Giuseppe Capponi

14 September 1832 Cantiano – 6 August 1889 Loreto

Picture of Giuseppe Capponi's Aida Broadside

Picture of Giuseppe Capponi
Capponi was born in Cantiano (Pesaro). His parents were Francesco Capponi and Lucia Vandiani.

Having a good voice, he began to devote himself to singing, studying with Cantiano's maestro di cappella, the composer Natale Pellicci. He was twenty-five when he entered, as a tenor, the choir of the Cappella della S. Casa di Loreto. There he was lucky enough to meet the tenor F. Borioni, who became interested in his musical education.

After his debut at the Teatro Valle in Rome as a comprimario during the carnival season 1858/59, he took up his first main role in Pesaro's carnival season in Norma in 1860.

From then, he sang in the most important Italian and foreign opera houses.

In April 1868, he made his debut at La Scala in Don Carlo, replacing the tenor G. Fancelli. On this occasion, he won praise not only for the timbre of his voice, but also for the dramatic expression.

Don Carlo was one of his favorite roles, and he sang it with success at the Teatro Regio in Turin (1868), in Trieste (1868) and Padova (1869).

On August 21st and 22nd, 1869, at the commemoration of Rossini in Pesaro, he participated in the performance of the Funeral Mass by Cherubini, and of Rossini's Stabat mater, conducted by Mariani.

In February 1872, he was chosen by Verdi as the first interpreter of Radames in the first Italian performance of Aida at La Scala, but was inhibited by illness, and replaced by G. Fancelli.

Then he participated, together with T. Stolz, M. Waldmann and F. Pandolfini, in a memorable edition of the work carried out in Parma on 20 April 1872, and obtained a triumph; this was followed by other performances in Padova in 1872 and Trieste in 1873.

Verdi chose him for his Messa da Requiem (Milan, Chiesa di S. Marco on 22 May 1874), conducted by Verdi himself and replicated on 25 May at La Scala under the direction of F. Faccio. Together with Stolz, Waldmann and Maini, Capponi moved to Paris, but his singing did not satisfy Verdi, who wrote about it: "Capponi goes from bad to worse ... he is transposing down by a quarter of a tone ..." (cf. Abbiati, p. 699).

Later, perhaps because he was already aware of an early decline, he left the company, did not follow them to London and was replaced by Angelo Masini.

He sang, however, in various Italian opera houses and successfully performed the role of Alvaro in La forza del destino at the Teatro San Carlo in Napoli (21 December 1876). He returned to the San Carlo in Ero e Leandro by G. Bottesini (8 April 1880).

He continued to sing until 1882, when his vocal decline became apparent at the Apollo Theater in Rome, where he took part in a cut version of La Juive to allow him to get along better with the part.

He retired to Loreto, where he was city councilor, and died there on August 6th, 1889.

In addition to many Verdi roles, he sang in Guarany, Ruy Blas, Jone, and in operas by Meyerbeer and Donizetti.

Bibliography: P. E. Ferrari, Spettacoli drammatico-musicali e coreografici in Parma dal 1628 al 1883, Parma 1884, pp. 146, 150, 260, 274
G. Sacerdote, Teatro Regio di Torino. Cronologia degli spettacoli rappresentati dal 1662 al 1890, Torino 1892, pp. 148 f, 153
G. Radiciotti, Aggiunte e correzioni ai dizionari biografici dei musicisti, in La critica musicale, V (1922), pp. 236 f
C. Gatti, Verdi, Milano 1931, I, p. 376; II, pp. 196, 239, 269 f
R. Celletti, Giuseppe Capponi, in: Enciclopedia dello Spettacolo, II, Firenze-Roma 1954, col. 1729 f
F. Abbiati, G. Verdi, Milano 1959
G. Monaldi, Cantanti celebri del secolo XIX, Roma n.y., p. 182
F. De Filippis/R. Arnese, Cronache del Teatro di S. Carlo (1737–1960), I, Napoli 1961, pp. 89 f
C. Schmidl, Dizionario universale dei musicisti, I, p.291
Gherardo Casaglia (2005), Giuseppe Capponi (once on www.amadeusonline.net)
Kutsch & Riemens
Luigi Bignami: Cronologia di tutti gli spettacoli rappresentati in Bologna, 1763–1880
Enciclopedia Treccani

1858
Roma, Teatro Valle, comprimario roles

1863
Lisbon
Paris, Théâtre Italien (Salle Ventadour), Alessandro Stradella as Barbarino on 19 February, with Marie Battu, Emilio [Émile] Naudin, Giovanni Zucchini, Enrico Delle Sedie

1865
Parma, Teatro Regio, L'africana on 25/26/28/30/31 December – 1/3/4/6/7/9/10/13/14/15/17/27/28/31 January 1866 – 2/4/7/17/18 February Febbraio 1866 (sharing with Alessandro Boetti who sang on 7/17/18 February), with Ernesto Daneri, Nicola Adoni, Elisa Galli, Alessandro Boetti/Antonio Galletti (7/17/18 February), Vincenzo Quintilii Leoni, Luisa Kapp Young, Elvira Stecchi, Raimondo Buffagni, Antonio Galletti/Antonio Montesi (7/17/18 February), Giovanni Rossi

1866
Parma, Regio, Niccolò De Lapi (world premiere) on 21/24/25 January – 2/3 February, with Vincenzo Quintilii Leoni, Alessandro Boetti, Elisa Galli, Ernesto Daneri, Nicola Adorni, Raimondo Buffagni, Elvira Stecchi, Giovanni Rossi
Parma, Regio, Rigoletto on 10/11/12 February, with Vincenzo Quintilii Leoni, Elisa Galli, Ernesto Daneri, Giulietta Sabbatini, Elvira Stecchi, Nicola Adoni, Raimondo Buffagni, Antonio Galletti, Giovanni Rossi
Genova?

1867
Roma, Apollo
Un posto d'onore bisogna concedere anche al Capponi, tenore di voce ben timbrata, che vibrava con bello squillo nelle note acute e conservava la purezza del metallo in tuta l'estensione della sua scala. Il Capponi non ha percorso lunga carriera: in compenso però il periodo della sua fioritura è stato ricco e rigoglioso. Gino Monaldi: Cantanti celebri
Torino, Regio, Don Carlo on 25 December, with E. Galli, A. Fricci, A. Cotogni/L. Brignole, F. Coletti, A. Fiorini

1868
Torino, Regio, Lucrezia Borgia on 14 January, with Antonietta Fricci, Rosa Vercolini-Tay, Augusto Fiorini, Giuseppe Galvani, Carlo Fassò
Torino, Regio, L'ebreo on 15 March, with Rosina Fiorentini-Marangoni, Giovanni Valle, Augusto Fiorini, Carlo Fassò
Milano, Scala, Don Carlo from 25 March onwards (Fancelli sang the premiere and was later replaced by Capponi), with Collini, Maria Destin, Junca, Miller, Nolasco, Stolz, A Mazzucato (total 10) Cambiasi (La Scala – Note storiche e statistiche): Ottimo
Torino, Regio, L'africana on 25 December, with Virginia Pozzi-Branzanti, Matilde Corsi, Maria Löwe Destin, Giuseppe Cappello, Luigi Minotti, Fiorentino Viotti, Ferdinando Bellini, Augusto Fiorini, Paolo Mazzarini, Carlo Trivero, Carlo Pedrotti

1869
Torino, Regio, La vestale on 10 March, with Felicita Rocca-Alessandri, Antonietta Pozzoni-Anastasi, Drusilia Garbato, Giuseppe Cappello, Ferdinando Bellini, Carlo Trivero, Giuseppe Marchetti,Carlo Pedrotti
Padova, Nuvo, Don Carlo on 10 July, with T. Stolz, M. Destin, G. Rota, L. Vecchi, S. Cesaro, E. Terziani
Trieste, Grande, Don Carlo on 31 October, with T. Stolz, A. Pozzoni-Anastasi, L. Colonnese, L. Vecchi, A. Cremaschi
St. Petersburg, Imperial, Saffo on 3 November, with C. Marchisio, B. Marchisio, Steller
St. Petersburg, Imperial, Il trovatore from 11 November (sharing with Mario who sang the first), with C. Marchisio/Fricci, B. Marchisio, Steller
St. Petersburg, Imperial, Lucrezia Borgia on 13 November, with Fricci, Trebelli
St. Petersburg, Imperial, La traviata from 15 November, with Patti/Fricci, Steller
St. Petersburg,, Imperial, Norma on 1 December, with Fricci, Durand
St. Petersburg,, Imperial, Maria di Rohan on 9 December, with Fricci, Trebelli, Graziani, A. Vianesi

1870
St. Petersburg, Imperial, Don Carlo on 2 January, with Fricci, Graziani
St. Petersburg, Imperial, Ernani on 14 January, with Fricci, Graziani, Zvabini
St. Petersburg, Imperial, Il giuramento on 17 February, with Fricci, Trebelli, Steller
Senigallia, Comunale, Don Carlo in summer, with T. Stolz, M. Destin, F. Bellini, C. Zucchelli, G. Maffei, A. Mariani
Trieste, Comunale, Gli ugonotti in September, with Virginia Pozzi Branzati, Ida Benza, Francesco Pandolfini, Ormondo Maini
Trieste, Grande, Ruy Blas on 19 October, with I. Benza, F. Pandolfini, A. Cremaschi
Torino, Regio, Gli ugonotti on 25 December, with Adelina Lupi, Ida Benza, Linda Corsi (Urbano), Marietta Dordelli, Annibale Micheloni, Luigi Mariotti, Agostino Mazzoli, Carlo Trivero, Carlo Zucchelli, Hippolyte [Ippolito] Brémond, Temistocle Bertacchi, Giovanni Cotto, Giuseppe Olivetti, Carlo Pedrotti

1871
Torino, Regio, Gli ugonotti on 4 January, with Adelina Lupi, Ida Benza, Linda Corsi, Marietta Dordelli, Annibale Micheloni, Luigi Mariotti, Agostino Mazzoli, Carlo Trivero, Carlo Zucchelli, Hippolyte [Ippolito] Brémond, Temistocle Bertacchi, Giovanni Cotto, Giuseppe Olivetti, Carlo Pedrotti
Torino, Regio, Ruy Blas, from 24 January, with Ida Benza/Luisa Pitark, Matilde Corsi, Linda Corsi, Luigi Bertolotti, Gustavo Moriami, Carlo Trivero, Hippolyte [Ippolito] Brémond, Temistocle Bertacchi, Carlo Pedrotti

1872
Parma, Regio, Aida on 20/23/25/27/28/30 March – 2/4/5/7/9/11/12/14/16/18 April – 19 May, with Adriano Pantaleoni, R. Angiolini, G. Rossi, Angelo De Giulio, Luigi Vecchi, Teresa Stolz, Maria Waldmann, Raffaele Angiolini, G. Verdi
Parma, Regio, Don Sebastiano on 23/25/26/28/29/30 May, with Raffaele Angiolini, Luigi Vecchi, Adriano Pantaleoni, Arturo Arrigoni, Maria Waldmann, Giovanni Rossi
Padova, Nuovo, Aida on 3 July, with T. Stolz, M. Waldmann, F. Pandolfini, O. Maini, F. Faccio
Trieste, Grande, Il Guarany on 29 September, with E. Wiziak, A. Pantaleoni, A. Cremaschi
Torino, Regio, Il Guarany on 28 December, with Vittoria Potentini, Luigi Manfredi, Francesco Tamagno (Ruy-Bento), Adriano Pantaleoni, Eugenio Barberat, Gaetano Pozzi, Enrico Gasperini, Carlo Pedrotti
St. Petersburg?

1873
Torino, Regio, Il Guarany on 4 January, with Nino Rebottaro, Luigi Manfredi, Francesco Tamagno (Ruy-Bento), Adriano Pantaleoni, Eugenio Barberat, Gaetano Pozzi, Enrico Gasperini, Carlo Pedrotti
Ancona, Muse, Aida from 5 May onwards, with T. Stolz, M. Waldmann, A. Pantaleoni, O. Maini, Lodovico Viviani, Antonio Bagioli, E. Usiglio (total 18)
Trieste, Grande, Aida from 4 October onwards, with M. Mariani-Masi, A. Fricci-Baraldi, F. Pandolfini, O. Maini, F. Faccio (total 24)

1874
Milan, Chiesa di S. Marco, Requiem on 22 May, with T. Stolz, M. Waldmann, Maini, Verdi
Milan, Scala, Requiem on 25 May, with T. Stolz, M. Waldmann, Maini, Verdi
Paris, Opére-Comique, Requiem on 8 June, with T. Stolz, M. Waldmann, Maini, Verdi
Cremona, Concordia, Don Carlo in September, with T. Stolz, R. Vercolini-Tay, N. Verger, P. Medini, C. Ulloa, C. Trombini

1876
Napoli, San Carlo, La forza del destino from 21 December onwards, with A. Bianchi Montado, G. Pasqua, L. Colonnese, G. Belletti, E. Gasperini, P. Serrao (total 34)

1877
Napoli, San Carlo, Aida from 7 January onwards, with A. Bianchi Montaldo, G. Pasqua, L. Colonnese, C. Zuccherello, P. Serrao (total 24)
Napoli, San Carlo, Il Guarany from 21 November onwards, with G. Giovannoni Zacchi, M. Medica, G.Belletti, A. Silvestri, P. Serrao (total 11)

1878
Napoli, San Carlo, Cinq Mars from 24 April onwards, with G. Giovannoni Zacchi, C. De Vere, M. Medica, A. Silvestri, G. Dell'Orefice (total 12)

1880
Napoli, San Carlo, Lucia di Lammermoor from 22 February, with F. Rubini, G. Aldighieri, M. Marcassa C. Scalisi (total 2)
Napoli, San Carlo, La forza del destino from 9 March, with E. Wiziak, P. Rambelli, G. Aldighieri, A. Marescalchi, G. Mirabella, C. Scalisi (total 13)
Napoli, San Carlo, Ero e Leandro from 8 April, with F. Rubini, G. Mirabella, C. Scalini (total 5)

1881
Milano, Scala, Il Guarany from 25 September onwards, with De Bernis, Di Monale, Parboni, Silvestri (total 19) Cambiasi (La Scala – Note storiche e statistiche): Buono


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