Amedeo Bassi

The beginning of the 20th century was also the beginning in the careers of a number of distinguished tenors headed by Enrico Caruso. The most important among them were Giovanni Zenatello, Amedeo Bassi, Giuseppe Borgatti, Edoardo Garbin, Rinaldo Grassi, Piero Schiavazzi, Giulio Crimi, Edoardo Ferrari-Fontana and Italo Cristalli. They were the first important tenors to make use of the gramophone record as a document and for publicity; they inaugurated some of the great contemporary theaters and were chosen for the premieres of many of the operas of the "giovine scuola", the verismo. A place of honour among them is for the Florentine tenor Amedeo Bassi.
Amedeo Bassi was born in Montespertoli (near Florence) on the 26th of July, 1872 (though Kutsch & Riemens mention the 29th of July, 1874), studied singing with the Marchese Corrado Pavesi (other sources mention "Conservatorio Cherubini" in Florence), and made his debut in Castelfiorentino in the opera "Ruy Blas" by Filippo Marchetti (1897). The month of his debut must have been either October or early November. In November, he sang at the Arena (Florence) in "Rigoletto" and "Lucrezia Borgia".
In 1898 and 1899, he sang mostly in the "provinces", primarily in lyric roles such as des Grieux in "Manon","Faust", the Duke in "Rigoletto" and Rodolfo in "La bohème". He was heard in Ravenna, Firenze, Livorno, Bologna, Pisa and Lecce. Two rather unusual titles were the local premiere of "Nemea" (by Coop) and "La risurrezione di Lazzaro" (by Lorenzo Perosi), both at the Teatro Pagliano in Firenze.
Conductor-composer Luigi Mancinelli was so pleased with his performances that he chose him for the local premiere of his opera "Ero e Leandro" at the San Carlo in Naples (9 March 1900). (The world premiere had been in Madrid in 1897.) He also appeared in "La bohème" (4 March) with Lina Cavalieri.
Like Caruso, he was one of the first performers of the role of Cavaradossi in "Tosca". In Genova (Politeama, October 1900) he had to sing the third act aria (E lucevan le stelle) five times. He also sang in "La bohème" and in the world premiere of "Medio evo latino" (17 November), an opera by the Argentinian composer-conductor Ettore Panizza.
In 1901, Pietro Mascagni chose him for the role of Florindo in the premiere of "Le maschere" at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, with Boninsegna, Adami and Corradetti, with the composer himself conducting. The opera was premiered simultaneously in seven Italian theaters on January 17th. It is said that Bassi's performance was the best and contributed to the 22 performances that the opera had in Rome. (The opera was a total failure in all the other theaters, even though Enrico Caruso sang it in Milan.) At the Costanzi, he sang also in "Mignon" (February 22) and for the first time the role of Loris in "Fedora" (29 March) with Gemma Bellincioni and Ferruccio Corradetti. Loris would be one of the favourite roles in his career. On April 13th, he was Carmine in the world premiere of "Lorenza", a new opera by Edoardo Mascheroni, with soprano Gemma Bellincioni. In 1901, he also appeared in Pisa and Firenze.
In the autumn of 1901, he sang at the Teatro Ristori in Verona, in "Fedora" with Emma Carelli. He was the revelation of the season: "un nuovo tenore della voce meravigliosa e gagliarda, dalle inflessione elettrizzanti e che al canto superbo univa già, un'interpretazione sincera e nuova." In December, he was singing at the Carlo Felice in Genova, in "Die Königin von Saba" (Goldmark), in Italian of course, with Maria Farnetti and Carmen Bau Bonaplata; and in January 1902 "Lorenza", again with Bellincioni.
In 1902, Amedeo Bassi visited South America for the first time. He sang at the Teatro Politeama in Buenos Aires, from May 13th to August 7th, in "Fedora", "La bohème", "Rigoletto", "Cavalleria rusticana", "La Gioconda", "Khrysé" (first performance of this opera by the Argentinian composer Arturo Berutti), "Tosca", "Mefistofele", "Linda di Chamounix" and "Germania". His soprano in most of those operas was Emma Carelli. Bassi then traveled to Uruguay for a short season at the Teatro Politeama in Montevideo, from September 2nd to 18th, singing "Fedora", "Tosca", "La bohème" and "Cavalleria rusticana". It can really be said that in Argentina, Bassi started his successful international career.
Back in Italy, he sang "Germania" at the Comunale in Bologna in November, and at La Fenice in Venezia "Chopin" (by Giacomo Orefice, 26 December, 10 performances), which was the local premiere. The world premiere had taken place the year before, 25 November 1901, at the Teatro Lirico in Milan with tenor Giuseppe Borgatti.
