Ettore Bastianini - Recordings

Recordings

Most of his studio recordings were made for Decca Records and for Deutsche Grammophon, and they accurately represent his rich and expressive voice. They include:

• Verdi: Aida with Curtis-Verna, Dominguez, Borso, Scott. Franco Capuana (cond.) La Fenice 1952. (Remington)
• G. Donizetti: La favorite with Simionato, Jerome Hines, Gianni Poggi. Alberto Erede (cond.) Maggio Musicale Fiorentino 1955. (Decca)
• Verdi: La forza del destino with Tebaldi, del Monaco, Simionato, Siepi. Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (cond.) 1955. (Decca)
• G.Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia with Simionato, Misciano, Siepi, Fernando Corena. Erede (cond.) 1956. (Decca)
• P.Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana with Tebaldi, Björling. Erede (cond.) 1957. (Decca)
• A.Ponchielli: La Gioconda with Cerquetti (her only complete opera recording in studio), Simionato, del Monaco, Siepi. Gavazzeni (cond.) 1957. (Decca)
• U.Giordano: Andrea Chénier with Tebaldi, del Monaco. Gianandrea Gavazzeni (cond.) 1957. (Decca)
• G.Puccini: La bohème with Tebaldi, Carlo Bergonzi, Gianna d'Angelo, Cesare Siepi. Tullio Serafin (cond.) 1958. (Decca)
• Puccini: Tosca with Tebaldi, di Stefano. Gianandrea Gavazzeni (cond.) Live in Brussels. 1958. (Myto)
• Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor with Scotto, Di Stefano, Vinco. Nino Sanzogno (cond.) La Scala 1959. (Mercury/Ricordi)
• Verdi: Rigoletto with Scotto, Kraus, Cossotto, Vinco. Gianandrea Gavazzeni (cond.) Maggio Musicale Fiorentino 1960. (Mercury/Ricordi)
• Verdi: Don Carlo with Stella, Cossotto, Labò, Christoff, Vinco. Gabriele Santini (cond.) La Scala 1961 (DG)
• Verdi: Un ballo in maschera with Stella, Poggi, Lazzarini, Tavolaccini. Gavazzeni (cond.) La Scala 1961 (DG)
• Verdi: Il trovatore with Stella, Cossotto, Bergonzi and Vinco. Tullio Serafin (cond.) La Scala 1962 (DG)
• Verdi: La traviata with Scotto and Gianni Raimondi. Antonino Votto (cond.), La Scala 1963. (DG)
• G.Donizetti: Poliuto with Callas, Franco Corelli. Antonino Votto (cond.) Live from Scala, 1960. (EMI)
• Verdi: Don Carlo with Sena Jurinac, Simionato, Eugenio Fernandi, Siepi. Von Karajan (cond.) Live in Salzburg. 1958. (DG)
• Verdi: Ernani with Cerquetti, del Monaco, Boris Christoff. Mitropoulos (cond.) Live in Florence. 1957. (Bel Canto)
• Verdi: Il trovatore with Corelli, Price, Simionato. Karajan Live in Salzburg. 1962. (DG)

There is also a live album of his concert in Chicago with Tebaldi and Simionato, conducted by Sir Georg Solti and issued by Decca, as well as a Neapolitan song recital. When von Karajan recorded J. Strauss's "Die Fledermaus" for Decca, Bastianini was also invited to sing in the Gala scene. The duet he chose, "Anything you can do, I can do better" from Berlin's musical "Annie Get Your Gun", was the only non-Italian piece he ever recorded. His duet partner, Giulietta Simionato, had also learned her words phonetically. Also noteworthy is a 1955 television appearance (published on DVD in 2006), on "Opera Cameos," of excerpts from La traviata, with the young Beverly Sills and Paul Knowles.