Lorenzo Molajoli (1868 - 4 April 1939) was an Italian

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

conductor who was active in recording during the 1920s and 1930s. The facts surrounding Molajoli's career are obscure. He was born in Rome in 1868 and studied there at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia. His career began in 1891, and it would appear that much of his career prior to the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

was spent in both North and South America, South Africa and various provincial Italian opera houses. Claims have been made that Molajoli conducted at La Scala in the inter-war years, but there is no published documentation to substantiate this assumption. What can be established is that he served with considerable distinction as the house conductor in Milan for Columbia Records, recording complete operas and accompanying a large number of singers, in addition to making recordings of a number of operatic overtures. Molajoli conducted twenty complete or abridged operas for Columbia between 1928 and 1932, including the first complete recordings of Rossini's ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based ...

,''

Ponchielli Amilcare Ponchielli (, ; 31 August 1834 – 16 January 1886) was an Italian opera composer, best known for his opera ''La Gioconda''. He was married to the soprano Teresina Brambilla. Life and work Born in Paderno Fasolaro (now Paderno Ponchiel ...

's '' La Gioconda'' and

Boito Arrigo Boito (; 24 February 1842 10 June 1918) (whose original name was Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito and who wrote essays under the anagrammatic pseudonym of Tobia Gorrio) was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist, librettist and composer, ...

's ''

Mefistofele ''Mefistofele'' () is an opera in a prologue and five acts, later reduced to four acts and an epilogue, the only completed opera with music by the Italian composer-librettist Arrigo Boito (there are several completed operas for which he was libre ...

.'' His concise, trenchant and swiftly paced conducting style is in the tradition of his compatriots Arturo Toscanini and

Ettore Panizza Ettore Panizza (born Héctor Panizza; 12 August 187527 November 1967) was an Argentine conductor and composer, one of the leading conductors of the early 20th century. Panizza possessed technical mastery and was popular and influential during ...

. A number of his complete opera recordings have been released on CD on

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best ab ...

and other labels. He died in Milan on 4 April 1939.The house conductor: Lorenzo Molajoli
Accessed April 29, 2012.

References

Discography

*1927 & 30 - ''Rigoletto'' (Verdi) -

Riccardo Stracciari Riccardo Stracciari (June 26, 1875 – October 10, 1955) was a leading Italian baritone. His repertoire consisted mainly of Italian operatic works, with Rossini's Figaro and Verdi's Rigoletto becoming his signature roles during a long and dis ...

, Mercedes Capsir,

Dino Borgioli Dino Borgioli (15 February 189112 September 1960) was an Italian lyric tenor. Praised by critics for his musicianship, he was particularly associated with roles in operas composed by Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti. Life and career Dino Bo ...

: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1928 - ''La Bohème'' (Puccini) - Rosetta Pampanini, Luigi Marini, Gino Vanelli,

Luba Mirella Luba (or Ljuba) Mirella (''née'' Ljuba Wagenheim; 13 April 1894, Rostov – 4 March 1972, Milan) was an Italian coloratura soprano of Polish descent. Her name is sometimes given in cast lists as Mirella Luba and Mirella Lubov. Biography Luba Mi ...

: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1928 - ''Aida'' (Verdi) - Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Aroldo Lindi, Maria Capuana: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1928 - ''La Traviata'' (Verdi) - Mercedes Capsir, Lionello Cecil,

Carlo Galeffi Carlo Galeffi (4 June 1884 – 22 September 1961) was a leading Italian baritone, particularly associated with the operatic works of Giuseppe Verdi and the various verismo composers. Life and career Galeffi was born in Malamocco, the on ...

