A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Fornasari, Luciano

1504427A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — Fornasari, Luciano


FORNASARI, Luciano, a bass singer, who made his appearance about 1828 on second and third-rate stages in Italy. In 1831 he was singing at Milan; the next three years he passed at New York. He sang at the Havana in 1835, and in 1836 in Mexico. Returning to Europe he obtained an engagement at Lisbon in 1840, and remained there two years. After this he made a tour in his native country, singing with success at Rome, Modena, Palermo, Turin, and Trieste. In 1843 (Fétis is wrong in fixing it in 1845) Fornasari appeared in London. Fétis says he had a good voice and sang with method. Mr. Chorley writes, 'The new baritone—as substitute for Tamburini—was a tall dashing man:—he possessed a very handsome face, a sufficient voice, though its quality was not pleasant—and pretension enough and to spare. He sang with bad method and confidence.' He continued to sing in London until 1846, after which he did not again appear.
[ J. M. ]