Boschi, Giuseppe

A noted bass singer of the Eighteenth Century. Of his early and later life nothing is known; he is thought to have been a native of Viterbo, Italy, but of the date of his birth, under whom he received his training, and where he first appeared, there is no knowledge. In 1711 he was engaged by Handel to sing in his operas in London, and though at that time bass-  parts were proportionally small, Boschi succeeded in making a name for himself. He sang in Handel's Argante, Radamisto, Floridante, Ottone, Flavio, Giulio Cesare, and Tamerlane; in Bononcini's Astartus, Crispo, Farnace, and Calfurnia; and his powerful voice was heard in the works of several other composers. He made his last London appearance in 1828. Boschi's wife, Francesca Vanini, was a celebrated contralto singer.