In 1903, Bassi went to Russia, singing in St. Petersburg during January and February (Bohème, Faust, Ernani, Traviata and Un ballo in maschera). His ladies were Sigrid Arnoldson, Luisa Tetrazzini and Elena Bianchini Cappelli, and the baritones Giuseppe Kaschmann and Eugenio Giraldoni. In March and April, he sang in Odessa (Rigoletto, Linda di Chamounix, La Gioconda, La traviata and Jevgenij Onegin). His main soprano was Maria Galvany, and Mattia Battistini was the baritone.
Also in 1903, Bassi came for the first time to the Teatro Municipal in Santiago (Chile), singing from June 17th to October 20th, in "Tosca", "Fedora", "Adriana Lecouvreur" (first time in Chile), "La bohème", "Manon Lescaut", "Mefistofele", "Faust", "Rigoletto", "Chopin" (first time in Chile), "Lorenza" (first time in Chile) and "Cavalleria rusticana". The cast included sopranos Amedea Santarelli and Giuseppina Finzi-Magrini, baritone Enrico Nani and bass Luigi Nicoletti-Kormann. He sang several of these operas also at the Teatro de la Victoria in Valparaíso.
After his successful season in Chile, Bassi made his debut at the Teatro Real in Madrid on December 9th, 1903 as Rodolfo in "La bohème" with Emma Carelli. During that season 1903/1904, he also sang in "Mefistofele" (December 17th, with Carelli and Andrés Perelló de Segurola), "Tosca" with Matilde De Lerma and Vincenzo Ardito (January 2nd), "Rigoletto" (January 5th, with Maria Barrientos), "Ernani" (January 10th, with De Lerma and Ancona) and "Lucia di Lammermoor" (January 19th, with Barrientos).
In February 1904, the tenor sang "Fedora" and "Siberia" at the Politeama in Genova. This last opera was one of his favourites, and he sang it in the local premiere at the San Carlo in Naples (1904), in Santiago de Chile (1904), at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt in Paris (1905), and at the Regio in Turin (1906).
In February/March 1904, he sang at the San Carlo in Naples, in "Tosca", "Fedora" and the "firsts" of "Adriana Lecouvreur" and, as mentioned above, "Siberia" (March 9th, with Rina Giachetti, Francesco Maria Bonini and Oreste Luppi).
Bassi came to Buenos Aires again in 1904 for a season at the Teatro Politeama from April 9th to June 5th, singing in "Tosca", "Fedora", "La Gioconda", "Rigoletto", "Faust", "Chopin", "Iris", "La bohème",and "Khrysé". The co-stars in those performances were soprano Santarelli, baritone Riccardo Stracciari and basses Nicoletti-Kormann and Gaudio Mansueto. Then the company sang at the Teatro Argentino (La Plata) and in Rosario, where he inaugurated the Teatro Opera. He sang in Rosario from June 8th to 14th in the operas "La bohème", "Iris", "La Gioconda" and "Chopin", and then went on to Montevideo where he sang in "Iris" and "La Gioconda" (18 and 19 June).
Then Amedeo Bassi came for the second time to Chile were he was unconditionally admired. He sang from July 7th to October 28th. In Santiago he was heard in "Tosca", "Fedora", "Rigoletto", "Chopin", "Faust", "Iris" (first time in Chile), "La Gioconda", "Manon Lescaut" and "Siberia" (first time in Chile). His co-stars in Chile were the sopranos Maria D'Arneiro and Maria Giudice, baritone Stracciari and basses Nicoletti-Kormann and Mansueto. At the Teatro de la Victoria in Valparaíso, he sang the same repertoire with the same casts as in Santiago.
After the season in Chile, Amedeo Bassi made his debut at the Teatre del Liceu, in Barcelona, in "Tosca" (17 December, with Carelli and Sammarco). He also sang in "Mefistofele" (23 December, with Carelli and Didur), "La bohème" (8 January 1905, with Carelli and Darclée). At the "Serata d'Onore di Emma Carelli" (15 January) he sang in acts I, II and IV of "La bohème" and in act II of "Tosca". His last role in Barcelona was Turiddu in "Cavalleria rusticana" (2 February, with Maria Giudice). From Barcelona, Bassi went to Madrid and sang three performances of "La bohème" (the first one on February 18th), with Matilde De Lerma.
In March 1905, Bassi sang at the Grand Théâtre of Monte Carlo in "Mefistofele" with Emma Calvé and Fjodor Shaljapin (3 March). In May 1905, Bassi was hired by Edoardo Sonzogno for the now famous Italian season at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt in Paris, and obtained a clamorous success in the Parisian first performances of "Siberia" (4 May) with Amelia Pinto and Titta Ruffo, and "Andrea Chénier" (3 June) with Eva Tetrazzini and Mario Sammarco. He also sang in a concert (22 May) and in "Chopin" (13 June with Adelina Stehle and Paolo Wulman). By the way, the greatest success of the season was the première of "Fedora" with Lina Cavalieri and Enrico Caruso! On August 6th, 1905 he sang in "Mefistofele" in Orange, with Lina Cavalieri and Shaljapin.
Also in August 1905, Bassi came again to South America, this time to Brazil, singing successfully at the Teatro Lyrico in Rio de Janeiro in "Werther", "La bohème" and "Tosca". Maria Farnetti was his leading soprano, and the conductor was Luigi Mancinelli. Plans to sing in São Paulo failed, and Bassi returned to Europe.
