The discography of Ettore Bastianini
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR - Francesco Cilea (role of Michonnet) Click here to listen to him
With Magda Oliviero, Giulietta Simionato, Franco Corelli. Conductor Mario Rossi Click here for a picture
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli. Napoli (San Carlo), 28 november 1959 (live)
Melodram - 27009 (2 CD)
My opinion: Absolutely sublime, a wonderful interpretation of this sad role so well suited to his personality. The duet in
particular, with the GREAT Magda Oliviero, and his monologue are really moving, especially when he sings: "E rido, e
piango e sogno, e dimentico tutto...", which means "And I laugh, and I cry, and I dream and I forget everything...".
Thanks for your existence Ettore!
AIDA - Giuseppe Verdi (role of Amonastro)
With Leontyne Price, Giulietta Simionato, Dimiter Usunov, Walter Kreppel. Conductor Lovro von Matacic
Wiener Philarmoniker and Chor der Wiener Staatsoper. Vienna (Staatsoper), 3 june 1963 (live)
Foyer - FO 1036 (3 LP) / Melodram - MEL 410 (3 LP)
With Maria Curtis Verna, Oralia Dominguez, Umberto Borsò, Norman Scott. Conductor Franco Capuana
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro La Fenice di Venezia. Venice (La Fenice), 1954
Remington - 199/178 (3 LP)
ANDREA CHENIER - Umberto Giordano (role of Gérard)
With Renata Tebaldi, Mario Del Monaco, Fiorenza Cossotto, Silvio Maionica. Conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Roma, 1957
Decca - (2 CD)
My opinion: He is the definitive Gerard, even if, according to me, very few of the roles he sang are not definitive! He
manages to be even very violent at times, but he is never vulgar, with his nobilty of frasing so tipical of him. I recommend
this edition for the quality of the sound and for the always superb conducting of Maestro Gavazzeni, but I recommend the
Vienna recording listed below as the best "Bastianinian" interpretation.
With Renata Tebaldi, Richard Tucker. Conductor Oliviero De Fabritiis
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli. South America, 1958 (live)
Historical Recording Enterprises - HRE 350 (2 LP)
With Renata Tebaldi, Franco Corelli, Renato Ercolani, Kostas Paskalis. Conductor Lovro von Matacic
Wiener Philarmoniker e Chor der Wiener Staatsoper. Vienna (Staatsoper), 26 june 1960 (live)
Cetra - CDE 1017 (2 CD) Click here for a picture
My opinion: Get for yourself this explosive live recording with a Bastianini at his top! Click here to listen to him
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA - Giuseppe Verdi (role of Renato)
With Antonietta Stella, Ebe Stignani, Giuseppe di Stefano, Eugenia Ratti. Conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano. Milano (Scala), 12 April 1956 (live)
Historical Recording Enterprises - HRE 353 (3 LP)
With Anita Cerquetti, Ebe Stignani, Maria Manni Jottini, Gianni Poggi. Conductor Emidio Tieri
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Firenze (Comunale), January 1957 (dal vivo)
Legato Classics- SR 804 (2 CD) / Standing Room Only - SR 804 (2 CD)
With Maria Callas, Giulietta Simionato, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Eugenia Ratti. Conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano. Milano (Scala), 7 December 1957 (live)
Hunt - CGD 519 (2 CD) / Great Opera Performances - GOP 13 (2 LP) / Cetra - LO 55 (3 LP)
My opinion: An unbelievable "Eri tu" for passion, emotion and power. A legendary cast and a balance between pit and
stage absolutely perfect, thanks to Maestro Gavazzeni. It makes a change when we have so many young "posers"
nowadays, good only to wave their arms a lot, to rush the orchestra and to make it play as loud as possible! This is
without any doubt a milestone in operatic interpretations. Worth noticing is the football ovation Bastianini recieves at
the end of "Eri tu" when it tears La Scala's roof off with his F natural!! Click here to listen to him
Click here for a picture
With Antonietta Stella, Adriana Lazzarini, Gianni Poggi, Giuliana Tavolaccini. Conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano. Milano, August 1960
Deutsche Grammophon - DGG LPM 18680/82 (3 LP)
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA - Giacchino Rossini (role of Figaro)
With Giulietta Simionato, Alvinio Misciano, Cesare Siepi, Fernando Corena. Conductor Alberto Erede
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Firenze, 1956
Decca - LXT 52/83 (3 LP, also on 2CD)
My opinion: It has never been considered his best role, like all the other "comical" ones, but I strongly disagree: the
"buffo" Bastianini is a surprise and he can manage without any problems even high tessitura, givin an unexpected wit to
his Figaro. Even Mario Del Monaco, in an interview, said Bastianini surprised him in comical roles as Silvio in Pagliacci.
Del Monaco goes on saying that Bastianini's "buffo" interpretations had audiences laughing loudly. Give it another listen!
