Fonotipia, Milano 1922-04-06

XPh5285 L'ultima canzone (Tosti) 6012

Fonotipia, Milano 1922-10-16

Pho5298 Trovatore (Verdi): Di quella pira 6012

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Nino Piccaluga (1890-1973) was a big voiced spinto-dramatic tenor who was very much in evidence during the two decades between the two wars. He was born in Lombardy and made his debut as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Politeama Duca di Genova in La Speziale in 1918. Piccaluga’s career took off quickly, with appearances at the major theaters of Parma, Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Turin, Venice, Modena, Trieste, Lecce, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Lisbon, Cairo, Santiago, Rio de Janiero, Buenos Aires and other international opera centers. His only North American appearances seem to have been a series of performances in California during the 1929-30 season. Piccaluga’s repertoire was vast, including the lead tenor roles in La Bohème, Tosca, Turandot, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Il Tabarro, La Fanciulla del West, Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Ernani, Aïda, Il Trovatore, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Gioconda, Andrea Chénier, La Wally, Francesca da Rimini, Fedora, Sly, Loreley and Carmen. By the early 1930s, the years of singing such demanding repertoire were catching up to Piccaluga and he began spending more and more time in secondary theaters and touring companies. After a final Don José in Carmen at the Teatro Puccini in Milan in 1939, Piccaluga retired from public life. He devoted his remaining years to teaching and passed away in 1973 at the Casa di Riposo in Milan. Piccaluga’s approach to singing is expressive, virile and always thrilling. His approach also seems a bit reckless and out of control at times. He was a greatly underrated performer and is largely forgotten today.

Nino Piccaluga (1890-1973) spent his career largely at La Scala, where he did a lot of heavy lifting, but short of real star status. He was what today might be called a "house tenor," and he did many big dramatic roles, but essentially as a "second" tenor. This was the era of Gigli, Caruso, Lauri Volpi, among other greats, and that was very serious competition indeed. He did, however, have a respectable career, and died at the Verdi Rest Home For Musicians at 83 years of age, in 1973