MARIO DI FELICI
(b. 1937 in Albano Laziale)
A tenor prince of the high Cs in the Golden Age of Italian tenors !
Mario Di Felici was born in 1937 at Albano Laziale near Rome. He began to study operatic singing in Rome
during 1963 under Maestro Zama.
Barely three months later, the very young Di Felici got an audition with the great tenor Mario Del Monaco. He was impressed by the voice and physical presence of Di Felici to whom he gave some advice, wished him quick
progress and saw him as a heir. More thoughtfully, Del Monaco indicated to him a teacher under whom to
continue his studies in Rome: the baritone Saturno Meletti.
The introduction was accompanied by warm recommendations and the intent to monitor his progress within six
months. So, Di Felici's formative start was able to evolve, alternating with the Maestro's periodic six-monthly
revisions. After three years of study, it reached the pinnacle by participation to the Competition of Spoleto. There,
Di Felici won with full marks and was rewarded with a scholarship.
On his return to Rome, he was coached for his debut in Tosca by the great Maestro Luigi Ricci at the Teatro
dell'Opera. The debut took place in 1966 at the Teatro Nuovo di Spoleto with a fabulous success. So, a
marvellous career had its beginning with Tosca taken to various Italian and foreign theatres, obtaining always
enormous success with the public and critics.
The Teatro Massimo di Palermo engaged him for the 1968 season, where he was able to refine his studies over
the whole year under the great baritone Carlo Tagliabue. He then worked with Maestro Rolando Nicolosi on the
script of Madama Butterfly, With him and for the whole season, he appeared in a great number of concerts with
great success. During the same season, he sang in Carmina Burana, Les malheurs d'Orphee and Salome.
He was then engaged for the opera season of Dublin where he debuted in Aida with enormous success always.
For three consecutive seasons, he appeared in the famous Concerts in costume at the theatres of Monaco and simultaneously in very many concerts in Italy with Maestro Rolando Nicolosi. At the Teatro di Campobasso, he
sang in Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. At the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, he debuted in Madama
Butterfly with full consent of the public and critics followed by engagement for the successive season in La
Bohème. Three performances of great success.
During the last performance of Bohème, in his dressing room after the second act, maestro Rossi proposed him
to sing for the first world premiere at La Scala di Milano in the unpublished opera Les Martyres by Gaetano
Donizetti with a really exceptional cast: soprano Leyla Gencer, baritone Renato Bruson and bass Luigi Roni.
The premiere of the opera Les Martyres was a marvellous triumph for Di Felici, rewarded together with the
aforesaid celebrated singers with the recognition medal as best Donizettian interpreter. Di Felici's career extented through time and success, taking him to very many Italian theatres, among which Prato, Campobasso, Florence (at la Pergola), Piacenza, etc.
Mario di Felici has dedicated himself to didactic activities over many years, teaching singing technique to youg talents some of whom have already undertaken a career onstage successfully. Together with other founders, he has been responsible for the current board of the Foundation Del Monaco. He is an expert representative in the department “Docenti” of the school for tenors.
An anecdote
At Palermo, Tagliabue venerated Di Felici's voice to such an extent that he used to say to him, “What on earth are you doing here, you should go away to sing in other theatres. They hold you here as a small mirror for birds and only because they need to justify their “Centre for young opera singers”. One day, the great Giuseppe Di Stefano came to see them. He was in Palermo for the opera Fedora and Tagliabue made him listen to all his students. He wanted to hear Di Felici sing “Amore o grillo...” the aria from Madama Butterfly. He was so stupefied by Di Felici's top notes that he said to him, “This is a voice for millions and you will have a great career. Yet, I would like you not to give much importance to the top notes and listen how you should sing in the centre”. He then sang the cabaletta and said to him, “Now try it, forget what Carletto says and sing this way even in your old age”. Imagine Tagliabue's reaction: He stood up and began to shout, “Do realise what I say to you, that you have lost the top notes and you are jealous when you hear some tenor who has the top notes in his pocket. Here, take back the keys of the Mercedes car you gave me as a gift, I do not need it any more. Do not go around saying that you study under me as you ruin my reputation, enough said that you will hit the top notes never again”. Hence, Pippo went to him, embraced, kissed him and said, “You know that I like you a lot, I feel lost without you but do not get angry with me, I only wanted to suggest to this brave student that he should sing with more freedom of fraseggio and not to think of the top notes he has in his pocket'. So, they made peace and all three of them went for a good dinner...
Audios files (removed)
1 – La fanciulla del West – Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano – 1966 ……..1:49
2 – Madama Butterfly – Addio fiorito asil – 1975..……………….....................3:07
3 – Les Martyrs – Jusqu'au sein du sanctuaire – 1980 ...............................7:52
(j.f.)
Comments published in Gallery
Roberto
Member
Una voce straordinaria!!
Ho avuto il piacere di conoscere il tenore Mario Di Felici da giovanissimo (frequentavamo la stessa
scuola di canto), oltre ad ascoltarlo ammirato a casa del nostro maestro, il celebre baritono della scuola
di Arturo Melocchi: Saturno Meletti, andavo ad ascoltarlo al Teatro dell’Opera di Roma dove cantava
spesso celebri Opere, (lo ricordo nel ruolo di Rodolfo ne: La Bohème, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly,
Don Josè nella Carmen), ogni volta rimanevo incantato nell’ascoltare la sua splendida voce da vero
tenore lirico spinto che arrivava ovunque, una autentica voce da teatro.
Le registrazioni dell’epoca, fatte con registratorini amatoriali, non rendono giustizia alle grandi voci, possono solo dare un’idea.Ho trasmesso a Joseph altri brani cantati dal celebre tenore, nei prossimi
giorni chi vorrà ascoltare, si farà un’idea ancora più chiara della vocalità di questo tenore che cantava
con la tecnica giusta della scuola del grande Arturo Melocchi.
Roberto
An extraordinary voice!!
I have the pleasure of having known the tenor Mario Di Felici since my salad days (we used to
frequent the same school for singing), besides listening to and admiring him at the place of our teacher,
the celebrated baritone Saturno Meletti, of the Arturo Melocchi’s school. I used to go and listen to him singing frequently famous operas ((I remember him in the role of Rodolfo in La Bohème, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Don Josè in Carmen). Every time, I used to feel enchanted in listening to his
splendid voice of a true tenore lirico spinto which reached every corner, his was an authentic voice of
the theatre.
The recordings of that period using small amateur cameras do not give justice to great voices, they
only give inkling. I have sent Joseph other pieces sung by the celebrated tenor. Soon, whoever wishes
to listen will be able to get a clear idea of the vocality of this tenor, who used to sing in accordance with the right technique of the great Arturo Melocchi’s school.
Roberto
Paolo
Member
La sua voce è il palpito del nostro core!
Ascolto Mario Di Felici da molti anni e ho avuto la fortuna e l'onore di conoscerlo di persona.
E' difficile (oggi poi quasi impossibile!) trovare racchiuse in un unica persona, le doti che ogni cantante lirico vorrebbe possedere: voce, musicalità, recitazione, presenza,e personalità. La voce più bella che io abbia mai ascoltato! (...e non ne ho ascoltati pochi!). Nel suo canto si avverte la forza di un uomo che ha saputo forgiare il suo strumento con una tecnica autentica, quella dei tempi d'oro della lirica, e si avverte pure la potenza di una natura che non si può cercare di capire, ma che si può solo, umilmente, ascoltare...
I have been listening to Mario for many years and I had the luck and honour to get to know him in person.
It is difficult (today and almost impossible) to find embodied in one unique person the virtues which every lyrical
artist would like to possess: voice, musicality, interpretation, presence and personality. The most beautiful voice I have ever listened to! (…and I have listened to quite a few!). In his singing, one notes the strength of a man who has been capable of working on his instrument with an old technique, that of the lyrical theatre’s golden days. One also notes the power of a nature which one tries to understand but can only listen to humbly.
Joseph
Member
My favourite opera of all Puccini and an arioso sung with ardour, impetus and thrust
Madama Butterfly is my favourite opera of all Puccini. I saw my first Butterfy in 1955 at the Sydney Empire theatre during an Italian and International Grand Opera Season sponsored by the J.C. Williamson Opera Company. Whenever I see or hear it, the old passion is kindled anew. The trio and arioso ‘Addio fiorito asil’ of act III are the best moments for the tenor, in my view. I have published no less than five renditions of the arioso in gallery and all have great merits. A sixth version has been added to the young pages sung by Mario Di Felici, a pedigree tenore lirico spinto who graced triumphantly the theatres of Europe and Great Britain in the second half of XX century.
The way he modulates the first and key line “Addio fiorito asil” polarises the attentive listener and prepares him for an exciting and extraordinary rendition of the piece. With beauty of timbre, variety of colours, sculptured words and perfect pronunciation he is able to convey all the feelings of the vocal score and thus configure the character completely. He attacks the upper notes firmly, the squillo is rich in harmonics and very Laurivolpian, the extension is brilliant due to splendid technique and breath control. Ardour, impetus and thrust are the order of the day.
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”There
is one thing to be said for glory - you can take glory with
you, when it is your time to go”