Renato Bruson had a huge voice. It was velvety and richly expressive and transported audiences into the depths of the characters’ struggles and triumphs. Listen for the expressiveness, the legato, and the sheer power of the voice. It is generally known that large voices are difficult to record. See what you think. There were very few baritones of this quality.
I realize that I post “Nemico della Patria” often. There are several reasons for this. The first is that it is a great verismo aria. Verismo is generally the Italian musical style that came after Verdi. Also, I think that it is helpful to hear many singers sing the same aria because you can pick up differences in the voice and the interpretation more easily. So, I begin with “Nemico della Patria”.
Giordano, Andrea Chénier, “Nemico della Patria?!”
Nemico della Patria?!
È vecchia fiaba che beatamente
ancor la beve il popolo.
Nato a Costantinopoli? Straniero!
Studiò a Saint Cyr? Soldato!
Traditore! Di Dumouriez un complice!
E poeta? Sovvertitor di cuori e di costumi!
Un dì m’era di gioia
passar fra gli odi e le vendette,
puro, innocente e forte.
Gigante mi credea…
Son sempre un servo!
Ho mutato padrone.
Un servo obbediente di violenta passione!
Ah, peggio! Uccido e tremo,
e mentre uccido io piango!
Io della Redentrice figlio,
per primo ho udito il grido suo pel mondo
ed ho al suo il mio grido unito…
Or smarrita ho la fede
nel sognato destino?
Com’era irradiato di gloria
il mio cammino!
La coscienza nei cuor
ridestar delle genti,
raccogliere le lagrime
dei vinti e sofferenti,
fare del mondo un Pantheon,
gli uomini in dii mutare
e in un sol bacio,
e in un sol bacio e abbraccio
tutte le genti amar!
e in un sol bacio e abbraccio
tutte le genti amar!
Giordano, Andrea Chénier, “Enemy of the Fatherland”
Enemy of the fatherland?!
It’s an old fable that luckily
the public still swallows.
Born in Constantinople? A foreigner!
Studied at St Cyr? A soldier.
A Traitor! An accomplice of Dumouriez!
And a poet? A subvertor of hearts and of habits.
Once I was happy,
going about amongst the hatreds and the vendettas,
I thought my self a giant,
pure, innocent, and strong…
But still I’m a servant!
I’ve changed masters.
And obedient servant of violent passions!
Oh, it’s worse! I kill and I tremble,
and while I kill I weep!
I, a son of the revolution,
was the first to hear it’s cry to the world
and I joined my voice to its…
Now I’ve lost faith
in the destiny of my dreams?
How radiant with glory
my path was!
To reawaken conscience
in peoples’ hearts,
to gather up the tears
of the oppressed and of the suffering,
to make the world a paradise,
to change men into gods,
and with a single kiss,
with a single and embrace
to love all mankind!
And in a single kiss and embrace
to love all mankind!
CONTE
Tutto è deserto
né per l’aure ancora
suona l’usato carme.
In tempo io giungo!
FERRANDO
Ardita opra, o signore, imprendi.
CONTE
Ardita, e qual furente amore
ed irritato orgoglio chiesero a me.
Spento il rival, caduto
ogni ostacol sembrava a’ miei desiri;
novello e più possente
ella ne appresta: l’altare!
Ah no! Non fia d’altri Leonora!
Leonora è mia!
ll balen del suo sorriso
d’una stella vince il raggio!
Il fulgor del suo bel viso
novo infonde a me coraggio.
Ah! l’amor, l’amore ond’ardo
le favelli in mio favor!
Sperda il sol d’un suo sguardo
la tempesta del mio cor.
Ah! l’amor, l’amore ond’ardo ecc.
COUNT
All is deserted;
nor has the usual hymn
resounded yet on the air.
I’ve come in time!
FERRANDO
O master, you are undertaking a bold errand.
COUNT
Bold, yes, it’s what furious love
and provoked pride demand of me.
My rival killed, every obstacle
to my wishes seemed to have fallen;
now she prepares a new
and more powerful one; the altar!
Ah no, Leonora shall not belong to others!
Leonora is mine!
The flashing of her smile
is brighter than a star’s ray!
The splendor of her fair face
instils new courage in me.
Ah, let the love that inflames me
speak to her in my favor!
Let the sun of her glance
dispel the storm in my heart.
Ah, let the love that inflames me, etc.
Dio di Giuda! … l’ara, il tempio
a Te sacro, sorgeranno …
Deh mi togli a tanto affanno
e i miei riti struggerò.
Tu m’ascolti! … Già dell’empio
rischiarata è l’egra mente!
Dio verace, onnipossente,
adorarti ognor saprò.
God of Judah! … the altar, the temple
sacred to You, will rise …
Oh, take me away from so much trouble
and I will stop my rites.
Hear me! … The wicked man’s
sad mind has already been enlightened!
True God, omnipotent,
I will always worship you.
Renato Bruson
January 13, 1936
Renato Bruson is an Italian operatic baritone. Bruson is widely considered one of the most important Verdi baritones of the late 20th and early 21st century. He was born in Granze near Padua, Italy.
Bruson’s passion for music matured in the parish choir when he was a child. He began his music studies at the conservatory of Padua where he was awarded a scholarship that allowed him to attend the courses in the face of economic problems. He did not receive much support from his family, who considered him a good-for-nothing. In his own words: “They thought that I only wanted to study music because I had no desire to work. At that time, the general feeling where I lived was that if someone worked, they had a future, whereas those who studied, especially if they studied music, were considered failures who would never find their path in life.” However, he could continue his studies with the help of the administration of the conservatory and the support of friends.
Bruson made his operatic debut as the Conte di Luna in Il trovatore at the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto in 1960. The following year he was Riccardo in I puritani at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma in Rome. His first Metropolitan Opera appearance was as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor in 1969. In 1970 he started his collaboration with conductor Riccardo Muti in Un ballo in maschera in Florence. He made his debut at La Scala in 1972 as Antonio in Donizetti’s Linda di Chamonix, at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1972 as Ezio in Attila, at Covent Garden in 1975 in the role of Renato in Un ballo in maschera, substituting with great success for Piero Cappuccilli. He debuted at the Vienna State Opera in 1978 with Macbeth, with such a success that the prestigious Austrian theatre awarded him with the important title of Kammersänger. In the 1980s he turned to the 18th century with Mozart’s Don Giovanni and to Italian verismo with Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier.
Renato Bruson’s retirement was not a sudden decision but rather a graceful withdrawal from the spotlight. His final performances were poignant celebrations of a remarkable career. Audiences flocked to bid adieu to the maestro, whose interpretations had become benchmarks for generations of singers.
Bruson expressed his gratitude for the career he enjoyed and the audiences who had supported him. In interviews, he reflected on the evolution of opera during his lifetime, acknowledging the challenges faced by the art form in the modern era. Yet, he remained optimistic about the future, continually encouraging young singers to pursue their dreams with discipline and passion
The retirement of Renato Bruson signified more than the conclusion of a singular career; it marked the passing of a tradition rooted in the golden age of Italian opera. Bruson embodied the values of integrity, artistry, and a deep connection to the material, qualities that have become rarer in the fast-paced, visually-driven opera world of today.