Nello Santi | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1931-09-22)22 September 1931 |
| Died | 6 February 2020(2020-02-06) (aged 88) Zürich, Switzerland |
| Education | Liceo musicale ofPadua |
| Occupation | Opera conductor |
| Organizations | |
Nello Santi (22 September 1931 – 6 February 2020) was an Italian conductor. He was associated with theZürich Opera House for six decades,[1] and was a regular conductor at theMetropolitan Opera in New York City. He was focused on Italian repertoire, especiallyoperas by Verdi andPuccini, in a style following the tradition ofToscanini.[2] He made sound and video recordings of Italian operas, including in 1971 Leoncavallo'sPagliacci withPlácido Domingo,Montserrat Caballé andSherrill Milnes, in 1976 Montemezzi'sL'amore dei tre re withAnna Moffo, Domingo andPablo Elvira, in 2000 Verdi'sI due Foscari, and in 2006 Donizetti'sDon Pasquale in a Zürich production. Santi conducted from memory, and said "I love all of Verdi, but when he composedRigoletto,Il trovatore andLa traviata he was in a profound state of grace."[3]
Santi was born on 22 September 1931 inAdria (Veneto), Kingdom of Italy, to Giovanni and Alfonsina (née Fonso) Santi.[2] His mother took him to an open-air performance of Verdi'sRigoletto[1] at age four, which made a lasting impression.[4] He learned to play several instruments as a child, and studied them further at theLiceo musicale ofPadua.[4]
In 1951, he made his debut as a conductor at theTeatro Verdi in Padua, conductingRigoletto. At the theatre, he also occasionally worked as a prompter, conductor of the chorus, accompanist of singers in concerts, substitute orchestra player and actor on stage.[2][4]
Santi was appointed music director of theZürich Opera House in 1958, where he had first conducted Verdi'sLa forza del destino,[5] sung in German.[1] He married there in 1959.[2] He remained until 1969, and returned to conduct for decades, including rarities such as Verdi'sErnani,I Lombardi andI due Foscari, Rossini'sSemiramide, Bellini'sIl pirata and Donizetti'sPoliuto.[5]
As a guest, he conducted in 1960 at theRoyal Opera House, at theVienna State Opera and theSalzburg Festival.[5] He had a contract with theMetropolitan Opera in New York City from 1962 when he made his debut with Verdi'sUn ballo in maschera. From 1962 to 2000, he conductedmore than 400 performances at the house.[6] He conducted at many more opera houses all over the world including theVerona Arena.[5]
Santi followed the tradition ofArturo Toscanini, to stay close to the score, accompanying the singers without overpowering them, but restraining "excessive liberties" in embellishments and drawn out notes. Santi was able to sing "any Italian opera vocal role from memory while conducting".[2]
Santi retired toRiehen (cantonBasel-Stadt), but still occasionally gave much-appreciated concerts in Basel and Zürich. He was often called "Papa Santi" by his fellow musicians to show their high respect for his work.[2] In 2017, he was invited to conductLa traviata atLa Scala in Milan, withAnna Netrebko in the title role, and Verdi'sNabucco, withLeo Nucci performing the title role.[2]
Santi died in Zürich on 6 February 2020 at the age of 88 while undergoing treatment for a blood infection.[2]
