Antonio Cotogni

According to his biographer Angelucci, Cotogni sang one hundred fifty-seven works, but the former was only able to cite one hundred and forty-five. Of the other twelve, he could track down neither the title nor the name of the composer. Sortable table • Composer Surname — Composer — Opera/Oratorio — Role — City of role debut • Amadei — Roberto Amadei — Luchino Visconti — Lugo • Auber — Daniel Auber — Diamanti della corona — Rebolledo — London • Auber — Daniel Auber — Le domino noir — Gil Perez — London • Auber — Daniel Auber — Masaniello — Pietro — Lisbon • Battista — Vincenzo Battista — Esmeralda — Lanciano • Beethoven — Ludwig van Beethoven — Fidelio — Don Pizarro — London • Bellini — Vincenzo Bellini — Beatrice di Tenda — Filippo — Venice • Bellini — Vincenzo Bellini — I Capuleti ed i Montecchi — Lorenzo — Genova • Bellini — Vincenzo Bellini — I puritani — Riccardo — Milan • Bellini — Vincenzo Bellini — La sonnambula — Rodolfo — London • Berlioz — Hector Berlioz — La damnation de Faust — Méphistophélès — Rome • Bevenuti — Tommaso Bevenuti — La stella di Toledo — Filippo II — Genova • Bizet — Georges Bizet — Carmen — Escamillo — Lisbon • Bottesini — Giovanni Bottesini — L'assedio di Firenze — Giovanni Bandino — Milan • Brahms — Johannes Brahms — A German Requiem — baritone soloist — Rome • Cagnoni — Antonio Cagnoni — Claudia — Milan • Cagnoni — Antonio Cagnoni — Don Bucefalo — Trieste • Cagnoni — Antonio Cagnoni — Il vecchio della montagna — Hassan — Milan • Capocci — Salvatore Capocci — Sant'eustachio: azione sacra in due atti — Rome • Centolani — Ambrogio Centolani — Isabella Orsini — Lugo • Cimarosa — Domenico Cimarosa — Le astuzie femminili — Dottor Romualdo — London • Cimarosa — Domenico Cimarosa — Il matrimonio segreto — Count Robinson — Madrid • Clementi — Filippo Clementi — Pellegrina — Iacopo — Bologna • Coccia — Carlo Coccia — Disertore per amore — Asti • Cohen — Henri Cohen — Estella — London • De Ferrari — Serafino Amedeo De Ferrari — Pipelet, ossia Il portinajo di Parigi — Nizza • De Ferrari — Serafino De-Ferrari — Il birraio di Preston — Orvieto • De Giosa — Nicola de Giosa — Don Checco — Lanciano • Delibes — Léo Delibes — Jean de Nivelle — Le comte de Charolais — St. Petersburg • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Belisario — Belisario — Trieste • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Don Pasquale — Dr. Malatesta — London • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Don Pasquale — Don Pasquale — London • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — L'elisir d'amore — Belcore — Rome • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — La favorita — Alfonso — Rome • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Gemma di Vergy — Earl of Vergy — Rome • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Linda di Chamounix — Antonio — Genova • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Lucia di Lammermoor — Enrico — Rome • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Lucrezia Borgia — Alfonso — London • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Maria di Rohan — Enrico, duca di Chevreuse — Spoleto • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — I martiri — Severo — Barcelona • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Poliuto — Severo — Barcelona • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Alina, regina di Golconda — Volmar — Bilbao • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Roberto Devereux — The Duke of Nottingham — Nice • Donizetti — Gaetano Donizetti — Torquato Tasso — Torquato Tasso — Modena • Faccio — Franco Faccio — Amleto — Claudio — Genova • Faccio — Franco Faccio — I profughi fiamminghi — Il conte di Bergh — Milano • Fioravanti — Vincenzo Fioravanti — Il ritorno di Columella — Torino • Flotow — Friedrich von Flotow — Alma