Lamberto Gardelli

Lamberto Gardelli, Italian by birth and initial training, discovered his decisive artistic growth during a decade-long residency as principal conductor at the Swedish Royal Opera in Stockholm. From 1946 to 1955 his work there overlapped with the international rise of several singers whose careers centered on the Italian repertory that brought him his widest recognition. Never reaching the uppermost tier of fame, he nevertheless earned respect as a meticulous and frequently electrifying presence on the podium. Although his American engagements remained far fewer than his European ones, a substantial body of recordings preserved his reputation for stylish, deeply prepared operatic performances. He also maintained an active symphonic profile, even while orchestral concerts consistently took second place to his commitments in the opera house.

After completing studies at Pesaro’s Liceo Musicale Rossini and further training in Rome, Gardelli was chosen by Tullio Serafin to serve as his assistant in the capital. His first appearance as conductor occurred in 1944 at the Teatro Reale dell’Opera, where he led Verdi’s La Traviata. Later successes throughout Italy led to the Stockholm appointment that lasted until 1955. Between 1955 and 1961 he worked with the Danish State Radio Symphony, strengthening his command of symphonic literature. He then joined the Budapest Opera, remaining associated with the company for more than three decades.

Gardelli made his American debut in a concert performance of I Capuleti e i Montecchi at Carnegie Hall. The positive reception secured an engagement at the Metropolitan Opera for the 1965-1966 season; his first appearance there took place on 30 January 1966 in Andrea Chénier. A Madama Butterfly the following year satisfied the house’s remaining needs within his schedule, after which he concentrated his activities in Europe.

England first encountered him in 1964 when he conducted Verdi’s Macbeth in a Glyndebourne production. His Covent Garden debut came in 1969 with another Verdi work, Otello, shaped by both dramatic fire and scrupulous attention to detail. Over time his recordings grew to include Nabucco, I Lombardi, Macbeth, and La forza del destino. A French-language version of Rossini’s Guillaume Tell brought together a strong cast and balanced theatrical impact with vocal and orchestral elegance. His collaboration with the Hungarian label Hungaroton yielded notable recordings of Respighi operas: Belfagor (1922), Egiziaca (1931), and La fiamma (1934).

Gardelli also composed symphonic and vocal works as well as five operas, the final three of which constitute a trilogy. Two earlier operas, Alba novella and L’Etrusco, date from the 1930s. The trilogy consists of Il sogno (1942), L’impresario delle Americhe (1959), and Il demonio (1971); only the second received a performance during his lifetime, a 1982 broadcast production for Budapest Television.