Bniscantini, Sesto

views updated

Bniscantini, Sesto

Bniscantini, Sesto, Italian baritone; b. Porto Civitanova, Dec. 10, 1919. He studied law, then went to Rome to study music with Luigi Ricci. He made his debut at La Scala in Milan in 1949, singing the bass role of Don Gerónimo in Cimarosa’s ll matrimonio segreto. He then sang at several festivals in Glyndebourne (1951–54). In 1952 he appeared at the Salzburg Festival. In 1961 he made his U.S. debut with the Chicago Lyric Opera. On Feb. 2, 1981, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Taddeo in L’ltaliana in Algeri, and sang there until 1983. He was particularly renowned for his buffo roles. In 1953 he married Sena Jurinac.

Bibliography

A. Foresi, ed., Una Vita per l’opera: Conversazioni con S. B.(Lucca, 1997).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire