Aureliano Pertile

Aureliano Pertile stood as Arturo Toscanini’s preferred tenor, embodying contradiction and exemplar in equal measure. Praised yet faulted by turns, he earned commendation far more than reproach. His robust spinto instrument sometimes emerged growling and constricted in the lower range while delivering excitement aloft. Stage fervor prompted charges of excess in gesture and tone alike, yet preserved performances disclose an unmistakable dignity of utterance. His scrupulous linking of tones into seamless legato earned him a place among the finest. Remastered editions of his Il Trovatore and Aida capture both lyrical and heroic facets and remain essential listening. Conductors such as Riccardo Muti continue to cite his Andrea Chénier excerpts, above all “Un di all’azzurro spazio,” as benchmarks of refined vocalism. After training in Padua and Milan, he made his first appearance in 1911 at Vincenzo, portraying Lionel in Martha. Engagements throughout Italy and South America preceded his 1916 La Scala bow as Paolo. Timing proved unkind at the Metropolitan Opera, where on 1 December 1921 he sang Cavaradossi opposite Maria Jeritza’s Tosca; the soprano’s triumph overshadowed the tenor almost completely. Once Toscanini resumed leadership at La Scala in 1920, Pertile held the principal tenor position from 1922 to 1937. Associates recalled a reserved private demeanor that transformed into leonine authority once he faced an audience. Between 1927 and 1931 he sang regularly at Covent Garden, where Ernest Newman first praised a voice “naturally malleable and powerful, but used with considerable discretion.” Enthusiastic notices greeted his Radames and Manrico for their ardor and tonal beauty. Later visits drew occasional criticism for an overly Italianate manner, though his final London performances in La forza del destino alongside Rosa Ponselle received warm notices. At La Scala he created the title roles in Boito’s Nerone (1924) and Mascagni’s Nerone (1935) and appeared in the 1927 première of Wolf-Ferrari’s Sly. He performed in Buenos Aires from 1923 to 1929. Following retirement in 1946, Pertile joined the faculty of Milan’s Conservatory.