Franco Corelli facts for kids

Franco Corelli, a famous Italian opera singer.

Franco Corelli (born April 8, 1921 – died October 29, 2003) was an amazing Italian opera singer known as a tenor. He had a huge international career in opera from 1951 to 1976. People loved his powerful voice, clear high notes, and exciting performances. He was even called the "prince of tenors"!

Audiences were also charmed by his good looks and strong stage presence. Franco Corelli worked closely with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for many years, from 1961 to 1975. He also sang in most of the big opera houses in Europe and across North America.

About Franco Corelli

His Early Life and How He Started Singing

Franco Corelli was born Dario Franco Corelli in Ancona, Italy. His family wasn't very musical at first. But his grandfather, Augusto, actually became an opera tenor at age 35! His older brother, Aldo, also became an opera singer (a baritone). Two of his uncles sang in a local chorus.

Franco's father built ships for the Italian navy. The family lived near the Adriatic Sea. Franco loved the sea and first planned to become a naval engineer at the University of Bologna.

While studying, a friend dared him to enter a music contest. Franco didn't win, but the judges told him he should sing! So, he went to the Pesaro Conservatory of Music to study opera.

How He Learned to Sing So Well

At the conservatory, Franco Corelli studied with Rita Pavoni. But he wasn't happy with the lessons. He felt they hurt his voice. After this, Franco decided to teach himself. He even called voice teachers "dangerous people"!

Franco said he learned some of his singing style from a friend. This friend studied with Arturo Melocchi, a famous voice teacher. Melocchi taught a way of singing with the larynx (voice box) lowered. Franco Corelli sometimes studied with Melocchi himself.

Franco changed this technique to make his voice more flexible. He wanted to be able to sing softly (mezza-voce) and smoothly (legato). He also studied recordings of other great tenors like Enrico Caruso. He learned by copying their styles.

Opera News magazine said Franco's lowered-larynx technique gave his voice a "cavernous sound." This means it sounded deep and powerful. He could also control his breath to sing very softly, even on high notes.

His First Opera Performances: 1951–1960

In 1951, Franco Corelli won a music competition in Florence. This led to his first big performance in Spoleto. He was supposed to sing Radames in Verdi's Aida. But he felt he wasn't ready for that role yet. So, he sang Don José in Bizet's Carmen instead.

In May 1952, he sang at the Rome Opera for the first time. He played Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur. That same year, he sang in smaller opera houses and on Italian radio. By 1953, he became a main tenor at the Rome Opera. He performed there often until 1958.

One of his first roles in Rome was Romeo in Giulietta e Romeo. Later, he sang Pollione in Bellini's Norma. He sang opposite Maria Callas, another famous opera star. They often performed together for many years.

While at the Rome Opera, Franco Corelli also sang in other places. He first performed at La Scala in Milan in 1954. He sang Licinio in Spontini's La vestale with Maria Callas. He returned to La Scala many times. He sang in Fedora (1956), Il pirata (1958), and Poliuto (1960) with Callas.

In 1956, he had a very famous performance as Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West at La Scala. This was broadcast live on Italian radio! Soon, he made his debut at the Vienna State Opera and the Royal Opera House in London in 1957. He also sang in Chicago and San Francisco in 1958.

During this time, Franco Corelli sang in some rare operas. These included Spontini's Agnes von Hohenstaufen and Handel's Giulio Cesare. By 1960, he knew about 30 different opera roles. These included the main roles in Andrea Chénier, Cavalleria rusticana, La bohème, and Don Carlo.

In 1957, Franco Corelli met Loretta di Lelio. She came backstage after one of his shows for an autograph. They started dating and got married in 1958. Loretta stopped her own singing career to help Franco. She became his manager, secretary, and cook! Their marriage lasted until Franco's death 45 years later.

Singing at the Metropolitan Opera: 1961–1975

Franco Corelli made his first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on January 27, 1961. He sang Manrico in Il trovatore. Leontyne Price, another famous soprano, also made her debut that night.

He sang at the Met until 1974. He performed many popular roles like Calaf in Turandot (with Birgit Nilsson), Cavaradossi in Tosca, and Rodolfo in La bohème. He also sang in French operas like Roméo et Juliette.

Franco Corelli was part of many important nights at the Met. This included the closing gala at the old Met building. His last performance at the Met was on December 28, 1974. He sang Calaf in Turandot. He also toured with the Metropolitan Opera in 1975, singing in cities across the United States and Japan.

Even while singing at the Met, Franco Corelli kept performing internationally. In 1961, he sang for the first time at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He returned to La Scala in 1962 for Les Huguenots with Joan Sutherland. That same year, he sang Manrico in Il trovatore at the Salzburg Festival.

In the early 1970s, Franco Corelli's voice started to show some signs of wear. He had used it a lot in very demanding roles. Because of this, he became more nervous before performances. He gave his last opera performance as Rodolfo in 1976. He was 55 years old.

Franco later said about retiring, "I felt that my voice was a little tired. The singer's life cost me a great deal. I was full of worry and mad at everyone. I was a bundle of nerves, I wasn't eating or sleeping."

Later Life: 1976–2003

After retiring from the stage, Franco Corelli became a popular voice teacher in New York City. This was a bit funny, since he didn't like voice teachers for most of his life! He briefly came out of retirement for concerts in 1980 and 1981.

He passed away in Milan, Italy, on October 29, 2003, at age 82. He had a stroke earlier that year. He was buried in Milan's Cimitero Monumentale.

Opera Roles He Performed

Recordings of His Music

Franco Corelli made many recordings of single songs (arias) and full operas. These recordings show how amazing his voice was in the 1950s and 1960s. Many fans prefer recordings of his live performances. They feel his singing in front of an audience was even more exciting than his studio recordings. Many of these are still available today.

See also

In Spanish: Franco Corelli para niños