l'incantatrice — Don Sebastian — London • Flotow — Friedrich von Flotow — Marta — Plunkett — Madrid • Gammieri — Erennio Gammieri — Niccolò de' Lapi — Saint Petersburg • Gentili — Raffaele Gentili — Rosamonda — Edgardo — Rome • Gentili — Raffaele Gentili — Werther — Il Conte Alberto di Volheim — Milan • Gomes — Antônio Carlos Gomes — Il Guarany — Gonzales — London • Gounod — Charles Gounod — Faust — Valentin — Rome • Gounod — Charles Gounod — Philémon et Baucis — Jupiter — Saint Petersburg • Gounod — Charles Gounod — Roméo et Juliette — Mercutio and Capulet — London • Gounod — Charles Gounod — Cinq-Mars — Saint Petersburg • Halévy — Fromental Halévy — L'ebrea — Ruggiero — London • Hérold — Ferdinand Hérold — Le pré aux clercs — Comte de Comminges — London • Hérold — Ferdinand Hérold — Zampa — Zampa — Bologna • Kashperov — Vladimir Kashperov — Maria Tudor — Nice • Lenepveu — Charles Lenepveu — Velleda — Teuter — London • Leoncavallo — Ruggero Leoncavallo — I pagliacci — Tonio — Saint Petersburg • Liszt — Franz Liszt — Christus — Christ — Rome • Lucilla — Domenico Lucilla — Il conte Rosso — Bologna • Lucilla — Domenico Lucilla — Eroe delle Asturie — Bologna • Manna — Ruggero Manna — Preziosa — Don Fernando d'Azevedo — Milan • Marchetti — Filippo Marchetti — Romeo e Giulietta — Genoa • Marchetti — Filippo Marchetti — Ruy Blas — Don Sallustio — Venice • Mascagni — Pietro Mascagni — Cavalleria Rusticana — Alfio — Saint Petersburg • Massenet — Jules Massenet — Le Cid — Don Fernando, King of Castille — Saint Petersburg • Mendelssohn — Felix Mendelssohn — St. Paul — bass — Rome • Mercadante — Francesco Mercadante — Il giuramento — Manfredo — Cuneo • Mercadante — Francesco Mercadante — I normanni a Parigi — Ordamante — Modena • Mercadante — Francesco Mercadante — Orazi e Curiazi — Orazio — Perugia • Mercadante — Francesco Mercadante — La vestale — Publio — Nice • Meyerbeer — Giacomo Meyerbeer — L'africana — Nélusko — Bologna • Meyerbeer — Giacomo Meyerbeer — Dinorah — Hoël — London • Meyerbeer — Giacomo Meyerbeer — La stella del nord — Peter the Great — London • Meyerbeer — Giacomo Meyerbeer — Gli ugonotti — Nevers — London • Mozart — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Così fan tutte — Guglielmo — London • Mozart — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Don Giovanni — Don Giovanni — London • Mozart — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Il flauto magico — Papageno — London • Mozart — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Le nozze di Figaro — Figaro — London • Mozart — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Le nozze di Figaro — Count — London • Mugnone — Leopoldo Mugnone — Birichino — Blachot — Venice • Pacini — Giovanni Pacini — Bondelmonte — Bilbao • Pacini — Giovanni Pacini — Saffo — Alcandro — Barcelona • Paladilhe — Émile Paladilhe — Patria — Comte de Rysoor — Rome • Pedrotti — Carlo Pedrotti — Il favorito — Obolenski — Turin • Pedrotti — Carlo Pedrotti — Guerra in quattro — Candido — Milan • Pedrotti — Carlo Pedrotti — Isabella d'Aragona — Milan • Pedrotti — Carlo Pedrotti — Tutti in maschera — Abdalà — Trieste • Peri — Achille Peri — Vittore Pisani — Vittore Pisani — Milan • Persichini — Venceslao Persichini — Amante Sessagenario — Rome • Petrella — Enrico Petrella — L'assedio di Leida — Armando Boasot — Turin • Petrella — Enrico Petrella — Celinda — Arnaldo — Turin • Petrella — Enrico Petrella — Giovanna di Napoli — Marino — Turin • Petrella — Enrico Petrella — Ione — Arbace — Saragozza • Petrella — Enrico Petrella — Marco Visconti — Marco Visconti — Barcelona • Petrella — Enrico Petrella — Elnava — Cuneo • Piacenza — Pasquale Piacenza — Marinella — Cuneo • Ponchielli — Amilcare Ponchielli — La gioconda — Barnaba — St. Petersburg • Ponchielli — Amilcare Ponchielli — I lituani — Arnoldo — St. Petersburg • Poniatowski — Józef Michał Poniatowski — Gelmina — London • Puccinelli — Filippo Puccinelli — Santa Cecilia — Rome • Puccini — Giacomo Puccini — Manon Lescaut — Lescaut — St. Petersburg • Ricci — Luigi Ricci — Chiara di Rosemberg — Nice • Ricci — Luigi Ricci — Chi dura la vince — Nice • Ricci — Luigi Ricci — Crispino e la Comare — Fabrizio — Venice • Ricci — Luigi Ricci — Le Prigioni di Edimburgo — Nice • Rossi — Lauro Rossi — Domino Nero — Turin • Rossi — Lauro Rossi — Falsi Monetari — Turin • Rossini — Gioacchino Rossini — Il barbiere di Siviglia — Figaro — Genova • Rossini — Gioacchino Rossini — La Cenerentola — Dandini — Nice • Rossini — Gioacchino Rossini — La gazza ladra — Fernando Villabella — London • Rossini — Gioacchino Rossini — Guglielmo Tell — Guglielmo — St. Petersburg • Rossini — Gioacchino Rossini — Matilde di Shabran — Aliprando — Turin • Rossini — Gioacchino Rossini — Mosè — Faraone — London • Rossini — Gioacchino Rossini — Otello — Iago — Nice • Rossini — Gioacchino Rossini — Stabat mater — Baritone soloist — Rome • Rubinstein — Antonio Rubinstein — Nerone — Julius Vindex — St. Petersburg • Sanelli — Gualtiero Sanelli — Luisa Strozzi — Turin • Sinico — Giuseppe Sinico — Aurora di Nevers — Filippo Conzaga — Milan • Thomas — Ambroise Thomas — Amleto — Hamlet — London • Thomas — Ambroise Thomas — Mignon — Lothario — Rome • Ventura — Lionello Ventura — Alda — Marino Capece — Bologna • Vera — Edoardo Vera — Valeria — Claudio Imperatore — Bologna • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Aïda — Amonasro — St. Petersburg • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Aroldo — Egberto — Turin • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Attila — Ezio — Zara • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Un ballo in maschera — Renato — Dublin • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Don Carlos — Posa — London • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — I due Foscari — Francesco Foscari — London • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Ernani — Don Carlo — Rome • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — La forza del destino — Don Carlo di Vargas — Spoleto • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — I lombardi — Pagano — Milan • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Luisa Miller — Miller — Turin • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Macbeth — Macbeth — Nice • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — I masnadieri — Francesco — Viterbo • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Nabucco — Nabucco — Turin • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Rigoletto — Rigoletto — Rome • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Stiffelio — Count Stankar — London • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — La traviata — Germont — Viterbo • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — Il trovatore — Di Luna — Madrid • Verdi — Giuseppe Verdi — I vespri siciliani — Michele de Vasconcello/Guido di Monforte — Turin • Wagner — Richard Wagner — Lohengrin — Telramund — Turin • Wagner — Richard Wagner — Tannhaüser — Wolfram — Bologna • Weber — Carl Maria von Weber — Oberon — Scherasmin — Bologna Cotogni also sang the baritone solo in the "Dies irae" section of Alessandro Busi's Messa da requiem performed in honor of Gioachino Rossini's death on 9 December 1868 at the church of San Giovanni in Monte in Bologna. His delivery of the solo was sublime: "...the audience, who literally filled the church, was so shaken that, forgetting they were in church, they applauded [his solo] wildly." That response was not unfamiliar; when he made his public debut in Sant'Eustachio in 1851, the audience's surprise and enthusiasm toward the young Cotogni's solo was so overwhelming that police had to be called in to restore order.

