Rolando Panerai was one of a number of fine Italian
baritones to emerge onto the international operatic
scene immediately after World War ll. Some, like
Giuseppe Taddei, Gino Bechi, Enzo Mascherini, Paolo
Silveri, Tito Gobbi and Giuseppe Valdengo had made
their debuts during the late 30’s, which meant that
during the hostilities their activities and any
recordings made were confined to European
audiences. However, from 1945, together with the new
wave, which included Aldo Protti, Giangiacomo
Guelfi, Giampiero Malaspina, Piero Cappucilli,
Anselmo Colzani, Mario Sereni, Antonio Manca-Serra
(who died tragically aged 32) and the young Rolando
Panerai, their talents began to be recognised world
wide, through the media of recordings, stage
performances, and in some cases films, many of them
enjoying excellent careers. None more so than
Rolando Panerai, who incredibly in his late 70’s was
still undertaking principal roles and singing with a
command and freshness of vocal timbre that surely
was the envy of many a singer 30 years younger.
