Serafino Gentili by Luigi Rados (1773 - 1840)

Serafino Gentili (1775 – 13 May 1835) was an Italian opera singer particularly known for his performances in

tenore di grazia , also called tenor (''graceful'', ''light'', and ''lightweight'' tenor, respectively), is a lightweight, flexible tenor voice type.Soreanu, Cristina. "Nineteenth Century’s Donizettian Singers and their Contribution to the Development of the Voca ...

roles. He sang in opera houses throughout Italy as well as in Paris and Dresden. During the course of his career, he created the role of Lindoro in Rossini's ''

L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...

'' as well as leading roles in several other operas by less well-known composers. In his later years, he went by the surname Gentili-Donati to distinguish himself from the tenor Pietro Gentili. Gentili was born in Venice and is presumed to have had his training there although little is known about his early life. However, by 1795 he was listed as "virtuoso di musica" in

Ascoli Piceno Ascoli Piceno (; la, Asculum; dialetto ascolano: Ascule) is a town and ''comune'' in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is around 46,000 but the urban area of the city has more than 93,000. Geo ...

where he made his debut at the Teatro Ventidio Basso in 1796 as Folletto in

Antonio Brunetti Antonio Brunetti (1744 – December 26, 1786) was an Italian violinist. Born in Naples, Brunetti took Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart's position in Count Hieronymus von Colloredo's Salzburg court orchestra in 1776 after Mozart relinquished the pla ...

's ''Lo sposo di tre e marito di nessuna''.Carnevale, Nadia (2000)
"Gentili, Serafino"
''

Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani The ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'' ( en, Biographical Dictionary of the Italians) is a biographical dictionary published by the Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, started in 1925 and completed in 2020. It includes about 40,000 biograp ...

'', Volume 53.

Treccani The ''Enciclopedia Italiana di Scienze, Lettere e Arti'' (Italian for "Italian Encyclopedia of Science, Letters, and Arts"), best known as ''Treccani'' for its developer Giovanni Treccani or ''Enciclopedia Italiana'', is an Italian-language en ...

. Online version retrieved 2 September 2014 . From 1822 to 1824 Gentili sang at the court opera in Dresden, primarily in Rossinian roles. On his return to Italy, his appearances became less frequent. His last known performance was in April 1825 at

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

where he reprised the role of Lindoro in ''L'italiana in Algeri''. He died in Milan ten years later.

Roles created

*Amorveno in

Simon Mayr Johann(es) Simon Mayr (also spelled Majer, Mayer, Maier), also known in Italian as Giovanni Simone Mayr or Simone Mayr (14 June 1763 – 2 December 1845), was a German composer. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the ...

's ''Amor congiugale'', Teatro Nuovo, Padua, 26 July 1805 *Sandrino in

Giuseppe Gazzaniga Giuseppe Gazzaniga (5 October 1743 – 1 February 1818) was a member of the Neapolitan school of opera composers. He composed fifty-one operas and is considered to be one of the last Italian opera buffa composers. Biography Born in Verona, Ga ...

's ''I due gemelli'', Teatro Comunale, Bologna, 26 November 1807 *Duarte in

Vincenzo Federici Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art * Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor *Vincenzo Bell ...

's ''La conquista delle Indie Orientali'', Teatro Regio, Turin, 8 February 1808 *Lindoro in

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

's ''

'',

Teatro San Benedetto The Teatro San Benedetto was a theatre in Venice, particularly prominent in the operatic life of the city in the 18th and early 19th centuries. It saw the premieres of over 140 operas, including Rossini's ''L'italiana in Algeri'', and was the th ...

, Venice, 22 May 1813 *Gustavo in

Carlo Coccia Carlo Coccia (14 April 1782 – 13 April 1873) was an Italian opera composer. He was known for the genre of opera semiseria. Life and career Coccia was born in Naples, and studied in his native city with Pietro Casella, Fedele Fenaroli, a ...

's ''La donna selvaggia'', Teatro San Benedetto, Venice, 24 June 1813Libretti d'opera. Università degli studi di Padova
Notes to libretto 4337: ''La donna selvaggia''
Retrieved 2 September 2014 .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gentili, Serafino Italian operatic tenors 1775 births 1835 deaths Musicians from Venice