Click here for a picture
LA BATTAGLIA DI LEGNANO - Giuseppe Verdi (role of Rolando)
With Antonietta Stella, Franco Corelli, Marco Stefanoni. Conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano. Milano (Scala), 7 December 1961 (live)
Hunt Myto - 2MCD 89010 (2 CD)
My opinion: An opera that all the IGNORANTS from the league of the north party, who sing "Va Pensiero" as if it was
"their" anthem, should know: it was written by Verdi for the Teatro Argentina in ROME, during the Republic of ROME in
1948, and in the audience of the world premiere there were MAZZINI and GARIBALDI. The Lumbard League in this
wonderful opera is the SYMBOL of ITALIAN UNITY, and the word ITALY is named countless times. A Bastianini great
as always with very moving moments. VIVA VERDI and VIVA L'ITALIA!! Click here for a picture
LA BOHEME - Giacomo Puccini (role of Marcello)
With Renata Tebaldi, Gianna D'Angelo, Carlo Bergonzi, Cesare Siepi, Fernando Corena. Conductor Tullio Serafin
Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia di Roma. Roma, 1958
Decca - CD 411 868 (2 CD)
My opinion: An Ettore Bastianini splendid even in Puccini, giving us regrets for not being able to listen to any studio
recordings of his Tosca or Tabarro. Great the duet of the fourth act with Bergonzi.
With Victoria De Los Angeles, Marilyn Horne, Sandor Konya, Giorgio Tozzi. Conductor Francesco Molinari Pradelli
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro di San Francisco. San Francisco (War Memorial Opera House), 26 October 1962 (live)
Giuseppe Di Stefano Records - GDS 21027 (2 CD) Click here for a picture
LA BOHEME - Ruggero Leoncavallo (role of Rodolfo)
With Rosetta Noli,Mafalda Masini, Doro Antonioli, Walter Monachesi. Conductor Francesco Molinari Pradelli
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli. Napoli (San Carlo), 15 february 1958 (live)
Melodram - MEL 021 (3LP)
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA - Pietro Mascagni (role of Alfio)
With Renata Tebaldi, Jussi Bjoerling, Lucia Danieli. Conductor Alberto Erede
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Firenze, 1957
RCA Victor and Decca
LA DAMA DI PICCHE - Piotr Ilijc Ciaikovskij (role of Yeletzky)
With Sena Jurinac, Gianna Pederzini, David Poleri, Mario Petri. Conductor Arthur Rodzinsky
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Firenze (Comunale), 26 December 1952 (live in italian)
Cetra DOC 63 (3LP)
LA DANNAZIONE DI FAUST - Hector Berlioz (role of Mefistofele)
With Giulietta Simionato, Ruggero Bondino, Plinio Clabassi. Conductore Peter Maag
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro San Carlo. Napoli (San Carlo), November 1964 (live in Italian)
Estro Armonico - EA 036 (2LP)
DON CARLO - Giuseppe Verdi (role of Rodrigo Marchese di Posa)
With Eleanor Steber, Nell Rankin, Richard Tucker. Conductor Kurt Adler
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Metropolitan di New York. New York (Metropolitan), 5 March 1955 (live)
Estro Armonico - EA 043 (3LP)
With Anita Cerquetti, Fedora Barbieri, Angelo Lo Forese, Cesare Siepi. Conductor Antonino Votto
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Firenze (Comunale), 16 June 1956 (live)
Cetra Documents - DOC 78 (3LP)
With Sena Jurinac, Giulietta Simionato, Eugenio Fernandi, Cesare Siepi. Conductor Herbert Von Karajan
Wiener Philarmoniker e Chor der Wiener Staatsoper. Salzburg (Felsenreitschule), 26 July 1958 (live)
Cetra - LO 72 (3LP) / Foyer FO 1029 (3LP)
With Sena Jurinac, Regina Resnik, Eugenio Fernandi, Boris Christoff. Conductor Nello Santi
Wiener Philarmoniker e Chor der Wiener Staatsoper. Salzburg (Felsenreitschule), 1 August 1960 (live)
Melodram - MEL 036 (3LP)
With Antonietta Stella, Fiorenza Cossotto, Flaviano Labò, Boris Christoff. Conductor Gabriele Santini
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala. Milan, 1961
Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft - DGG SLPM 138760/3 (4LP) also in CD at mid-price Click here for a picture
My opinion: Perfect, really; an extremely noble Marchese di Posa who moves you with his interpretation and fills
your room with full and resonant harmonics. The two final arias are top class for confidence in the high notes, complete
immersion in the role and smooth legato....well, what can I say...BUY IT!!!
ERNANI - Giuseppe Verdi (role of Don Carlo)
With Anita Cerquetti, Mario Del Monaco, Boris Christoff. Conductor Dimitri Mitropulos
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Firenze (Comunale), 14 June 1957 (live)
Cetra Documents - DOC 61 (3LP) / Classic - CLS AMDRL
My opinion: Another one of those very difficult Verdi roles that are so unbelievably easy for our Ettore to tame,
with the authority of the voice of a real King. Besides, here it's Charles V, not an ordinary one!
