Lazzari, Virgilio
Lazzari, Virgilio
Lazzari, Virgilio, Italian-born American bass; b. Assisi, Aprii 20, 1887; d. Castel Gandolfo, Oct. 4, 1953. He made his stage debut as L’Incognito in Suppe’s Boccaccio with the Vitale Operetta Co. in 1908, remaining with the company until 1911. After studies with Cotogni in Rome, he made his operatic debut at the Teatro Costanzi there in 1914; then sang in South America. In 1916 he made his U.S. debut as Ramfis in St. Louis. He settled in the U.S. and became a naturalized American citizen. From 1918 to 1933 he was a member of the Chicago Opera. On Dec. 28, 1933, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Pedro in L‘Africaine; remained on the roster until 1940; then returned for the 1943-51 seasons. He also sang at the Salzburg Festivals (1934r-39) and appeared as Leporello at London’s Cov-ent Garden (1939). He became celebrated for his portrayal of Archibaldo in Montemezzi’s L’amore dei tre re.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire