FRANCO CORELLI SINGS AGAIN PUCCINI TOSCA “ E LUCEVAN LE STELLE“ LIVE 1955 RARE

In the summer of 1951, Corelli won the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, earning a debut at Spoleto the following fall. He was originally scheduled to sing Radames in Verdi’s Aïda and spent three months preparing the role with conductor Giuseppe Bertelli. However, Corelli eventually switched to Don José in Bizet’s Carmen, feeling that at this point he lacked the technical finesse and legato for the role of Radamès. In November 1951, he made his debut at the Rome Opera as Manrico in Il trovatore opposite Maria Caniglia as Leonora. The next year he appeared in operas with smaller opera houses throughout Italy and on the Italian radio. In 1953 he joined the Rome Opera’s roster of principal tenors where he spent much of his time performing through 1958. His first role with the company in 1953 was that of Romeo in Zandonai’s rarely heard opera Giulietta e Romeo. Later that season he sang Pollione in Bellini’s Norma opposite Maria Callas in the title role. It was the first t