Alessandro Ziliani

Alessandro Ziliani, born June 3rd, 1906 in Busseto (the main town of the municipality where Verdi was born), died February 12th, 1977 in Milano. He studied in Milan with tenor Alfredo Cecchi.

His debut took place in 1929 in "Madama Butterfly" at the Dal Verme in Milan, and was successful enough that Ziliani got a contract to record "La traviata" for His Master's Voice the following year (with Anna Rózsa and Luigi Borgonovo). That same year, 1930, he made a concert tour through the Netherlands, hoping to get a contract with the touring Italian Opera Company there, which he did in 1931. He sang in "Bohème", "Traviata", "Tosca", "Rigoletto", and "Lucia" in the Netherlands.

In 1932, he was a big success in Parma as Rodolfo, and in 1934, he made his debut at La Scala in "La Gioconda" (with Cigna, Stignani and Galeffi), and at the Arena di Verona, in "Lucia" (with Dal Monte and Armando Borgioli). He was to be one of La Scala's mainstays for several years, creating "Maria Egiziaca" by Respighi there. Other important Scala appearances included leading roles in "Louise", "Francesca da Rimini", "Mefistofele", and "Madama Butterfly". More HMV records were made in those years.

In 1938, he was in the USA, singing in San Francisco with Mafalda Favero (his wife). He was also a regular guest in Nazi Germany, singing primarily in Berlin, Munich and Vienna, and even shot a film there, "Liebeslied", in two versions, German and Italian. (His German diction was impeccable, quite probably the best German any Italian singer ever achieved.) In 1942, he even switched over to a German record company, Telefunken. He also sang in operetta in Germany.

After WWII, he sang for a few more years in Italy; what seems to be the latest testimony of his voice is a 1952 live recording of Gluck's "Armida" with Callas. Soon after, Ziliani gave up singing and became one of Italy's most important singer agents (Alci was the name of his agency).

Alessandro Ziliani sings

Königin der Liebe (Borgmann)

Discography

Voce del padrone, Milano, 1935/36
2BA-561-3	La bohème (Puccini): O soave fanciulla (with Mafalda Favero)		DB 2521
OBA-562-1	Turandot (Puccini): Nessun dorma					DA 1423
OBA-569-2	Serenata (Mascagni)							DA 1424
2BA-570-2	La bohème (Puccini): Che gelida manina					DB 2521
OBA-571-1	Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Donna non vidi mai				DA 1423, Victor 1735
OBA-572-2	Fedora (Giordano): Amor ti vieta					DA 1424, Victor 1735
ORA-798-2	La dame blanche (Boieldieu): Vieni, mio tesoro				DA 1450
ORA-799-1	Funiculì, funiculà (Denza)						DA 1450
ORA-861-2	Königin der Liebe (Borgmann)						DA 4410
ORA-862-3	Serenade (Borgmann)							DA 4410
		(the last two from film: "Königin der Liebe", 1936)
OBA-1300-1	La fanciulla del West (Puccini): Ch'ella mi creda			DA 1483
OBA-1301-1	Turandot (Puccini): Non piangere, Liù					DA 1483
2BA-1340-2	Lohengrin (Wagner): Mai devi domandarmi (with Maria Caniglia)		DB 2859
2BA-1341-1	Fedora (Giordano): Vedi, io piango (with Augusta Oltrabella)		DB 2859
2BA-1381-1	Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Bimba dagli occhi (with Mafalda Favero)	DB 2894
2BA-1382-1	Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Io t'ho ghermita (with Mafalda Favero)	DB 2894
OBA-1584	Sei la mia regina (Borgmann)						DA 1532
OBA-1585	Io canto per te (Serenata) (Borgmann)					DA 1532
		(the last two from film: "Regina dell'amore", 1936)