: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1929 - ''Madama Butterfly'' (Puccini) - Rosetta Pampanini, Alessandro Granda, Gino Vanelli: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1929 - ''Tosca'' (Puccini) - Bianca Scacciati, Alessandro Granda, Enrico Molinari: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1929 - ''Il Barbiere di Siviglia'' (Rossini) - Riccardo Stracciari, Mercedes Capsir, Dino Borgioli: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1930 - ''Le furie di Arlecchino'' (Lualdi) - Maria Zamboni, Enzo de Muro Lomanto: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1930 - ''Ernani'' (Verdi) - Antonio Melandri, Iva Pacetti, Gino Vanelli: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1930 - ''La favorita'' (Donizetti) - Carmelo Maugeli, Giuseppina Zinetti, Christy Solari: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1930 - ''Pagliacci'' (Leoncavallo) -

Francesco Merli Francesco Merli (28 January 188711 December 1976) was an Italian opera singer, particularly associated with heavy roles such as Otello, Canio and Calaf. He ranks as one of the finest dramatic tenors of the inter-war period. Life and career Fra ...

, Rosetta Pampanini, Carlo Galeffi: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1930 - ''Cavalleria Rusticana'' (Mascagni) - Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Antonio Melandri: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1930 - ''Il Trovatore'' (Verdi) - Francesco Merli, Bianca Scacciati, Giuseppina Zinetti, Enrico Molinari: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1930 & 31 - ''Don Pasquale'' (Donizetti) - Attilio Giuliani, Ines Alfani-Tellini, Christy Solari: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1930 & 31 - ''L'elisir d'amore'' (Donizetti) - Ines Alfani-Tellini, Christy Solari, Edoardo Faticanti: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1931 - ''Andrea Chenier'' (Giordano) - Luigi Marini, Lina Bruna Rasa, Carlo Galeffi: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1931 - ''Mefistofele'' (Boito) -

Nazzareno de Angelis Nazzareno De Angelis (17 November 1881 – 14 December 1962) was an Italian operatic bass, particularly associated with Verdi, Rossini and Wagner roles. He was the grandfather of the nationalist militants Nanni and Marcello De Angelis. Care ...

, Antonio Melandri,

Mafalda Favero Mafalda Favero (pseudonym of Giuseppina Favero) (6 January 19033 September 1981) was an Italian operatic soprano. Mafalda Favero was born in Portomaggiore, near Ferrara. When she was 17, she started studying with Alessandro Vezzani at the ...

, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1931 - ''Fedora'' (Giordano) -

Gilda Dalla Rizza Gilda Dalla Rizza (12 October 18925 July 1975) was an important Italian soprano. Born in Verona, she made her operatic debut in Bologna (the Teatro Verdi) in 1912, as Charlotte in ''Werther''. Especially acclaimed in the verismo repertory, she w ...

, Antonio Melandri, Emilio Ghirardini, Luba Mirella, Eugenio Dall'Argine: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1931 - ''La Gioconda'' (Ponchielli) - Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Ebe Stignani, Alessandro Granda, Gaetano Viviani, Corrado Zambelli: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1931 - ''Manon Lescaut'' (Puccini) - Maria Zamboni, Francesco Merli, Enrico Molinari; La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1932 - ''Carmen'' (Bizet) - Aurora Buades,

Aureliano Pertile Aureliano Pertile (9 November 1885 – 11 January 1952) was an Italian lyric tenor. Many critics consider him one of the most exciting operatic artists of the inter-war period, and one of the most important tenors of the 20th century. Life and ...

, Ines Alfani-Tellini, Benvenuto Franci: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1932 - ''Falstaff'' (Verdi) - Giacomo Rimini, Pia Tassinari, Roberto D'Alessio, Emilio Ghirardini, Aurora Buades; La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus *1933 - ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' (Donizetti) - Mercedes Capsir, Enzo de Muro Lomanto, Enrico Molinari: La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus {{DEFAULTSORT:Molajoli, Lorenzo 1868 births 1939 deaths Italian male conductors (music) 19th-century Italian male musicians 19th-century conductors (music) 20th-century Italian conductors (music) Musicians from Rome Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia alumni 20th-century Italian male musicians 19th-century Italian musicians