Born 1909, Torrita di Siena, Italy
Died 1958, Rome, Italy
If you like your operatic bassos dark, cavernous, and menacing, Giulio Neri may well be one to add to your Favorites List.
Neri debuted in comprimario roles in 1935 and moved to the Rome Opera in 1938 as a leading basso. La Scala welcomed him in 1941, and he began singing outside of Italy after World War II (London, Barcelona, Munich, and Argentina).
Neri’s voice, a basso profondo, was large and commanding, with a powerful on-stage presence. The darkness of his timbre made him ideal for roles of authority, as varied as the Devil, the Grand Inquisitor, Kings, and High Priests. Here he is as Baldassarre, the Superior in the Convent of St. James in Donizetti’s La Favorita, singing “Splendon più belle” and showing off his low C2.
Neri was featured in six complete opera recordings by Cetra Records and was acclaimed for his portrayal of the Grand Inquisitor in Verdi’s Don Carlo. Here he is in the remarkable confrontation scene with King Phillip II of Spain, sung here by Boris Christoff.
At the age of 48, at the height of his career, Giulio Neri died suddenly of a heart attack, and the world of opera lost one of its greatest bassi profondi.