Giuseppe Campanari

[4] During his career as a cellist, he appeared frequently in chamber music concerts with leading artistes such as Joachim, Wieniawski and Saint-Saëns[3] At the same time, vocal art attracted him greatly and he studied voice on the side.

[5][Note 3] Campanari was invited to the United States by the management of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and arrived in 1884,[6] again taking the position of first solo cellist under conductor Wilhelm Gericke.

He first sang Valentine in Faust with the Emma Juch Opera Company when their baritone, Alonzo Stoddard, fell ill, but it was not mentioned in the papers so nothing became of it.

[4] Campanari made his official operatic debut as Tonio in I Pagliacci with Hinrichs' Opera Company in New York City on 15 June 1893, being the first singer to perform the role in the United States.

[7] His New York Metropolitan Opera debut came on 30 November 1894, when he sang the role of the Count di Luna in Il trovatore[Note 4] with the great heroic tenor Tamagno as Manrico.

Despite the early date of his discs, they are remarkable for their clarity, and they display the warmth and agility of his fine, steady, well-trained voice to good effect.