18 Facts About Piero Cappuccilli

Piero Cappuccilli was an Italian operatic baritone.

Piero Cappuccilli was enormously admired within the field of opera for his rich and abundant voice, fine vocal technique and exceptional breath control.

Piero Cappuccilli focused on Italian repertory, particularly the operas of Verdi, singing 17 major roles.

Piero Cappuccilli auditioned at a local opera house in 1949, where Luciano Donaggio heard him and urged him to study.

Piero Cappuccilli was still reluctant, believing he had a better potential career as an architect, and even briefly discontinued his lessons, until Donnaggio's urging and the offer of free lessons persuaded him to resume studies in 1950.

Piero Cappuccilli studied with Luciano Donaggio in his native city.

In 1955, Piero Cappuccilli auditioned for La Scala in Milan, where the auditioners, deeply impressed, encouraged him to enter the Viotti competition.

Piero Cappuccilli spent most of his career singing in Europe, with only infrequent travels to North and South America.

Piero Cappuccilli made his debut at the Teatro alla Scala in 1964, as Enrico, at the Royal Opera House in London as Germont in 1967, and his Opera de Paris debut took place in 1978, as Amonasro.

Piero Cappuccilli appeared at the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival.

Piero Cappuccilli worked with the greatest European conductors of his time and became one of the finest interpreters of the Italian repertoire.

Piero Cappuccilli was highly respected as a "Verdi baritone", where his beautiful voice, fine vocal technique, musical elegance and dignified stage presence were shown to their best advantage.

Piero Cappuccilli left an impressive discography, he recorded Lucia di Lammermoor three times, first with Maria Callas in 1959, then with Margherita Guglielmi and finally with Beverly Sills in 1970.

Piero Cappuccilli had previously recorded Simon Boccanegra under Gavazzeni, opposite Katia Ricciarelli.

Piero Cappuccilli recorded Don Carlo, Il trovatore and Aida under Herbert von Karajan.

Piero Cappuccilli sang until his mid-sixties; an automobile accident in 1992 ended his stage career.

Piero Cappuccilli died in his native Trieste, at the age of 78.

Piero Cappuccilli is survived by his wife, Graziella; three children, Patrizia, Giovanni and Pier Paolo; and two grandchildren, according to the Trieste newspaper.