Galliano Masini (Livorno 1896 - Livorno 1986)

Around eighteen came in, initially as a baritone in the choir company town Constanta and Concordia. Shortly after the outbreak of the Great War, he left for military service. He returned to Livorno, continued to sing in the choir until, in 1920, the indisposition of a content allowed him to deal with a small part in Lodoletta.

The success was such that Masini decided to go to study in Milan under the guidance of John Laura. The official debut took place December 24, 1924 in Tosca at the Teatro Goldoni in Livorno.

Two years later, at the end of 1926, she sang in L'amico Fritz in Florence, under the direction of Pietro Mascagni. Despite this experience it was not a happy one, partly because of disagreements with his fellow composer, made him quickly gain the esteem of composers and conductors like Riccardo Zandonai, Gino Marinuzzi, Umberto Giordano. The partnership with Zandonai led him to perform in 1929 in Giuliano at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and Francesca da Rimini in Pisa was the beginning of his great age, and in November of that year he appeared at the Teatro Adriano in Rome in Lucia di Lammermoor, La bohème, Madama Butterfly and La traviata.

He landed later at La Scala, the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome and the Arena in Verona, becoming a fixture for many years. In 1928 he obtained the first contract abroad with La bohème in Lisbon. It was also present at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (debut in Cavalleria rusticana May 25, 1930), at the Metropolitan Opera (Lucia di Lammermoor, Tosca and Aida in the 1938-39 season), Paris, Chicago.

At the end of the thirties cinema also noticed his rough and penetrating face, giving him a stake in Regina della Scala (1936), which was followed two years later a leading role in the Star of the Sea, which also launched as an interpreter of songs .

After the war cleared commitments, but he was still going strong for a long time, so that April 16, 1955 it was decided to debut in Otello in Livorno. He retired from the scene in 1957 by running, always in his city, Tosca and Pagliacci.

He died at his home in Livorno a week after celebrating the ninetieth birthday.

Photography autograph of the famous tenor dated 1959

Excellent condition