Luigi Bassi

The affection he felt for the great master was thus clear to the casual visitor, but can also be understood from the importance of the roles he gave Bassi towards the end of his life.

At the age of just twenty, he sang the role of Count Almaviva at the Prague premiere of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, after which contemporaries said, Bassi is also a very skilful actor, who handles tragedy without being absurd, and comedy without lapses of taste.

It was only natural that Bassi was called upon to sing again, and the role of Don Giovanni was written specially for him (with several joking references to the performance given the previous year).

[3]Bassi moved to Prague, but the war forced him to seek protection from Prince Lobkowitz and he occasionally travelled to Vienna to sing.

Until his death he would occasionally travel to Italy for singing engagements, but in later life only sang sacred works.