He sang at the Politeama in Genova in "Siberia" (with Crestani and Bonini) and created the role of Chevalier d'Auvigny in the world premiere of "Mademoiselle de Belle Isle" by the Greek composer Spyros Samaras on November 8th, with Amelia Pinto and Bari. Bassi sang only the first performance of this opera, and then Antonio Paoli sang the others.
His last visit to the Teatro Real in Madrid started with "Tosca" (from November 18th, with Maria D'Arneiro and Rina Giacchetti sharing the title role, and baritones Blanchart and Sammarco as Scarpia). He sang nine performances of "Tosca". Then he sang four performances of "La bohème" (from November 25th, with Lina Pasini Vitale), three performances of "La Gioconda" (from December 6th, with Amelia Pinto and Ramon Blanchart), four performances of "Mefistofele" (from December 23rd, with Pasini Vitale and basses Luigi Rossato and Gaudio Mansueto); three performances of "La damnation de Faust" (from January 14th, 1906, with D'Arneiro and Blanchart) and three performances of "Manon Lescaut" (January 20th, with Rina Giacchetti). In February, he was in Monte Carlo singing "Mademoiselle de Belle Isle" with Lina Cavalieri and Maurice Renaud. He returned to Italy to sing at the San Carlo in Naples. He sang in "Tosca", "Rigoletto", "Amica" (by Mascagni, local premiere, with Elena Bianchini-Cappelli and Mario Sammarco), and "Tess" (by Baron Frédéric d'Erlanger, role Angel Clare, world premiere on April 9th, with Rina Giacchetti and Sammarco, conductor Panizza).
Also in 1906, Amedeo Bassi sang at the Teatro Regio in Parma the role of Vassili in Giordano's "Siberia" (3 March) with Lucia Crestani and conductor Arturo Toscanini. On April 15th, he made his second and last visit to the Liceu in Barcelona, to sing two performances of "Tosca" with Darclée and Blanchart.
The same year he came for the last time to Chile. It was a season from June 26th to October 29th at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago. He sang in "Manon Lescaut", "La Gioconda", "Iris", "Tosca", "Mefistofele", "Chopin", "La damnation de Faust", "Faust", "Germania " (first time in Chile) and "Amica" (first time in Chile). His sopranos were Adelina Agostinelli and Amelia Pinto, the baritones were Enrico Nani and Ernesto Badini and basses Nazzareno De Angelis and Luigi Nicoletti-Kormann. He also sang at the Teatro de la Victoria in Valparaíso in "Manon Lescaut", "Tosca" and "Iris". In the evening of August 16th, while Bassi was in Santiago preparing himself for "Tosca", a terrible earthquake took place in Valparaíso (it reduced the Teatro de la Victoria to ashes), but it was strongly felt also in Santiago. Artists and audience ran to the streets, where the terrified people asked the chorus still dressed as priests and bishops for their blessings and spiritual assistance.
Oscar Hammerstein engaged Bassi for his inaugural season (1906/07) at the Manhattan Opera House in New York. He made his debut on December 19th, 1906 in "Aida" with Giannina Russ and Mario Ancona. Later he was heard in "La traviata" (with Nellie Melba and Maurice Renaud), in "Les huguenots" (with Russ and Ancona), in "Pagliacci" (with Pauline Donalda and Mario Sammarco), in "Un ballo in maschera" (with Russ and Sammarco), in "Faust" (with Russ and Sammarco), and closed his first season with Verdi's "Requiem" (29 March 1907, with Russ, de Cisneros and Arimondi).
In 1907 (June/July), he made his debut at London's Covent Garden, singing in "Loreley" (local premiere), "Germania", "Bohème", "Tosca", "Madama Butterfly", "Pagliacci", "Aida", "Un ballo in maschera" and "Faust". He shared the roles of Canio, Riccardo and Cavaradossi with Enrico Caruso, and Rodolfo with Alessandro Bonci.
On September 14th, 1907 at the Teatro Regio in Parma, he sang the role of Federico Loewe in "Germania" with Zeppilli and Sammarco. In October 1907 he returned to Covent Garden (a second season in the same year, from October 3rd to November 30th), singing with Rina Giachetti and Giuseppe De Luca in "Madama Butterfly", "La bohème" and "Tosca". He was also heard in "Pagliacci", "Faust", "Germania" and "Aida".
His second season at the Manhattan (1907/08) started on December 9th, 1907 with "Pagliacci". Later in the season, he sang the tenor roles in "Ernani", "Rigoletto", "Faust", "Aida", "La traviata" (with Luisa Tetrazzini), "Cavalleria rusticana", "Siberia" and "Andrea Chénier" (with Eva Tetrazzini and Mario Sammarco).
In 1908, Amedeo Bassi went again to Argentina. He "opened" the new Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires on May 25th, 1908 with "Aida" (wih Lucia Crestani). During that season, he sang also in "Mefistofele" (with Maria Farnetti and Fjodor Shaljapin), "Madama Butterfly" (with Farnetti), "Pagliacci" (with Titta Ruffo), "Tosca" (with Ruffo), "Rigoletto" (with Ruffo), and created the role of Mariano in "Aurora" (by Ettore Panizza, world premiere on September 5th, with Farnetti and Ruffo), and "Paolo e Francesca" by Luigi Mancinelli (local premiere). The success of Bassi was great, mainly in "Aurora", where he was forced to repeat "L'inno alla bandiera", something rarely seen at the Teatro Colón.
He sang in Naples during the season 1908/09 in "Aida", "Gloria" (by Cilea, with Carelli and Ancona) and "Cavalleria rusticana".
In 1909, Bassi sang, at the Costanzi in Rome, the title role in "Andrea Chénier" (February 2nd) with Giachetti and Domenico Viglione-Borghese. The same year, he sang for the first time at La Scala, as Arrigo in "I vespri siciliani" (21 February, 7 performances) with Ester Mazzoleni, Riccardo Stracciari and Nazzareno De Angelis, as Paolo in "Paolo e Francesca" (10 March, 3 performances) with Mazzoleni and Taurino Parvis, and as des Grieux in "Manon Lescaut" (20 March, 8 performances) with Amelia Karola/Ersilde Cervi Caroli and Stracciari.
On May 13th, 1909 he returned to the San Carlo for the world premiere of "La cena del signore" by Paul Hartmann, with Carelli, Galeffi and the author conducting. There were four performances of that symphonic-choral work.
In 1910, Pietro Mascagni chose him for a new version of Verdi's "Don Carlo" at the Opera di Roma (January 29th) with Giannina Russ, Giuseppe De Luca and Carlo Walter in the other main roles and Mascagni himself as conductor. Then he was in Milan at La Scala to sing the role of Vasco de Gama in "L'Africaine" (13 March) with Mazzoleni, Linda Cannetti, Viglione-Borghese and De Angelis. Still in 1910, he was heard at the San Carlo for the last time and only in "La bohème".
At the end of the year, on November 3rd, Bassi inaugurated another theater, the Civic Opera in Chicago, with "Aida" (with Janina Korolewicz-Waydowa and Sammarco). In his first season in Chicago, he was also heard in "Pagliacci", "Tosca", "Bohème" and "Traviata" (both with Melba and Sammarco), "Madama Butterfly" (with Geraldine Farrar and Antonio Scotti) and the local premiere of "La fanciulla del West" (27 December, with Carolina White, and Maurice Renaud and Mario Sammarco alternating as Rance). From December 30th to April 1st, 1911, Bassi sang with the Chicago company on a tour to several American cities: Milwaukee, St. Louis, St. Paul, Philadelphia and Baltimore. He sang mainly "La fanciulla del West", but was also casted in performances of "Aida", "Pagliacci", "Lucia", "Tosca", "Huguenots", "Bohème", "Madama Butterfly" and "Rigoletto".
In 1911, Bassi was also hired by the Boston Opera Co. to sing one performance each of "Manon Lescaut" (22 February, with Melis and Fornari) and "La fanciulla del West" (4 March, with Carolina White and Giovanni Polesi).
Amedeo Bassi, like his contemporary and illustrious colleague Giovanni Zenatello, was never engaged by the Metropolitan Opera. However, when Caruso was ill, Bassi was called for three performances of "La fanciulla del West" with the cast of the world premiere: Emmy Destinn, Pasquale Amato and Arturo Toscanini. The first performance was at the house on March 2nd, 1911, the second at Brooklyn's Academy of Music on March 18th, and the last one at the house, on March 27th, 1911.
May 1911 was also his second and last season in London. He was heard in "La fanciulla del West" (29 May, the first performance of the opera in Europe) with Emmy Destinn and Dinh Gilly, "La bohème" (with Melba), "Madama Butterfly" (with Destinn) and "Aida" (with Destinn). He returned on June 26th for the "Coronation Gala" of George V, singing act 2 from "Aida" with Destinn, Kirkby Lunn and Gilly.
On June 12th, 1911 Amedeo Bassi had the honour of singing in the Italian premiere of "La fanciulla del West" that took place at the Costanzi in Rome, with Eugenia Burzio and Pasquale Amato, and with Toscanini on the podium.
The second season in Chicago (1911/12) started for Bassi on November 12th singing "Pagliacci" in Philadelphia, on November 15th "Lucia" (with Tetrazzini and Sammarco), in the same city "La traviata" on November 18th (again with Tetrazzini and Sammarco). On November 21st in Cleveland, "Lucia" with the same artists and finally, in Chicago on November 24th, once more "Lucia", once more with Tetrazzini and Sammarco. With the same artists, Bassi sang "Traviata" (28 November) and "Rigoletto" (30 November). A new role for Bassi was Gérald in "Lakmé". He sang it in Chicago with Tetrazzini and Crabbé on December 6th. There was then one "Lucia" on December 11th at the Music Hall in Cincinnati, and on December 16th another "Traviata" in Chicago, this time with Alice Zeppilli and baritone Alfredo Costa. The season in Chicago finished for Bassi with another new role, Don José in "Carmen" that he sang on January 3rd, 1912 with Mary Garden, Alice Zeppilli and Armand Crabbé, and the role of Gennaro in "I gioielli della Madonna" (by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari) on January 16th, with Carolina White and Mario Sammarco. It was not only the first American performance of that opera, but also the first in Italian language anywhere. There were six performances, from January 20th to March 25th, 1912. Amedeo Bassi made the tour with the Chicago Opera Company singing in St. Paul, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City and Washington D.C. He sang his usual repertory, namely "I gioielli della Madonna". An unusual title was "I dispettosi amanti" (A lovers' quarrel) by Attilio Parelli, where he sang the role of Florindo in its world premiere in Philadelphia, on March 6th, with Zeppilli and Sammarco.
In 1912, he visited Argentina for the last time to sing at the Teatro Colón in what has been called "the Toscanini season". He sang "Aida" (24 May, five performances) with Cecilia Gagliardi and Pasquale Amato, "Germania" (22 June, five performances) with Gagliardi and Amato and "Königskinder" (by Engelbert Humperdinck, 20 August, three performances), a local premiere sung in Italian, with Lucrezia Bori and Giuseppe De Luca, all conducted by Toscanini.
By the end of the year, he was again singing in Italy. There were some performances of "Tosca" at the Politeama Fiorentino in Florence (31 December) with Eugenia Burzio, Taurino Parvis and conductor Leopoldo Mugnone.
In April 1913, he sang for the first time at the Opéra (Palais Garnier) in Paris. He made his debut in "Rigoletto" (7 April) and then sang in "Aida". On June 5th, he sang also at the Opéra-Comique, in "Tosca" with Fausta Labia and Eugenio Giraldoni, and later at the Théâtre des Arts in Rouen, "Aida". He sang at the Regio in Parma for the Verdi centennial in "Don Carlo" (5 October) with Giannina Russ and Giuseppe Danise, the conductor was Cleofonte Campanini.
He went again to America for his third season in Chicago (1913/14). Before going to Chicago proper, Bassi sang with the company in Philadelphia: "Pagliacci" (13 November, with Ruffo); "La Gioconda" (17 November, with White and Ruffo) and "Cristoforo Colombo" (by Franchetti, 20 November, with Raisa and Ruffo). The season in Chicago started on November 24th with "Tosca" (with Mary Garden and Vanni Marcoux). His other operas that season were "Madama Butterfly" (with Zeppilli), "Aida" (with Rosa Raisa), "Fanciulla del West" (with Carolina White), "Cristoforo Colombo" (with Rosa Raisa and Titta Ruffo), "I gioielli della Madonna" (with White), "Gli zingari" (by Leoncavallo, role Radu, with White) in double bill with "Pagliacci" (with Ruffo), "Trovatore" (with Schumann-Heink), "Bohème" (with Frances Alda and Nellie Melba alternating as Mimì), and finally one performance of "I dispettosi amanti" (by Attilio Parelli, 29 January 1914).
After the season in Chicago, the company visited several cities from February 2nd to April 22nd: Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Denver, St. Louis and St. Paul.
In February/March 1915, Bassi was singing at the Politeama in Firenze, "Manon Lescaut" with Muzio (from February 25th). There was no opera season in Chicago in 1914/15.
His fourth and last season in Chicago (1915/16) started with "La Gioconda" on November 15th (with Emmy Destinn and Mario Ancona). He sang later in "La bohème" (with Melba), in "Tosca" (with Farrar/Melis), in "Madama Butterfly" (with Farrar/Melis), in "I gioielli della Madonna" (with Louise Edvina), in "Aida" (with Melis), in "Zazà" (with Melis), and closed his association with Chicago participating in a "Gran Gala" on January 21st, 1916. He sang in the second act of "Aida" (with Melis and Ancona) and in "Cavalleria rusticana" (with Melis and Federici).
In March 1916, he went to Paris to sing for the second time at the Opèra (Palais Garnier) in "La fanciulla del West", with Carmen Melis and Domenico Viglione-Borghese. He was also heard in the third act of "Aida" and fourth act of "Manon Lescaut" with Melis and Jean Noté (12 March), and the second act of "Fanciulla" and fourth act of "Il trovatore" (16 March). At the Théâtre des Arts in Rouen, he sang "Tosca" with Melis on March 23rd, and in December he sang "Tosca" at the Comunale in Bologna, with Tina Poli-Randaccio and Eugenio Giraldoni.
In 1917, Bassi sang again at the Costanzi (3 January) in "La fanciulla del West" with Carmen Melis and Taurino Parvis, and at La Scala in January and February, ten performances of "Siberia" and eight of "Tosca", both operas with Gilda Dalla Rizza and Giuseppe Danise. From March 9th, 1918 there were performances of "La fanciulla del West" at the Teatro della Pergola in Firenze, with Elsa Raccanelli, and from May 18th, seven performances of "Tosca" at the Politeama in Livorno.
On December 21st, 1918 Bassi sang at the Costanzi in Rome, in the revival of "Don Carlo" (ten performances) with Giannina Russ, Carlo Galeffi and Giulio Cirino, Gino Marinuzzi conductor.