Ricci reports that when in 1912 he attended performances at Moscow's Imperial theater and Zimina Opera, as well as at the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg, half of the artists on stage had been Cotogni's students. For nearly 20 years, Cotogni dedicated himself to teaching singing. Many artists already in the fullness of their careers also came to study with him at the Liceo and/or learn from him privately. Sortable table • First Name — Last Name — Voice Type • Adolfo — Pacini — Baritone • Alfredo — Costa — Baritone • Amleto — Pollastri — Baritone • Augusto — Beuf — Baritone • Benvenuto — Franci — Baritone • Carlo — Galeffi — Baritone • Cesare — Alessandroni — Baritone • Cesare — Ferretti — Baritone • Dante — Perrone — Baritone • Dinh — Gilly — Baritone • Domenico — Caporello — Baritone • Enrico — Nani — Baritone • Ettore — Bernabei — Baritone • Giuseppe — Bellantoni — Baritone • Giuseppe — De Luca — Baritone • Guido — Caselotti — Tenor • Jean — De Reszke — Baritone • Leone — Paci — Baritone • Luigi — Pasinati — Baritone • Luigi — Rossi-Morelli — Baritone • Mariano — Stabile — Baritone • Marino — Emiliani — Baritone • Mario — Basiola — Baritone • Mattia — Battistini — Baritone • Millo — Picco — Baritone • Nazzareno — Bertinelli — Baritone • Nikolai — Shevelev — Baritone • Onofrio — Pirrone — Baritone • Riccardo — Stracciari — Baritone • Salvatore — Persichetti — Baritone • Sergei — Diaghilev — Baritone • Titta — Ruffo — Baritone • Evgeny — Dolinin — Tenor • Ugo — Donarelli — Baritone • Valentino — Giorda — Baritone • Zygmunt (Sigismondo) — Zaleski — Baritone • Aristodemo — Giorgini — Tenor • Armando — Gualtieri — Tenor • Beniamino — Gigli — Tenor • Pasquale — Funtò — Tenor • Edgar — Herbert-Caesari — Tenor • Ellison — Van Hoose — Tenor • Enzo — Fusco — Tenor • Franco — Tumminello — Tenor • Giacomo — Eliseo — Tenor • Giacomo — Lauri-Volpi — Tenor • Giuliano — Romagnoli — Tenor • Giuseppe Antonio — Paganelli — Tenor • Guido — Ciccolini — Tenor • Julian — Biel — Tenor • Luigi — Ceccarelli — Tenor • Luigi — Lucenti — Tenor • Luigi — Pasinati — Tenor • Manfredo — Miselli — Tenor • Nicola — Bavaro — Tenor • Rinaldo — Grassi — Tenor • Vincenzo — Tanglongo — Tenor • Berardo — Berardi — Bass • Alfred — Blackman — Bass • Emilio — Casolari — Bass • Filippo — Valentine — Bass • Gennaro — Curci — Bass • Giuseppe — Quinzi Tapergi — Bass • Irnerio — Costantini — Bass • Paolo — Argentini — Bass • Tadeusz — Orda — Bass • Tito — Verger — Bass • Umberto — Di Lelio — Bass • Virgilio — Lazzari — Bass • Vladimir — Kastorsky — Bass • Carmen — Melis — Soprano • Marta — Wittkowska — Contralto • Cecilia — Cao Pinna — Mezzo-Soprano

Cotogni ranks with his contemporaries Francesco Graziani (baritone), Jean-Baptiste Faure and Sir Charles Santley as the foremost baritone of his star-studded generation. He "had a very brief and scarcely revealing relationship with the gramophone; at the age of 77... with the tenor Francesco Marconi, he recorded [the] duet 'I mulattieri'" (by Francesco Masini), writes Michael Scott. "Not surprisingly Marconi gets the better of it. Still, however difficult it is to make out Cotogni's contribution, it is all we have left of a singer who for over 40 years dominated the stages in London, Madrid and Lisbon, St. Petersburg and Moscow and throughout Italy." Two other recordings, at times believed to be of Cotogni, are in fact the voice of tenore robusto Francesco Tamagno's brother, Giovanni. Comparisons of these two recordings—"O casto fior" and Stanislao Gastaldon's "Ti vorrei rapire" (formerly misidentified as "Perché?") —with the Tamagno brothers' recording of the Otello duet "Si pel ciel" reveals the baritone voice to be identical in timbre and production, with its thin and nasal qualities, especially in the passagio. These stand in contradistinction to the voice confirmed to be Cotogni's (the Mulattieri duet), which is noticeably more even, round, and sonorous throughout—even to the two high G naturals that end the refrain. In the Roman school, and in Cotogni's own teaching, any nasality was seen as a defect to be expressly avoided.