100 Singers - FRANCO BONISOLLI

Franco Bonisolli, Tenor (1938-2003)
Giuseppe Verdi: I MASNADIERI ("The Robbers", after Schiller's "Die Räuber")
"Come splendido e grande ... Di ladroni attorniato"
Conducted by Richard Bonynge / Recorded 1982
My personal opinion: Rebel, provocateur or an eccentric ... Whatever Franco Bonisolli may have been, one thing he was for sure: A dazzling opera personality with a voice full of fire and vigor. Hailed by his loyal fans, feared by conductors and directors for his quick-tempered nature, Bonisolli was named "The Testosterone Tenor". So, he stood in direct succession of Mario del Monaco, from whom he apparently inherited egocentricity and affected behaviour ...
Vienna 1978: After thirteen years of absence, Herbert von Karajan returned to the State Opera to conduct and stage Verdi's IL TROVATORE. Franco Bonisolli was cast for the lead role of Manrico (one year after he recorded the part under Karajan for HMV). A TV broadcast all over Europe was scheduled. During a public rehearsal, Bonisolli received some expressions of displeasure from the audience and a reprimand from the conductor. Shortly before "Di quella pira", the angry tenor left the stage in fury after throwing his sword in direction to Karajan. It was a scandal, actually reported by the Evening News. In no time at all, Bonisolli was replaced by Plácido Domingo: The telecast (and Karajan's reputation) were saved ...
This was perhaps Bonisolli's most infamous outburst. Incidents of this kind have been repeated several times (in Hamburg, he broke off a performance of GUILLAUME TELL). Of course
the media pounced on it each time, creating the distorted image of an artist who was first and foremost a victim of his nerves. The media is also to blame, that Bonisolli was not represented the way he deserved.
"The voice is astonishing: Powerful, virile, with a Baritone timbre and brilliant in the height, formed with athletic energy. The timbre itself is neither characteristic nor noble. It is never really noticeable that Franco Bonisoli is striving for a fine tone. Elegance was probably a secondary virtue for him ...", wrote German critic Jürgen Kesting. Well, it may be that Bonisolli was not an elegant singer (like Kraus or Bergonzi), but we have to look at his entire career: In younger years, when Bonisolli was at the height of his skills, he sang controlled and disciplined. Over time, his success and self-confidence grew - and he adopted some of the puzzling behaviour that characterized his later appearances. His vocal unbridled manner, however, remained within limits when he worked with authoritarian conductors - for example in the TROVATORE recording (1977) under Karajan or in I MASNADIERI (1982), led by Richard Bonynge. As Carlo, Bonisolli trumps with theatrical attack, passion and top notes effectively - but, in contrast to Mario del Monaco, he never sounds vulgar because he does not color the vowels up to glaring. On the other hand, I rate the 1976 TOSCA recording under Mstislav Rostropovich as a disaster. Not only does the conductor show little feeling for Puccini's melodic style, but he also allows his wife Galina Vishnevskaya the most embarrassing hysteria in the murder scene of Act II. Bonisolli (surprisingly tender in the love duet) and Matteo Manuguerra as Scarpia are vastly superior to the overexcited soprano. Regrettably, Bonisolli ends "E lucevan le stelle" with a tearfulness more comical than dramatic.
Malicious tongues claimed, Franco Bonisolli was "The Rambo of Opera"; effective but rough, armed with a penetrating voice that delight only opera fans with a rustic taste. He had no problems at all to reach vocally for the stars (a high D in Verdi's VESPRI SICILIANI - Paris 1974 - makes your jaw drop), but with dosing such flights of fancy in modesty. Various live recordings show that he apparently did not want to come down from Manrico's high C. But let us be honest: Isn't that, what most opera enthusiasts want to hear?
The fan community of Bonisolli certainly did not form if he had been a tenor who used his vocal resources sparingly. He knew he had this easy big top notes and he had fun to show it. The fact that he often disregarded the composers' specifications is another matter. Probably this, coupled with an erratic attitude, is one reason why he was only rarely perceived as an important singer. Maybe in conclusion one can say that Franco Bonisolli was a highly talented tenor who wasted much of his potential in a blatant way. In terms of vocal technique he was superior to at least two of the overhyped "Three Tenors" - but that's quite another story ...
Franco Bonisolli died on October 30, 2003 - only one day after Franco Corelli passed away.

[@Sir.Larselot]

I think he was a supreme singer. Of course he had a narcissistic character but who cares. He had great fun to sing, especially the "money notes", it wasn't an elegant portrait of the different roles but fat opera and i enjoy very much a very healthy, strong voice without any doubts of getting pure vocal power.

[@magischetone568]

Hallo Mike, schön, dass Sie mit Franco Bonisolli einen der schillerndsten und interessantesten Tenöre porträtieren. Ich beschäftige mich derzeit ganz intensiv mit ihm, vor allem mit seiner Frühzeit, die noch ohne Skandale verlief. Geplant ist ein Buch, ich bin dazu mit seinem Bruder, mit diversen Sängerkollegen und mit den ehemaligen "Amici di Franco Bonisolli" in Kontakt. Es ist bisher so wenig Biografisches über ihn bekannt, da gibt es sehr viel zu erzählen. Ich darf wohl sagen, dass der Künstler vielschichtiger war, als es ihm die meisten Opernfreunde zutrauen. greghauser

[@andymanland]

When are you planning to write a book? And what you mean by more complex than his friends say of him?

[@magischetone568]

@@andymanland Thank you for your interest. The book is due out this year.

[@andymanland]

@@magischetone568 Great! Please let me know when the book will be published. Thank you.

[@tenorvoicefan]

Tja, was soll ich sagen.... Erstmal, ich höre ihn überaus gerne. Er hatte eine wunderbare, tiefe Stimmfärbung und zusätzlich außerordentlich schöne Höhen. Ihn zu verurteilen fällt mir schwer, denn einen Charakter oder eine Situation nur aufgrund von Zeitungsartikeln traue ich mich nicht. Mag sein, oder sogar sicher, feine Töne wie Pippo gehen ihm wohl ab. Trotzdem, was will ich eigentlich mehr als sagen zu können, er bereitet mir beim hören Freude? Mike, danke einmal mehr für einen wirklich außergewöhnlichen Sänger und dessen Porträt. Ihr Wissen erstaunt mich jedes mal auf neue, und dankbar lerne ich davon.

[@MDM679]

A vocal equivalent of Mario Balotelli: both Italians, both very talented, both overconfident in themselves and underappreciated because of their characters.

[@100Singers]

A comparison as apt as funny. 😅

[@andymanland]

Funny comparison indeed.

[@andymanland]

Weird to say he waisted his potential. The man sang pretty much in every important theatre around the world.

[@DarrenSeacliffe90]

Did you see him live?

[@100Singers]

I saw him once at a gala concert together with Maria Chiara in the early 80s. I still remember his "Nessun dorma".