Donzelli, Domenico

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Donzelli, Domenico

Donzelli, Domenico, Italian tenor; b. Bergamo, Feb. 2, 1790; d. Bologna, March 31, 1873. He was a student of Branchi in Bergamo, where he made his operatic debut in Mayr’s Elisa in 1808. He then continued his training in Naples with Viganoni and Crivelli. After appearing throughout his homeland, he made his Paris debut as Rossini’s Otello in 1825. In 1829 he sang at the King’s Theatre in London. On Dec. 26, 1831, he created the role of Pollione in Bellini’s Norma at Milan’s La Scala. He continued to sing widely until his retirement in 1844.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire