recordings he made for Cetra, notably '' La Favorite'', ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...

'', '' Don Carlo'', '' Aida'', '' La Gioconda'', and ''

''. He also appeared in a film version of ''Rigoletto'', opposite

Tito Gobbi Tito Gobbi (24 October 19135 March 1984) was an Italian operatic baritone with an international reputation. He made his operatic debut in Gubbio in 1935 as Count Rodolfo in Bellini's '' La sonnambula'' and quickly appeared in Italy's major oper ...

, in 1946. He died suddenly of a heart attack, one month short of his 49th birthday.

Selected filmography

* '' Before Him All Rome Trembled'' (1946) * '' The Force of Destiny'' (1950)

Sources

* ''The Complete Dictionary of Opera & Operetta'', James Anderson, (Wings Books, 1993) * ''The Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera'', edited by Paul Gruber, (W.W. Norton & Company, 1993) 1909 births 1958 deaths Musicians from Siena Italian operatic basses 20th-century Italian male opera singers {{italy-opera-singer-stub