In 1919, he sang "Pagliacci" at La Pergola in Firenze (8 February) and at the Costanzi (14 May) with Gina Viganò and Benvenuto Franci. He was also heard at the Regio in Parma as "Siegfried" (27 December, 16 performances) with Teresina Burchi, Fanny Anitúa, Pavel Ludikar and conductor Panizza.
Like the renowned tenors Giuseppe Borgatti and Edoardo Ferrari-Fontana before him, from the end of 1919 until the end of his operatic career in 1926, Amedeo Bassi became a successful Wagnerian tenor (always in Italian translation).
In 1920 (March 6th), Bassi sang at the Regio in Parma, the prologue of "Götterdämmerung" with Burchi, Vornos, Massa and Scaramelli. During the season 1920/21, he was heard at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, in nine performances of "Siegfried" and eleven of "Tristan und Isolde", with Turchetti, Capuana, Cigada and Di Lelio.
In 1921, he sang again at the Regio in Parma (from February 2nd), twelve performances of "Tristan und Isolde" with Elena Rakowska, Giuseppe Noto, Maria Capuana and conductor Tullio Serafin, and on March 31st, he sang Tristan at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, with Rakowska, Capuana, Noto and Quinzi-Tapergi.
In 1922 (starting on January 5th), Amedeo Bassi sang at La Scala in Milan, eleven performances of "Parsifal" with Helene Wildbrunn, Carlo Galeffi/Apollo Granforte, Nazzareno De Angelis and conductor Panizza. Also in 1922, Bassi sang in Paris, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, in "Tristan und Isolde" (22 May) with Rakowska, Capuana, Cigada, Quinzi-Tapergi, and in "Parsifal" (28 May) with Rakowska, Granforte, De Angelis and Tullio Serafin as conductor. At the Costanzi, Bassi sang the main role in "Siegfried" (26 December) with María Llacer and Otto Klemperer conducting.
"He who has seen and heard Bassi as Siegfried, lying under a tree in the whispering forest, dreaming of his unknown mother, and heard his wild question after Mime's exit will remember poetry that can never return." (Augusto Carelli, brother of soprano Emma Carelli)
In 1923, Amedeo Bassi sang "Tristan und Isolde" at the Costanzi (20 February) with Lucy Weidt and Vittorio Gui conducting. On December 26th, he sang the role of Licinio in "La vestale" (by Gaspare Spontini) with Maria Carena, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Tancredi Pasero and the Chilean baritone Carlo Morelli, at the Costanzi.
In 1924, Bassi sang for the last time at the Costanzi. He was heard in a new role, Herodes, in Richard Strauss' "Salome" (2 February). There were eight performances of that opera, which was sung in Italian, with Carmen Melis and Genevieve Vix sharing the title role, Carlo Morelli as Jochanaan; the composer conducted. Then he was Siegfried in "Götterdämmerung" (26 February) with Teresina Burchi, Enrico Molinari and Tancredi Pasero.
"Il grande tenore Bassi fu un Sigfrido impetuoso ed ardente e, specie nel terzo atto, dove seppe trascinare l'uditorio all'applauso piú caloroso e convinto, non teme alcun possible confronto."
At La Scala from November 16th, 1924, he was heard as Loge in "Rheingold" with Eva Turner, Rina Agozzino, Ernesto Badini, Nazzareno De Angelis and Vittorio Gui as conductor.
His last season at La Scala was 1925/26. He was heard in the title role of "Siegfried" in four performances from January 30th, 1926. Other singers were Lily Hafgren, Leonora Corona and Marcel Journet, and the conductor was Ettore Panizza. On May 15th, 1926 he sang one performance of "Tristan und Isolde" at the Teatro Alighieri in Ravenna, win María Llacer, Irene Minghini-Cattaneo, Luigi Rossi-Morelli and Salvatore Baccaloni, and then at the Politeama in Firenze his last opera performance in "Siegfried" with soprano Helm-Sbisa and Umberto Di Lelio.
His operatic career was over, but he sang in concerts until 1940.
On October 23rd, 1926 Amedeo Bassi was the witness in the wedding of Luisa Tetrazzini (55) and Pietro Vernati (32) that took place at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Afterwards, in the reception at the Hotel Savoy, they sang together "O soave fanciulla" from Puccini's "La bohème".
As usually happens with most singers of the period, it is hard to imagine how was the real voice of Bassi. We only have the records he left (not too many and not to happily recorded). But I have copied some opinions that appeared in "Il teatro illustrato", signed by Giovanni Borelli:
"Timbro incisivo, gagliardia atta a sorreggere il peso delle tessiture più azzardate ... squisiti portamenti legati e soavi smorzature idilliache." "Se non uno straordinario volume materiale c'era una gagliarda resistenza di smalto e di membratura vocale; quella che occorre a resistere alle grande tessiture sfogate tipo 'Aida'."
This is the complete list of Bassi's world premieres:

