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Camille_de__Silvy_RESERVED
Antonio Giuglini, tenor - Marietta Piccolomini, soprano - Giovanni Belleti, baritone
1860
Carte de visite
Paul Frecker
LL/12758
Antonio Giuglini (1827-1865) - Italian tenor
Antonio Giuglini was born at Fano in 1827. Giuglini had training in Italy and is known to have performed at Bologna in 1849, Venice and Genoa in 1856, and at Madrid, Spain in 1858-59. although His teachers voice teachers are not known. Giuglini first appeared in London in 1857 at Her Majesty's Theatre and performed Riccardo in "Balla en Manchera," Rudulfo in "Luisa Miller," and Arrigo in "Les Vepres Sililiennes." Among the divas whom he appeared with were Therese Tietjens, Marietta Piccolomini, and Jean de Reszke. He also appeared in Verdi's opera Il Trovatore with the infamous Adelina Patti. He was highly popular in Dublin. Giuglini had a short career as his sanity failed and he died at age thirty-eight in the asylum at Pesaro, Italy on 12 October 1865.
Giovanni Battista Belleti (1813-1890) - Italian baritone
Belleti was born at Sarzana, Italy on 17 February 1813. His early history in his native country was not found, but he was in England appearing at Her Majesty's Theatre by 1849. James Henry Mapleson formed an opera tour company in that year and recruited Belleti for the opera troupe. Mapleson took over the management of Her Majesty's Theatre in 1862 and continued to include Belleti the operas performed there. Phineas T. Barnum was great admirer of the singer Jenny Lind who was well known at Her Majesty's Theatre and Giovanni Belleti often appeared with her. Barnum persuaded Jenny Lind to come to America for tour in 1885-86, offering her a lucrative contract of 15,000 pd. sterling plus full expenses for transportation, room & board for her, a friend, and domestic aides. The tour contract was for 150 concerts or oratorios to be given in America and Havanna, and once Barnum broke even on the 15,000 pd. sterling she was to receive one-fifth of the profits. Giovanni Belleti was a part of the contract and he was to be paid 2500 pd. sterling plus all traveling expenses and hotel bills. In addition, Lind brought musical director and pianist, Julius Benedict who was paid 5,000 pd. sterling plus all expenses. Barnum was required prepay all the money before the party left for America. Giovanni Belleti was known to have appeared as soloist at the Handel Festival held at The Crystal Palace in July 1862. The huge iron and glass architectural facility built for the London Exposition of 1850-51 was fitted with enormous sound boards mounted to the glass walls and ceiling to accomodate a huge orchestra, an enormous chorus, and the soloists. Giovanni Belleti died at his home in Sarzana on 27 December 1890.
(Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007)
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