Giorgio Tozzi

Giorgio Tozzi made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1955, and he sang leading bass roles there for twenty-one seasons (38 roles in 34 operas): the Verdi canon from Nabucco to Don Carlo (Philip) and Aida; Mozart's Don Giovanni and Nozze di Figaro; Rossini's Barbiere (Basilio); Wagner's Dutchman, Parsifal, and Meistersinger (Pogner and Hans Sachs). Other favorite portrayals were of Mephistopheles, Boris Godunov, Alvise, Raimondo, and King Marke, and he scored also as the Doctor in the premiere of Barber's Vanessa at the Met and in Salzburg. Andrew Farkas notes, "I saw Mr. Tozzi in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, and at the Met as Daland, Sachs, Basilio, Marke, Mephistopheles, Sparafucile, Old Convict, King Philip, and Miller. He was a very great stage artist and a fine singer. His King Marke was noble and moving, his Daland deeply human and humorous, and his bumbling Basilio extraordinarily funny."

Earlier, the Chicago-born bass had won acclaim in leading European opera houses. He also starred opposite Mary Martin in a revival of South Pacific in San Francisco, and supplied the soundtrack voice of Emile DeBecque in the movie version of that show. Björling fans have treasured his contributions to Jussi's complete opera recordings, from La Boheme to Turandot, as well as the great Reiner-led recording of Verdi's Requiem with both men (as well as Rosalind Elias and Leontyne Price) in top vocal form.

For the past eleven years, Mr. Tozzi has been professor of voice at Indiana University, where he holds an endowed chair. He was a close personal friend to Jussi, and we welcome his broad perspective.