Telefunken, Milano, June 1942
026508		Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Dovunque al mondo (with Afro Poli)		SK 10499
026510		Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Addio, fiorito asil (with Afro Poli)	SK 10499
026533		Francesca da Rimini (Zandonai): Benvenuto, signore mio cognato I	SK 3301
026534		Francesca da Rimini (Zandonai): Benvenuto, signore mio cognato II	SK 3301
026535		Francesca da Rimini (Zandonai): Benvenuto, signore mio cognato III	SK 3302
026536		Francesca da Rimini (Zandonai): Benvenuto, signore mio cognato IV	SK 3302
		(all four Francesca da Rimini sides with Gina Cigna)

COMPLETE OPERA
La traviata (Verdi): Alessandro Ziliani (Alfredo), Anna Rózsa (Violetta), Luigi Borgonovo 
(Germont), Olga De Franco (Flora/Annina), Giordano Callegari (Gastone), Antonio Gelli 
(D'Obigny/Dott. Grenvil), Arnaldo Lenzi (Douphol) 
Members of La Scala orchestra and chorus, Carlo Sabajno (conductor)
78rpm records (Plum Label)
VOCE DEL PADRONE: S-10260 to S-10272 (Italy)
HIS MASTER'S VOICE: C 2214 to C 2226 (England) 
LA VOZ DE SU AMO: AF 459 to AF 471 (Spain)
ELECTROLA (Gramophon): EH 700 to EH 712 (Germany)
VICTOR (Red Seal): 11105 to 11117 (U.S.A.)
Matrix: CF 3557-3568 (27 & 28 October 1930); CF 3572-3576 (29 October 1930); 
CF 3599-3600 (4 November 1930); CF 3654-3659 (28 November 1930); CF 3666(29 November 1930); 
CF 3670 (1 December 1930); CF 3678 (4 December 1930); CF 3682-3683 (21 January 1931)

NOTES: Matrices CF 3682-3683 (21 January and 9 March 1931) were recorded only by 
Anna Rózsa after the sessions in Milan had finished (È strano/Ah, fors'è lui and 
Follie! Follie!/Sempre libera) In "Sempre libera" CF 3682-5, the tenor Poggianti 
substituted for Ziliani. Matrix CF 3600 (C 2218/S 10264), "Dei miei bollenti 
spiriti", recorded by Ziliani, had Antonio Narducci as conductor (instead of Sabajno).

A single 78rpm record from the complete set was issued by the Victor Company (USA):
Red Label 12832 La traviata: Brindisi/Ah sì, che feci (with Rózsa, De Franco, 
Borgonovo and Gelli)
LP: Camden CAL-287-289
CD: VAI 1108-2

RECITALS
45 rpm: VOCE DEL PADRONE ERQ 291: Non piangere, Liù; Nessun dorma; Ch'ella mi creda; 
Amor ti vieta

LP: ROCOCO 5288 (Canada, 1970): Donna non vidi mai; Che gelida manina; O soave 
fanciulla; Bimba dagli occhi; Non piangere, Liù; Nessun dorma; Vieni, mio tesoro; 
Mai devi domandarmi; Vedi, io piango; Ch'ella mi creda; Serenata; Funiculì, funiculà; 
Sei la mia regina; Io canto per te.
LP: ROCOCO 5251 (Canada, 1967): GINA CIGNA: Francesca da Rimini: Benvenuto, signore 
mio cognato

CD: PREISER 89165 (Austria, 1998): Vieni, mio tesoro; Mai devi domandarmi; 
Amor ti vieta; Vedi, io piango; Donna non vidi mai; Che gelida manina; O soave 
fanciulla; Bimba dagli occhi; Ch'ella mi creda libero; Non piangere, Liù; Nessun 
dorma; Benvenuto, signore mio cognato; Serenata; Funiculì, funiculà; Königin der Liebe.

I would like to thank Juan Dzazópulos for the discography.

I would like to thank Thomas Silverbörg for the recording.

I would like to thank Anton Bieber for the recording and the fantastic label scan of Königin der Liebe.