Filippo Coletti

Italian opera singer

Filippo Andrea Francesco Coletti (11 May 1811 – 13 June 1894) was an Italian baritone associated with Giuseppe Verdi.Coletti created two Verdi roles: Gusmano in Alzira and Francesco in I masnadieri.

Verdi revised the role of Germont in La traviata for Coletti, whose interpretation re-defined the role as it is known today.

Coletti was, with Antonio Tamburini (1800–1876) and Giorgio Ronconi (1810–1890), one of the three leading baritones of 19th century Italy, an early model of a 'Verdi baritone'.

Born in Anagni, a small town southeast of Rome, Coletti started his career singing baritone coloratura roles in Rossini, Donizetti and Mercadante operas before moving on to vocally substantial Verdi repertory.

Coletti gained notoriety in London for his unwitting role in the 1840 Haymarket Theatre riots, and later for his successful four-year London tenure, singing leading baritone roles.

Coletti travelled extensively, singing in all major European theatres.Numerous accounts describe his acting as well as the beauty of his voice, which retained an agility and elegance over a long singing career.

Coletti performed until 1869.Verdi considered casting Coletti in an unrealized King Lear opera-commission for Naples.After Coletti's retirement from the stage he published an Album Melodico of songs, as well as essays on singing and on opera.

For philosopher Thomas Carlyle Coletti was "by the cast of his face, by the tones of his voice, by his general bearing,... a man of deep and ardent sensibilities, of delicate intuitions, just sympathies; originally an almost poetic soul, or man of genius."

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