Schipa, Tito (actually, Raffaele Attilio Amadeo)
Schipa, Tito (actually, Raffaele Attilio Amadeo)
Schipa, Tito (actually, Raffaele Attilio Amadeo), famous Italian tenor; b. Lecce, Jan. 2, 1888; d. N.Y., Dec. 16, 1965. He studied with A. Gerunda in Lecce and with E. Piccoli in Milan, and began his career as a composer of piano pieces and songs; then turned to singing, and in 1910 made his operatic debut at Vercelli in La Traviata. After numerous appearences in Europe, he was engaged by the Chicago Opera (1919–32). He made his first appearance with the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y. on Nov. 23, 1932, as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, and continued to sing with the Metropolitan until 1935, then again in 1941. Schipa made extensive tours of Europe and South America, as well as in the U.S. He retired from the operatic stage in 1954, but continued to give concerts until late in life. Among his greatest roles were Des Grieux in Manon, the Duke of Mantua, Don Ottavio, and Werther. He wrote an operetta, La Principessa Liana (1935), a Mass (1929), and several songs. He also wrote a book, Si confessi (Genoa, 1961). His autobiography appeared in 1993.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire