Bordogni

Bordogni was born in Gazzaniga, near Bergamo, Italy. He was a product of that really exceptional Bergamo tenor school which originated with Giacomo David and Gaetano Crivelli, and in which can also be counted, in addition to David's two best pupils (namely his son Giovanni and Andrea Nozzari, both notable in Rossini's operas), and besides Bordogni himself, also Domenico Donzelli and Giovanni Battista Rubini . Bordogni made his operatic debut at La Scala, Milan in 1813 in Rossini's Tancredi, and became very active in promoting that composer's music. He appeared in many of Rossini's operas on their first presentation in various towns and theatres. In 1825 he created the role of Conte di Libenskof in Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims. He sang for many years at the Théatre des Italiens in Paris. He became a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire in 1820 and continued to teach there until shortly before his death, which occurred in Paris. He was the author of a published singing method, and composed many sets of vocalizes, which remained in use for singers for a century afterwards. Indeed they still remain in use in transcriptions for other instruments. He was probably the most influential teacher of the English tenor Sims Reeves, who went to him in 1843: other students include Sophie Cruvelli. Bordogni was awarded the Légion d'Honneur on 10 May 1839 by M. de Gasparin, at the same time that it was awarded to the Director of the Opéra Duponchel, and to the composer Hector Berlioz, who wrote that Bordogni was the best singing-master of that period. His daughter Louise Bordogni sang successfully in New York in 1834.

Search our store