Recordings & Writings
During the 1920s and 1930s, Lauri-Volpi made a number of 78-rpm recordings of operatic arias and duets for the following companies: Fonotipia, Brunswick, Victor and, finally, HMV. The discs that he cut for Victor and HMV are considered to be his finest. They are readily available on CD reissues. In 1947, he recorded in Italy a series of extended scenes from Rigoletto. Later, in the 1950s, he participated in the recording of some complete operas that do not capture his voice at anywhere like its peak. They included:
- La Boheme and Luisa Miller (made in 1951);
- Il Trovatore and La Favorita (1954); and
- Gli Ugonotti (1956).
In 1974, aged 81, Lauri-Volpi released a final operatic recital record; but this particular LP has novelty value only. There are bits of newsreel footage of him performing on stage, too, and he appeared in the 1936 Italian film La Canzone del Sole, playing himself.
Lauri-Volpi wrote several books. The best known of them is Voci Parallele—a revealing study of singers and their vocal techniques that is frequently cited by historians. His main published works are:
- Voci Parallele (Ricordi, Napoli, 1955);
- L'Equivoco, Cosi è, e non vi pare (Corbaccio, Milano, 1938); and
- Aviso Aperto, (Corbaccio, Milano, 1953)
Read more about this topic: Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
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