Giovanni Martinelli

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This article is about an Italian operatic tenor. For the Florentine Baroque era painter, see Giovanni Martinelli (painter).

Giovanni Martinelli
Giovanni Martinelli in a signed photo from September 1925
Background information
Born	October 22, 1885 Montagnana, Italy
Died	February 2, 1969 New York, NY
Genre(s)	Opera, Neapolitan, Pop
Occupation(s)	Opera Singer and Actor
Instrument(s)	Voice (tenor)

Giovanni Martinelli (22 October 1885 – 2 February 1969) was an Italian operatic tenor.

[edit] Biography and Career

Martinelli was born Montagnana, and studied in Milan where he made his debut in Ernani in 1910. Engagements followed in London, New York, Chicago and San Francisco. The Metropolitan in New York eventually became his principal house, singing there in 926 performances, though he also appeared regularly at the Royal Opera House in London. He excelled at the main spinto roles of Verdi and Puccini: Otello (title role), Radames in Aida, Manrico in Il trovatore, Calaf in Turandot, and Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West, which was his signature role at the start of his career.

Widely regarded as the successor to Caruso as a dramatic tenor, Martinelli is still admired for his excellent technique, the beautiful trumpet-like ring of his instrument, and the sheer elegance of his expression.

Martinelli appeared in one of the Vitaphone shorts shown on August 6, 1926 at the Warner Theater in New York City in addition to the main feature, the John Barrymore film Don Juan. Martinelli was shown in full makeup and costume singing "Vesti La Giubba", from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. The aria was photographed on a sound stage designed to resemble the set actually seen in Act I of Pagliacci, and can be seen at the link below at YouTube.