Gianni Maffeo

After all these decades of listening to opera, I can still find voices that thrill me. How did I manage to overlook the Italian baritone Gianni Maffeo all these years? I came upon him quite by chance on YouTube recently.

Born in Vigevano, Italy, in 1939 (or possibly in 1936), Maffeo performed in opera houses throughout Italy, as well internationally in Moscow, Munich, Monte Carlo, Nice, Avignon, Bordeaux, and Paris, among others.

Maffeo sang Schaunard in a 1972 production of La Bohème with Luciano Pavarotti as Rodolfo and Mirella Freni as Mimi, and the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan’s baton. The performance was recorded and released by Decca Records; Karajan also chose Maffeo for a 1965 film production of La Bohème, directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

Gianni Maffeo was 82 years old when he passed away on January 3, 2022.

You can listen to this wonderful singer in various excerpts: 

~ Pagliacci Prologo here.

~ Scenes from Fanciulla del West and Andrea Chenier (with Edy Amadeo) here.

~ Andrea Chenier aria (twice!) here.

~ Forza del Destino aria here.

~ Duets with tenor Angelo Mori from Forza del Destino here and here.

Enjoy!