The opera world is filled with great tragedies throughout its history. 

The story of Ettore Bastianini is easily one of the saddest. 

Born on Sept. 24, 1922, Bastianini would go on to become one of the greatest baritones of all time. His voice was beloved by all.

He began his training as a bass, singing his first concerts in 1940 and 1941 before winning the first prize in the National Singing Contest at the Teatro Comunale Florence. 

During World War II, he was drafted into the Air Force where he would remain between 1943-44. But once the war was at an end, he would resume his career as a bass. 

From there until 1950, he enjoyed great success as a bass. But then he took a seven-month hiatus to retrain himself as a baritone.

Then he went from a good singer to become a legend. 

His baritone career took off in a way his career as a bass never did. His first performance came on Jan. 17, 1952 in Siena, but before long he was at the Met Opera, making his debut in 1953. He became a regular the following year, performing regularly with the company through the mid-1950s. 

The late 1950s would bring success with the Vienna State Opera as well as the Salzburg Festival, La Scala, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. 

Then tragedy struck. 

In 1962, he was diagnosed with a throat tumor. He struggled with the disease until his death in 1967 singing his final performance on Dec. 1, 1965, at the Met Opera. 

He was 44. 

Signature Roles

Bastianini’s voice will forever be linked with the operas of Verdi. His Conte di Luna from “Il Trovatore” is often hailed as the finest interpretation of the role, the baritone able to combine the dramatic power of Verdi’s music with a refined vocal technique that he was so loved for. 

Other Verdi roles that he made his own include Germont in “La Traviata,” Rodrigo in “Don Carlo,” and the title role of “Rigoletto.”

Read More on Bastianini

A Look at the shared roles of Bastianini, Pablo Elvira & Cornell MacNeil

Watch and Listen

Here is a historic recording of Bastianini in “Il Trovatore.”

Some great recordings of the baritone in a wide range of repertoire.