Rinaldo Grassi

Rodolfo Rinaldo Babila Grassi (stage name Rinaldo Grassi) was born in Milano on October 4th, 1885, son of Agostino Grassi and Giuseppina Varesi. Soon his father, a modest craftsman, started him off on the craft as a fitter apprentice. Grassi soon left the modest workshop on Via del Bollo and at seventeen he applied himself to singing.

We know for sure that Grassi entered maestro Leoni's school of music in Milan in 1902. Unfortunately his studies were very short. Two years later in 1904, he was asked to sing Bohème and Traviata at the Coccia in Novara.

His debut was on December 28th, 1904 as Rodolfo. His success was so great that he was immediately in demand everywhere. He then sang in Bergamo (Cavalleria rusticana), Treviso, Napoli, Palermo (Dannazione di Faust), Milano (at the Dal Verme in Amica, and at La Scala on December 29th, 1907 in Tosca with Eugenia Burzio, Pasquale Amato and Toscanini).

During the 1907/08 season at La Scala, Grassi sang in Gioconda (with Burzio), and Mefistofele (with Shaljapin).

He had made his debut in South America the preceding summer at the Teatro de la Opera in Buenos Aires in Madama Butterfly with Maria Farneti and De Luca.

On February 6th, 1909, Grassi sang at the Met in Madama Butterfly with Emmy Destinn, and Amato.

On October 24th, 1909, he took part in a concert with Armida Parsi Pettinella, Maria Farneti, Titta Ruffo and Mascagni, organized at the Racconigi castle given for the Czar of Russia.

Step by step, his repertory grew: La Wally (Napoli 1907), Manon Lescaut (Buenos Aires, de la Opera 1907), Loreley (Buenos Aires, Colón 1907), Gli ugonotti (Napoli, San Carlo 1914), and Aida (Buenos Aires, Colón 1914).

Together with Farneti and Stracciari, he was one of the interpreters of the first Italian performance of Madame Sans-Gêne (Torino, Regio 1915), and of a revival of Il tabarro with Segura-Tallien and Maria Carena (Rome, Costanzi 1920).

During the last years of his career, he sang Alvaro (Torino, Politeama Chiarella 1919) and Don Carlo (Torino, Regio 1923). Grassi retired in 1924, after the first signs of vocal decline when he sang in Torino (La fanciulla del West and Falstaff).

Grassi retired to Torino without temptation of playing the teacher. He died in Torino unexpectedly on October 14, 1946.
Fernando Battaglia

I wish to thank Richard J Venezia for the recording (Africaine).

I wish to thank Vladimir Efimenko for the recording (Mefistofele).

Discography

Pathé, Milano 1906?
86170      Aida (Verdi): Morir, sì pura e bella                             86170
86171      Rigoletto (Verdi): È il sol dell'anima                           86171

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-03-13
XPh3077    Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba                         92156
 
Fonotipia, Milano 1908-03-16
XPh3087    Rigoletto (Verdi): La donne è mobile                             92157

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-03-28
XPh3108    Africaine (Meyerbeer): O paradiso                                unpublished 
XPh3109    Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia                               unpublished

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-10-21
XPh3550    Africaine (Meyerbeer): O paradiso                                92262
XPh3551    Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Donna non vidi mai                      92260

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-10-23
XPh3557    Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia                               unpublished
XPh3558    Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Addio alla madre                unpublished
XPh3558-2  Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Addio alla madre                unpublished
XPh3559    Mefistofele (Boito): Dai campi, dai prati                        92261

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-06-22
XXPh3968   Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Tu qui, Santuzza?               unpublished
           (w. Pasini-Vitale)
XXPh3968-2 Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Tu qui, Santuzza?               74149, 5013E
           (w. Pasini-Vitale) 
XXPh3969   Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Ah! lo vedi                     unpublished
           (w. Pasini-Vitale)
XXPh3969-2 Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Ah! lo vedi                     74150, 5013E
           (w. Pasini-Vitale)

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-07-01
XPh4031    Faust (Gounod): Oh del ciel angioli... All'erta, all'erta        unpublished
           (w. Pasini-Vitale & Luppi)
XPh4031-2  Faust (Gounod): Oh del ciel angioli... All'erta, all'erta        92633
           (w. Pasini-Vitale & Luppi)
XPh4032    Mefistofele (Boito): Dimmi se credi, Enrico                      92567
           (w. Pasini-Vitale)
XPh4033    Mefistofele (Boito): Strano figlio del Caos... Fin da sta notte  92568
           (w. Luppi)

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-07-02
XPh4035    Bohème (Puccini): O soave fanciulla                              unpublished
           (w. Pasini-Vitale)

Fonotipia, Milano 1909-07-03
XPh4044    Gioconda (Ponchielli): Enzo Grimaldo                             92565
           (w. Amato)
XPh4045    Gioconda (Ponchielli): O grido di quest'anima                    unpublished
           (w. Amato)
XPh4045-2  Gioconda (Ponchielli): O grido di quest'anima                    92566
           (w. Amato)

Fonotipia, Milano 1911-12-19
XPh4786    Amor di principe (Eysler): Terzetto delle tre grazie             92874
           (w. Perretti & Vecla) 
XPh4787    Amor di principe (Eysler): Terzetto dell' abbigliamento          92872
           (w. Perretti & Vecla)