1900, 17 November, Genova – Politeama Genovese – "Medio evo latino" (Ettore Panizza), roles: Il bardo, Il menestrello, Il poeta
1901, 17 January, Roma – Teatro Costanzi – "Le maschere" (Pietro Mascagni), role: Florindo
1901, 13 April Roma – Teatro Costanzi – "Lorenza" (Edoardo Mascheroni), role: Carmine
1902, 20 June, Buenos Aires – Teatro Politeama – "Khrysé" (Arturo Berutti), role: Demetrio
1905, 8 November, Genova – Politeama Genovese – "Mademoiselle de Belle Isle" (Spyros Samaras), role: Chevalier d'Aubigny
1906, 9 April, Napoli – Teatro San Carlo – "Tess" (Fréderic d'Erlanger), role: Angel Clare
1908, 5 September, Buenos Aires – Teatro Colón – "Aurora" (Ettore Panizza), role: Mariano
1909, 13 May, Napoli – Teatro San Carlo – "La cena del signore" (Paul Hartmann); not an opera, but a symphonic/choral work
1912, 6 March, Philadelphia – Academy of Music – "I dispettosi amanti" (Attilio Parelli), role: Florindo

Even though none of these operas is heard today (with the exception of "Aurora" from time to time in Argentina), Bassi also sang in many operas created at his time by tenors like Caruso, Borgatti, De Lucia and Zenatello, and made those roles successful in his own voice: "Iris", "Fedora", "Adriana Lecouvreur", "Germania", "Siberia", "Amica", "Chopin", "Tosca", "La fanciulla del West", and "Andrea Chénier" to mention some at random.
During the last ten years of his life, Amedeo Bassi was a member of the jury in the singing contests in Florence. He is credited for discovering the voices of Giulietta Simionato and Giulio Neri (1933) and Ferruccio Tagliavini (1938). Bassi gave lessons to Tagliavini, to British tenor Benvenuto Finelli (born Bennett Fynn) and to Caroline Unger.
It seems that Bassi was happily married and had two sons:
"Ha avuto la fortuna di sposare una donna intelligente e una perfetta musicista, che è stata per lui una vera collaborazione ... padre di due bei bimbi (Ugo e Mario)"
"Il teatro illustrato", 15–20 April 1906
It is also said that he owned several "palazzo homes" in and around Florence.
Amedeo Bassi died in Florence on the January 14th, 1949. His voice has been preserved on 40 sides:
Pathé (Paris, 1904), 16 sides with piano accompaniment. Very interesting recordings from "Siberia", "Chopin" and "Andrea Chénier". Fonotipia (Milan, 1906), 10 sides with piano accompaniment. Very interesting recordings from "Tess", "Siberia", "Fedora" (the composer at the piano), plus Giordano's "Canzone guerresca" (again the composer accompanying). Pathé (Milan, 1912), 12 sides with orchestra. Beautiful rendition of the Inno alla bandiera from "Aurora" (a creator's record!). Interesting recordings from "Lombardi", "Mefistofele" and "Fanciulla del West". Finally he recorded two sides (Manon Lescaut and Pagliacci) for "Disco Paradiso" (I assume in Milan about 1912).
A curious fact is that his grandson was the famous Italian movie star Rossano Brazzi. He filmed part of his movie "Il rubamento" at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, perhaps thinking of his grandfather that had inaugurated the theater in 1908 and was so much loved in South America.

February 2004
The author expresses his gratitude to Tom Kaufman, Jaume Tribó and Bob Rideout who gave very important information on Bassi's career. It would have been very difficult to complete this article without their kind cooperation.

Juan Dzazópulos E.

I wish to thank Julian Philip Myerscough for the recording (Fedora).

I wish to thank Tom Kaufman for providing help with the repertory.

Discography
Pathé, Paris, May 1905
4230        Siberia: T'incontrai per via                            4230, 10005
4231        Tosca: E lucevan le stelle                              4231	
4232        Occhi di fata (Denza)                                   4232, 10307
4233        Rigoletto: Questa o quella                              4233, 10287
4234        I lombardi: La mia letizia                              4234, 10287
4235        Chopin: O mia Polonia                                   4235, 10151
4236        Chopin: Io sono un fior                                 4236, 10151
4237        Fedora: Amor ti vieta                                   4237
4338	    La bohème: In povertà mia lieta                         4238, 10150
4239        Andrea Chénier: Improvviso                              4239, 10150
4240        Andrea Chénier: Come un bel dì                          4240, 10005
4241        Tosca: Recondita                                        4241, 10307
4242        La bohème: O dolci mani                                 4242	
4243        Andrea Chénier: Si fui soldato                          4243, 10006
4244        La bohème: Chi son                                      4244, 12569
4260        La bohème: O Mimì (w. Titta Ruffo)	    	   	    4260, 12569, 0559          

Fonotipia, Milano, 12 April 1906
xPh 1742    Tosca: E lucevan le stelle                              unpublished

Fonotipia, Milano, 18 April 1906
xPh 1795    Rigoletto: Questa o quella                              unpublished

Fonotipia, Milano, 20 April 1906
xPh 1798    Tess: Stanotte ho fatto un sogno                        unpublished
xPh 1798-2  Tess: Stanotte ho fatto un sogno                        39651
xPh 1799    Tess: Il sogno è la coscienza                           unpublished
xPh 1799-2  Tess: Il sogno è la coscienza                           39652
xPh 1800    Tosca: Recondita armonia                                unpublished
xPh 1801    Tess: Tutti mattina                                     unpublished
xPh 1804    Siberia: Orride steppe                                  39643
xPh 1805    Siberia: T'incontrai per via                            39644
xPh 1806    Fedora: Amor ti vieta                                   39727

Fonotipia, Milano, 5 May 1906
xPh 1855    Canzone guerresca                                       39726
xPh 1855-2  Canzone guerresca                                       39726

Fonotipia, Milano, 8 June 1906
xPh 3901    Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba				    unpublished
xPh 3902    Tosca: Recondita armonia				    unpublished

Disco Paradiso, Milano, about 1912
101         Manon Lescaut: Tra voi belle                            93386
102         Pagliacci: Arioso                                       93913

Pathé, Milano, April 1913
86386       Rigoletto: La donna è mobile                            86386, 10007, 0523
86387       Tosca: E lucevan le stelle                              86387, 10007, 0523
86388       Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba                              86388, 10113, 80012
86389       Occhi di fata (Denza)                                   86389, 10148
86390       La fanciulla del West: Ch'ella mi creda                 86390, 10008
86391       Aurora: Alta en el cielo                                86391, 80013, Herrold 501
86392       Mefistofele: Giunto sul passo                           86392, 10008
86393       I lombardi: La mia letizia                              86393, 10148
86394       Tosca: Recondita armonia                                86394, 10307
86395       Grido di guerra (Giordano)                              86395
86396       Manon Lescaut: Tra voi belle                            86396, 10113, 80012
86397       Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai                       86397, 80013

Edison, New York City, November 1913
2577-A	    Mia sposa sarà la mia bandiera (Rotoli)	            unpublished
2578-A      La fanciulla del West: Ch'ella mi creda                 unpublished

Additions to the discography from Gesellschaft für historische Tonträger, Wien