Antonio Rocca
He is said to have been born in Torino 1876; in any case, he made his debut in Paris (at the
Gaîté-Lyrique) in 1908, and was later (when?) at the Opéra-Comique. Also some performances in Italy could be traced. He
also sang (and recorded) in the USA – I don't know from when on, but definitely in 1921, when he was in Washington D.C.
So Rocca remains very much of a mystery tenor so far; what can be said for sure is that he was a striking example (perhaps the most
striking of all) of a singer who sang a foreign language way better than his own: Rocca was a clearly below-average tenor in Italian, but
one of the truly great when singing French; an absolutely amazing French, by the way. (This reminds me of Natalie Dessay, who was only a
shadow of her German-singing self when tackling a role in her native French.)
In RA format
Anton Bieber has provided the recording and the label scans: thank you!
In RA format
In RA format
I wish to thank Richard J Venezia for the recording.
Anton Bieber has provided the recording and the label scan: thank you!
Discography(most probably complete for the French, most probably incomplete for the American recordings)
Gramophone, Paris 1908
5582h Africaine (Meyerbeer): Pays merveilleux 3-32798
5583h unknown title unpubl
5584h unknown title unpubl
5585h unknown title unpubl
5586h unknown title unpubl
5633h Lakmé (Delibes): Ah viens dans cette paix profonde 3-32799
5634h Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent 3-32800
5635h Favorite (Donizetti): Ange si pur 3-32801
5753h Lakmé (Delibes): Dans la forêt près de nous (w. Vallandri) 34207, P281
5754h unknown title (w. Vallandri) unpubl
597i Lakmé (Delibes): C'est le dieu de la jeunesse (w. Vallandri) 034020, W228 (20/5/08)
5930h Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Vive le vin unpubl
5930½h d:o 3-32837
5931h Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola 3-32847
5973h Manon (Massenet): Ah fuyez, douce image unpubl
5973½h d:o 3-32829, Vic 5775
5974h Tosca (Puccini): O de beautés égales 3-32830
5975h Werther (Massenet): Fantaisie aux divins mensonges 3-32831, Vic 5771, 16573
Gramophone, Paris 1908-06
6014h Faust (Gounod): Laisse-moi contempler (w. Korsoff) 34201, P280
6015h Faust (Gounod): O nuit d'amour (w. Korsoff) unpubl
6015½h d:o 34202, P280
612i Faust (Gounod): Oui, c'est toi je t'aime (w. Korsoff) 034022 (16/7/08)
Gramophone, Paris 1908
6255h Favorite (Donizetti): Un ange, une femme inconnue 3-32862 (9/10/08)
6256h Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d'etoiles 3-32854
6257h Carmen (Bizet): Dragon de l'Alcala 3-32855
832i Faust (Gounod): Mais ce Dieu (w. d'Assy) 034024, W229 (14/9/08)
833i Faust (Gounod): À moi les plaisirs (w. d'Assy) 034025, W229 (22/9/08)
836i Faust (Gounod): Salut, demeure 032083
837i Joseph (Méhul): Champs paternels 032084
Gramophone, Paris 1908-10
6497h Faust (Gounod): Anges purs (w. Auguez de Montalant & d'Assy) 34208
6497½h d:o 34208x, P363
6498h Lakmé (Delibes): D'où viens-tu (w. Korsoff) 34209
6499h Faust (Gounod): Choral des épées 3-32875, P363, Vic 69227
(w. Vigneau, Auguez de Montalant & d'Assy)
6506h Rigoletto (Verdi): Qu'une belle 3-32878
860i Faust (Gounod): Divine pureté (w. Korsoff & d'Assy) 034027 (24/10/08)
861i unknown title unpubl
862i Carmen (Bizet): La fleur 032090
Gramophone, Paris 1909-04-14
14568u Mireille (Gounod): Anges du paradis unpubl
Gramophone, Paris 1909-06-03
01050v Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Asile héréditaire unpubl
01050½v Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Asile héréditaire unpubl
01051v Mireille (Gounod): Anges du paradis (w. chorus) 032163
Gramophone, Paris 1909-06-07
01065v Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Dieu qui fit l'homme à son image 034075, W333
(w. Bakkers & Journet)
Gramophone, Paris 1909-06-09
01074v Faust (Gounod): Choeur des soldats (w Bakkers) unpubl
01075v d:o unpubl
01076v Mireille (Gounod): Le val d'enfer (w Bakkers) unpubl
01077v La Favorite (Donizetti): Vois mes pleurs (w Auguez de Montalant)unpubl
14928u Faust (Gounod): Trio final (w Auguez de Montalant & d'Assy) unpubl
Gramophone, Paris,1914-05-20
18800u Tosca (Puccini): O de beautés égales unpubl
18801u Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d'étoiles unpubl
Bell, USA about 1921
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba S-107-A
Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Ch'ella mi creda S-107-B
Critona, New York about 1921
Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Ch'ella mi creda 1027
Trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira
Arto, USA 1922
Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna è mobile 3083
Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Brindisi 3086
I wish to thank Christian Torrent for the discography and the picture.
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