Richard Bonelli | |
|---|---|
 Bonelli, 1940s | |
| Born | George Richard Bunn (1889-02-06)6 February 1889 Port Byron, New York United States |
| Died | 7 June 1980(1980-06-07) (aged 91) Los Angeles, California United States |
| Occupation | Opera singer (baritone) |
| Years active | 1915-1970s |
| Spouses | |
Richard Bonelli (bornGeorge Richard Bunn; 6 February 1889 – 7 June 1980) was an Americanoperaticbaritone active from 1915 to the late 1970s. Although he sang predominantly on stage in both light and grand operas, he also performed at various times on radio, in concerts and films, as well as on television.[1]
Bonelli was the child of Ida (née Homel) and Martin Bunn ofPort Byron,New York.[2] His family later moved toSyracuse and soon George preferred to be called Richard. Prior to deciding on a career in music, Bonelli was a friend of race car driver and later mayor ofSalt Lake City,Ab Jenkins. Bonelli attendedSyracuse University, initially studying engineering, but the quality of his singing voice altered those early academic pursuits.[1] He soon began actively training with voice teachers, including Arthur Alexander inLos Angeles and withJean de Reszke and William Valonat in Europe.[3]
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Bonelli's operatic debut came on 21 April 1915 at theBrooklyn Academy of Music as Valentin inGounod'sFaust. He toured with theSan Carlo Opera Company between 1922 and 1924. In 1923 he made his European debut as Dardano inCatalani'sDejanice during the Carnevale season inModena, Italy. He returned to Europe in 1924 to sing at theMonte Carlo Opera and was eventually engaged by theThéâtre de la Gaîté inParis.[3] Between 1925 and 1931 Bonelli performed with theChicago Opera Company and between 1926 and 1942 frequently performed at theSan Francisco Opera. His Chicago debut in 1925 was in the role of Germont in Verdi'sLa traviata withClaudia Muzio (Violetta) andAntonio Cortis (Alfredo). His debut role in San Francisco was Figaro in Rossini'sIl barbiere di Siviglia, after appearing in Flotow'sMartha at theLos Angeles Grand Opera earlier in September 1926.[3]
Seizing the opportunity of a one-year collapse of Chicago Civic Opera, the Met impresarioGiulio Gatti-Casazza quickly engaged Bonelli for leading baritone roles in New York. His first performance with theMetropolitan Opera was on 29 November 1932, again as Rossini'sFigaro, at the company's tour to Philadelphia. (It was also the role for his last Met stage performance on 14 March 1945.)[3] The cast includedLily Pons (Rosina),Tito Schipa (Count Almaviva), andEzio Pinza (Don Basilio). Bonelli's New YorkMetropolitan Opera debut came on 1 December 1932 as Giorgio Germont in Verdi'sLa traviata oppositeRosa Ponselle as Violetta andTito Schipa as Alfredo. He remained on the Met's active roster until 1945, making his final performance asRossini'sFigaro on 14 March that year. He was theTonio in the first ever livetelecast of opera, from the Met on 10 March 1940 alongside Hilda Burke andArmand Tokatyan. He returned to the Met in 1966 as an honored guest at the 'Gala Farewell' marking the last performance by the Metropolitan Opera in the old opera house at Broadway and 39th Street, before moving to the Lincoln Center.[3][4]
Of his many roles, Bonelli was known best for hisVerdi repertory as Giorgio Germont, Di Luna, Renato, Rigoletto and Amonasro, and also for his portrayals of Valentin in Gounod'sFaust, Wolfram in Wanger'sTannhäuser, Tonio in Leoncavallo'sPagliacci, Rossini'sFigaro, Enrico Ashton in Donizetti'sLucia and Sharpless in Puccini'sMadama Butterfly. InItaly, he performed under the name Riccardo Bonelli. He appears in at least three surviving films: as the "Eminent Baritone" in a 1928short, one ofFox Studio's earliest sound films, in which he performs "Largo Al Factotum" fromThe Barber of Seville; in the 1935featureEnter Madame; and in acameo appearance in the 1941 featureThe Hard-Boiled Canary.[3]
After retiring from singing, Bonelli became a successful voice teacher at theCurtis Institute of Music inPhiladelphia, theMusic Academy of the West inMontecito, and inNew York. Among his students wereFrank Guarrera,Enrico Di Giuseppe,Lucine Amara, andNorman Mittelmann. In 1949 whenEdward Johnson retired from his position of general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, Bonelli was a contender for the job though it ultimately went toRudolf Bing. Bonelli's favorite baritone wasTitta Ruffo. American baritoneRobert Merrill had stated that Bonelli was his inspiration to study singing, after hearing him perform theCount di Luna at the Met alongsideGiovanni Martinelli andElisabeth Rethberg in 1936. Even after retiring from teaching, he periodically performed on stage into his 80s. His later appearances were more on theWest Coast of the United States.[3]
Bonelli, who was the uncle of actorRobert Stack, married twice, the first time to opera singer Pauline Cornélys. They wed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1917 and divorced in 1933.[5] Later that year, in October, Bonelli married Mona Chapman Wood, and the couple remained together until Richard's death.[1][4]
On 7 June 1980, shortly after Bonelli's wife Mona donated his recorded performances toStanford University's Archive of Recorded Sound, he died at age 91 inLos Angeles, California.[2] His body was cremated, and the ashes were placed in Niche 32072 in the Columbarium of Victory atForest Lawn Memorial Park inGlendale, California.[3]