LA FAVORITA - Gaetano Donizetti (role of Alfonso XI)
With Giulietta Simionato, Gianni Poggi, Jerome Hines. Conductor Alberto Erede
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Firenze, 1955
Decca GOS 525/27 (3LP) also in CD at mid-price Click here for a picture
My opinion: Once I had a chance to read, I don't remember where, a bad review about Ettore in this recording for a
sound apparently too loud or something like that. There are also other critics (and among them even one particularly
famous I don't even want to name) who criticize Bastianini and say good things about the too many CARDBOARD voices that
are pesting the opera world...well, I think that everybody is entitled to have an opinion especially considering that
music is a matter of taste and it isn't a science; but I'm entitled too to have an opinion, just like them, and my opinion
is that these people DON'T HAVE A F*****G CLUE!!! I have enough of this snobbish elite, ladies and gentlemen, I can't
stand anymore these four or five rich bastards trying to keep opera something for the best living rooms, when it could be
appreciated by EVERYBODY instead, and I MEAN everybody...Music is emotion, it's gotta make you cry, take you by your hair,
it cannot be a posh talk over tea about countertenors or similar ridicoulos cr*p! THERE'S GOTTA BE BALLS, my friends!!!
I apologize for the swear words but there is a saying in Rome that sounds more or less like: "Enough is enough!".
Don't believe anything bad you'll read about this "Favorita"...it's SPECTACULAR with another authoritary king and a great
legato smoothness. Another MUST BUY CD for you of an opera very much underrated but a wonderful one indeed.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO - Giuseppe Verdi (role of Don Carlo di Vargas)
With Renata Tebaldi, Giulietta Simionato, Mario Del Monaco, Cesare Siepi. Conductor Francesco Molinari Pradelli
Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia di Roma. Roma, 1955
Decca 421-598-2 (2CD) in CD a mid-price
My opinion: The usual great interpretation of Ettore with a great cast and a very good sound quality
With Renata Tebaldi, Oralia Dominguez, Franco Corelli, Boris Christoff. Conductor Francesco Molinari Pradelli
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli. Napoli (San Carlo), 15 March 1958 (live)
Historical Recording Enterprises - HRE 206 (3LP). There is also a wonderful version in VHS!!!
With Antonietta Stella, Giulietta Simionato, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Walter Kreppel. Conductor Dimitri Mitropulos
Orchestra dei Wiener Philarmoniker e Coro della Wiener Staatsoper. Vienna (Staatsoper), 23 September 1960 (live)
Melodram - MEL 023 (3LP)
With Gabriella Tucci, Joann Grillo, Franco Corelli, Giorgio Tozzi. Conductor Nello Santi
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Metropolitan di New York. New York (Metropolitan), 6 February 1965 (live)
Great Opera Performances - GOP 706 (3CD)
LA GIOCONDA - Amilcare Ponchielli (role of Barnaba)
With Anita Cerquetti, Giulietta Simionato, Mario Del Monaco, Cesare Siepi. Conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Florence, 1957
Decca 424-700-2 (2CD)
My opinion: It won't be the best opera ever,but this is certainlty the definitive recording, considering that to
sing this stuff you need people with real voices, not "cardboard" voices! Listen to Ettore's "Monumento", but please sit
down first, otherwise he might blow you away on the floor!!!
GUERRA E PACE - Serghej Prokofiev (role of Andrej)
With Rosanna Carteri, Vittoria Calma,Franco Corelli, Fedora Barbieri, Italo Tajo, Renato Capecchi. Conductor Arthur Rodzinsky
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Florence, (Comunale), 26 May 1953 (live in Italian)
Cetra "Documents" DOC 77 (3LP)
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR - Gaetano Donizetti (role of Enrico Ashton)
With Renata Scotto, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Ivo Vinco. Conductor Nino Sanzogno
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano. Milan, 1959
Deutsche Grammophon LMP 18704/5 (2LP)
MAZEPA - Piotr Ilijc Ciaikovskij (role of Mazepa)
With Magda Olivero, David Poleri, Boris Christoff, Mariana Radev. Conductor Jonel Perlea
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Florence, (Comunale), 6 June 1954 (live in Italian)
Melodram MEL 27020 (3CD)
NABUCCO - Giuseppe Verdi (ruolo di Nabucco)
With Margherita Roberti, Miriam Pirazzini, Gastone Limarilli, Paolo Washington. Conductor Bruno Bartoletti
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Florence, (Comunale), July 1959
CLS - ARPCL 32037 (3LP)
With Mirella Parutto, Annamaria Rota, Luigi Ottolini, Ivo Vinco. Conductor Bruno Bartoletti
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Florence, (Comunale), 26 August 1961 (live in Italian)
Replica - ARPL 32497 (3LP)
My opinion: An authentic KING in one of the most difficult roles of the whole "repertoire" for Baritone. It's a shame that
there isn't any CD version available.
PAGLIACCI - Ruggero Leoncavallo (role of Tonio)
With Marylin Horne, Mario Del Monaco. Conductor Oliviero De Fabritiis
Orchestra and Chorus of the Theatre of San Francisco. San Francisco, (War memorial Opera House), 13 October 1962 (live)
With Mafalda Micheluzzi, Franco Corelli, Tito Gobbi.
Great Opera performances - GOP 4 (3 LP)
To be continued....
Come back to this page soon to read the rest of the discography!!!