ERNESTO NICOLINI Opera Tenor CDV photograph as the Duke of Mantua 1874/75

Description

Origirnal L Barklai Russian carte de visite photograph of the French tenor as the Duke of Mantua in "Rigoletto" whilst on the 1874-1875 tour of St. Petersburg with Adelina Patti.
Ernesto Nicolini
(1834 – 1898) was a French opera tenor and at one time husband of Adelina Patti.
He studied at the Paris Conservatoire making his debut in 1857 in his given name of Ernest Nicolas, at the Opera Comique in "Les mousquetaires de la reine" by Halevy. He then went to Italy for further training making his debut under his new name, Ernesto Nicolini at La Scala in 1859, he initially sung lyric roles. He returned to Paris in 1862 singing at the Theatre Italien until 1869.  He also made a guest appearance at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden in 1866.  His bleating vibrato was not well accepted in London as Edgardo.  He returned to London in 1872 and sung at the Royal Opera Drury Lane as Faust and Raimbul in "Robert le Diable" with much a reduced vibrato and much greater success, so much so he was re-engaged at Covent Garden annually until 1884.
He joined Adelina Patti in 1874 for her Russian tour and became her permanent vocal and bed partner through their concert and opera tours in Europe, the United States and South America.  Adelina divorced her first husband in 1886 and married Nicolini shortly thereafter. Creating fodder for gossip.  He sung his last performance as Almaviva in "Il Barbiere" in 1897 and died a year later.  Patti was cut out of his will, though they were still married.
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