Fraschini, Gaetano

views updated

Fraschini, Gaetano

Fraschini, Gaetano, noted Italian tenor; b. Pavia, Feb. 16, 1816; d. Naples, May 23, 1887. He studied withF. Moretti, making his debut in Pavia in 1837. He subsequently sang in Milan, Venice, Trieste, Rome, and other Italian cities, and also appeared in London at Her Majesty’s Theatre (1847) and Drury Lane (1868). He created the role of Genaro in Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro. Much esteemed by Verdi, he sang in the premieres of Attila, II Corsaro, La battaglia di Legnano, Alzira, Stiffelio, and Un ballo in maschera. The opera house in Pavia is named for him.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire