Opera Scotland

Antonio Pini-Corsi Suggest updates

Born Zara, June 1858.

Died Milan, 22 Apr 1918.

Italian baritone.

Antonio Pini-Corsi had a notable international career, in particular singing buffo baritone and bass parts such as Leporello, Bartolo and Don Pasquale.  He was chosen by Verdi to create the role of Ford in Falstaff at La Scala (1893), repeating the part a few months later in London and on tour in Britain. 

Zara was an Italian seaport on the Dalmatian coast, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire - it is now Zadar in Croatia.  Pini-Corsi made his début in 1878 at Cremona as Dandini, and specialised in comic roles at various Italian houses over the next fifteen years. He didn't appear at La Scala until 1893, but the success of his Rigoletto there led to his being cast as Ford.   In the months after the Milan premiere he also sang the part at Genoa, Rome, Venice and Brescia. He created the part of Schaunard in the Turin premiere of La Bohème (1896).  Subsequent premieres at La Scala included Siberia (Giordano 1903) and La figlia di Iorio (Franchetti 1906).

He first worked in London at Covent Garden in 1894, singing Lescaut (Manon Lescaut) before repeating Ford.  He returned to the house in the 1902 season.  At the New York Met he appeared from 1899, and between 1909 and 1914 he sang in the premieres of La fanciulla del West (Happy), Königskinder (Innkeeper), and other works, and in the American premieres of Le donne curiose, L’amore medico, and Germania.  He retired from singing in 1917.

Last revision 12 May 2012.