Tamburini, Antonio

1800-1876

 

Italian barytone, who enjoyed great success throughout Europe; born at Faenza. He received his first musical instruction from his father, who taught him the horn, which instrument he played in an orchestra when he was only nine years old. He went to Aldobrando Rossi to study singing, but returned when he was about twelve years old and sang in the opera chorus and in church. When he was eighteen he went to Bologna, and soon after made his debut in an opera of Generali's at Cento. His success secured him an engagement for the Carnival at Piacenza, and later he sang at the Teatro Nuovo at Naples. He sang in the chief cities of Italy, and for several years held contracts with Barbaja at Milan, Naples and Vienna. In Vienna he received the decoration of the order of the Savior. He appeared in London and Paris in 1832, and at once became a favorite in both cities. From 1832 to 1841 he sang in Italian Opera in Paris. One of his most successful roles was Don Giovanni, though he appeared very successfully in many other operas. In 1841 Tamburini returned to his own country and sang in various cities there; then went to Russia, where he remained ten years. In 1852 he returned to London, and afterwards sang in Paris and Holland, but by this time his voice was almost gone, and in 1859 he retired to Nice, where he died when he was seventysix years old.