Born 1922, Siena, Italy
Died 1967, Sirmione, Italy
Can you think of any worse news for an opera singer than, “You have throat cancer”? That was, unfortunately, the case for Ettore Bastianini, one of the great dramatic baritones of the 20th century. But we’re getting ahead of the story.
Originally a bass, Bastianini retrained and took up a new career as a dramatic (“Verdi”) baritone in 1952. By 1953, he was singing the baritone lead in operas with the greatest luminaries of the day.
Bastianini’s voice was dark, dramatic, and powerful, a brilliant, elegant, and expressive instrument with an exquisite mezza-voce. Listen to his “Cortigiani vil razza dannata” from Verdi’s Rigoletto, recorded live and only months before his diagnosis of a throat tumor.
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To hear his voice at its best, before the tumor, listen to “Eri tu” from Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera, recorded in 1957.
Doctors told him that surgery was his best bet for survival, but it would most likely ruin his voice. He chose to try radiation treatment instead, keeping his condition secret from the public.
He continued to sing, but his health worsened, and his performances became inconsistent. Critics noted that his voice sounded “dry,” the voice cracking on high notes (once his glory), and he was occasionally even booed! In 1965 he sang Scarpia to Magda Olivero’s Tosca in Puccini’s opera, and decades later she described those performances as “a nightmare,” with our poor baritone struggling to get through the performance, so weak he had to lean on tables and chairs.
Bastianini’s last performance was as Rodrigo at the Met in December 1965, after which he went into isolation with family and close friends. He died at the age of 44 in January 1967 and was buried in his hometown of Siena, which held a state funeral.
Let’s listen to Rodrigo’s death scene from a live Met Don Carlo in 1955, long before cancer terminated the life of this great singer.