Bianchi, Antonio

views updated

Bianchi, Antonio

Bianchi, Antonio, Italian baritone and composer; b. Milan, 1758; d. after 1817. He sang in Milan and Genoa, and then was a court singer to the Prince of Nassau Weilburg. From 1792 to 1797 he was a member of the Königlisches National theater in Berlin, where his opera Die Insel der Alcina was premiered on Feb. 16, 1794. He subsequently sang in other German cities and was co-director of a touring opera troupe. His best known roles were in comic operas by Cimarosa, Sarti, and Paisiello.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire