Since 1895, Cesa-Bianchi studied cello at the conservatory in Milano. There his voice was discovered and he decided to study singing.
He moved to Bologna to study with Emilia Corsi.
He made his debut in 1911 as Lohengrin at the Verdi in Pavia. Lohengrin became his best role.
During the season 1912/13, he sang Lohengrin at La Scala. There, he also sang Hüon. He was again at La Scala in 1924 to sing Siegmund.
He specialized in Wagner roles first of all. In 1926, he sang Parsifal and Siegmund in Rio de Janeiro.
In 1921 and 1926 he sang Tristan at the Comunale in Bologna.
In 1929, he sang Florestan in Roma.
He made guest appearances in Buenos Aires (Colón), Barcelona (Liceu) and the major opera houses in Italy with great success.
His repertory included also: Max, Stolzing, Erik, Samson, Edgardo, Werther, Cavaradossi, Alfredo, Pollione, Licinius, ...
Reference: Isoldes Liebestod
Chronology
| 1911 |
|
|
|
| 12 |
Pavia |
Teatro Fraschini |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1912 |
|
|
|
| 03 |
Trieste |
Teatro Verdi |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| 12 |
Milano |
Teatro La Scala |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1913 |
|
|
|
| 01/02 |
Milano |
Teatro La Scala |
OBERON (Hüon) |
| 05/08 |
Buenos Ayres |
Teatro Colon |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) / OBERON (Hüon) / MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG
(Stolzing) |
| 11 |
Bologna |
Teatro Comunale |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| 12 |
Torino |
Teatro Regio |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1914 |
|
|
|
| 02 |
Verona |
Teatro Filarmonico |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1918 |
|
|
|
| 01 |
Torino |
Politeama Chiarella |
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (Edgardo) |
| 08 |
Brescia |
Teatro Sociale |
WERTHER (Werther) |
| 10 |
Parma |
Politeama Reinach |
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (Edgardo) |
| 12 |
Verona |
Teatro Ristori |
TOSCA (Cavaradossi) / TRAVIATA (Alfredo) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1919 |
|
|
|
| 10 |
Ferrara |
Teatro Comunale |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| 10 |
Verona |
Teatro Nuovo |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1920 |
|
|
|
| 01 |
Madrid |
Teatro Reale |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| 02 |
Parma |
Teatro Regio |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| 04 |
Palermo |
Teatro Massimo |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1921 |
|
|
|
| 11 |
Bologna |
Teatro Comunale |
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (Tristan) |
| 12 |
Lisbona |
Teatro San Carlos |
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (Tristan) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1922 |
|
|
|
| 01/02 |
Lisbona |
Teatro San Carlos |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) / PARSIFAL (Parsifal) |
| 10 |
Milano |
Teatro Dal Verme |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1924 |
|
|
|
| 02 |
Torino |
Teatro Regio |
WALKÜRE (Siegmund) |
| 11 |
Milano |
Teatro La Scala |
WALKÜRE (Siegmund) |
| 12 |
Torino |
Teatro Regio |
NORMA (Pollione) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1926 |
|
|
|
| 01 |
Mantova |
Teatro Sociale |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) / WALKÜRE (Siegmund) |
| 03 |
Napoli |
Teatro San Carlo |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| 07 |
Rio de Janeiro |
Teatro Municipal |
PARSIFAL (Parsifal) / SAMSON ET DALILA (Samson) / WALKÜRE (Siegmund) |
| 08 |
San Paolo |
Teatro Municipal |
WALKÜRE (Siegmund) |
| 10 |
Bologna |
Teatro Comunale |
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (Tristan) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1927 |
|
|
|
| 02 |
Torino |
Teatro Regio |
FIDELIO (Florestan) |
| 12 |
Napoli |
Teatro San Carlo |
LA VESTALE (Licinius) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1928 |
|
|
|
| 05 |
Melbourne |
Her Majesty |
LOHENGRIN (Lohengrin) |
| |
|
|
|
| 1929 |
|
|
|
| 03 |
Roma |
Teatro dell'Opera |
FIDELIO (Florestan) |
Discography
FONOTECNICA RECORD
2524 Bimba non t'avvicinar (Bettinelli)
2525 Strimpellata al tramonto (Bettinelli)
Source for the chronology, pictures and discography the extraordinary website of Roberto Marcocci.
