Bruno Bartoletti facts for kids
Bruno Bartoletti (born in Sesto Fiorentino, Italy, on June 10, 1926 – died in Florence, Italy, on June 9, 2013) was a very talented Italian conductor of opera. A conductor is like the leader of an orchestra or opera, guiding the musicians and singers. He worked all over the world from 1953 to 2007. He was especially known for conducting Italian operas and new music.
Bartoletti had a special connection with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in the United States for 51 years! He held many important jobs there, like co-artistic director and principal conductor. He also led the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Italy, and the Danish Royal Opera in Denmark.
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Early Life and Musical Start
Bruno Bartoletti's father, Umberto, was a blacksmith who also played the clarinet in a band in Florence. When Bruno was young, he played the piccolo, which is a small flute. A teacher in Florence noticed his musical talent. Her husband, a sculptor named Antonio Berti, suggested that Bruno go to the Cherubini Conservatory, a famous music school. There, Bruno studied the flute and piano.
Later, Bartoletti played in the orchestra for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a well-known music festival. He then became a pianist at the Teatro Comunale Florence, helping singers train their voices. He also worked as an assistant to famous conductors like Artur Rodzinski and Tullri Serafin. Serafin especially encouraged Bartoletti to learn how to conduct.
Becoming a Conductor
In December 1953, Bruno Bartoletti made his first professional conducting appearance at the Teatro Comunale. He conducted the opera Rigoletto. In 1957, he became a main conductor at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. While there, he conducted the first Italian performance of Shostakovich's opera The Nose.
From 1965 to 1973, Bartoletti was the artistic director of the Rome Opera. He returned to the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as its artistic director from 1985 to 1991. In Europe, he was also the principal conductor of the Royal Danish Opera from 1957 to 1960.
Leading the Lyric Opera of Chicago
Bartoletti first conducted in the United States with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1956. He stepped in to conduct Il trovatore when another conductor was unable to. In 1964, Bartoletti became a co-artistic director of the Lyric Opera. He then became the sole artistic director in 1975 and held that important role until he retired in 1999. Even after retiring, he was given the title of artistic director emeritus for the rest of his life.
From 1956 to 2007, Bartoletti conducted about 600 performances of 55 different operas at the Lyric Opera. His last performance there was in 2007, conducting La traviata. He also led the first US performance of Britten's Billy Budd in 1970. In 1978, he conducted the very first performance of Krzysztof Penderecki's Paradise Lost.
His Legacy and Later Years
Bruno Bartoletti mostly focused on opera throughout his career. He conducted the first performances of many new works by composers like Luciano Berio and Alberto Ginastera. He made several recordings of famous operas, including Ponchielli's La Gioconda and Puccini's Manon Lescaut.
The Italian government honored Bartoletti with a high award called Cavaliere di Gran Croce della Repubblica Italiana. He was also a member of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, a famous music academy. In his later years, Bartoletti taught at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, sharing his knowledge with new musicians. His very last opera performance was Manon Lescaut in February 2011.
Bruno Bartoletti was married to Rosanna Sandretti, an elementary school teacher, from 1953 until her death in 2011. They had two daughters, Chiara and Maria. He is also survived by a sister, a brother, and five grandchildren.
