It's very sad to note the passing of another singer whose performances meant so much to me in my early years of opera-going. Ezio Flagello sang Leporello (above) in the very first Metropolitan Opera performance I ever attended - a DON GIOVANNI at the Old Met.
Metropolitan Opera House
November 27, 1963
DON GIOVANNI {242}
Don Giovanni............Giorgio Tozzi
Donna Anna..............Teresa Stich-Randall
Don Ottavio.............George Shirley
Donna Elvira............Lisa Della Casa
Leporello...............Ezio Flagello
Zerlina.................Neyde Thomaz
Masetto.................Calvin Marsh
Commendatore............John Macurdy
Conductor...............Joseph Rosenstock
Over the next several seasons I heard him as Enobarbus in ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, as a warmly mellow-voiced Pogner in my first MEISTERSINGER, as Sarastro, and as Raimondo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR. Just a couple of weeks ago I was enjoying his voice as Ramfis on a Met broadcast of AIDA that Dmitry had copied for me. I remember with special affection his deftly humorous portrayal of the Maharajah in Menotti's THE LAST SAVAGE. Flagello debuted at the Met in 1957 and sang 529 performances with the Company at the Old and New Houses as well as on tour.
Among Ezio Flagello's commercial recordings I am especially fond of his LUCREZIA BORGIA with Montserrat Caballe and his LUCIA with Anna Moffo.
Marking the passing of these fine singers will become an increasingly frequent task as time goes by. They should not be forgotten.
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