Italo Gardoni
(1821-1882)

Born in Parma on 12 March 1821, the Italian tenor Italo Gardoni created Bothwell (Marie Stuart), Jonathan (David), and Leopold (Ame en peine).

'Gardoni made his début in 1840 at Viadana in the title role of Gaetano Donizetti's Roberto Devereux and then sang in Turin, Berlin, Milan, Brescia and Paris, first at the Opéra, later at the Théâtre Italien. He made his London début in 1847 at Her Majesty's Theatre, creating Carlo in Giuseppe Verdi's I masnadieri. He also sang Pylades (Iphigénie en Tauride), Don Ottavio, Tamino, Faust and Florestan. At Covent Garden he made his début in 1855 as Count Ory, then sang Nemorino, Danilowitz in Giacomo Meyerbeer's L’étoile du nord and Corentin in Dinorah (1859), both first British performances. He sang regularly in London and Paris until 1874, when he retired. His repertory included Rodrigo (Rossini's Otello), Giannetto (La gazza ladra), Elvino, Arturo, Fra Diavolo and Alfredo. Versatile both as singer and actor, he had a light but well-focussed voice' (The Grove Book of Opera Singers, ed. Laura Macy, published online in 2009). 

Italo Gardoni died in Paris on 26 March 1882.