Flagello, Ezio (Domenico)
Flagello, Ezio (Domenico)
Flagello, Ezio (Domenico), American bass, brother of Nicolas (Oreste) Flagello; b. N.Y., Jan. 28, 1931. He was a pupil of Schorr and Brownlee at the Manhattan School of Music in N.Y. In 1952 he made his debut in a concert perf. of Boris Godunov at N.Y/s Carnegie Hall, followed in 1955 by his stage debut as Dulcamara at the Empire State Festival in Ellenville, N.Y. He then pursued his training in Rome on a Fulbright scholarship with Luigi Rossi, appearing as Dulcamara with the Opera there in 1956. In 1957 he won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air, which led to his debut with the company in N.Y as the Jailer in Tosca on Nov. 9 of that year. He subsequently sang regularly there until 1987. In 1966 he created the role of Enobarbus in Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra at the opening of the new Metropolitan Opera house. He also was a guest artist in Vienna, Berlin, and Milan. He was particularly known for his buffo roles, excelling in operas by Mozart and Rossini. He also was successful in operas by Verdi and Wagner.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire