Antonio Cortis

Antonio Cortis , actually Antonio Morton Córts (born August 12, 1891 in Denia , † April 2, 1952 in Valencia ) was a Spanish opera singer ( tenor ).

At the zenith of his career he was considered the best lyric tenor in Spain and was hailed as the “Spanish Caruso ”. In 1917 he appeared with Caruso in Buenos Aires in Leoncavallos Pagliacci (The Bajazzo).

Life

In 1898 he began his musical training at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid . At the same time he became a member of the children's choir of the Teatro Real . From 1902 he sang in the choir of the Isidoriana chapel. From 1909 he studied at the Conservatorio Municipal in Barcelona , teachers Nicolau and Daniel. He graduated with a diploma in composition.

In 1910 he became a member of the choir of the Gran Teatre del Liceu and made his debut in Gaspare Spontini's La vestale . In 1912 he made his debut as Casio in Giuseppe Verdi's Otello at the Teatre del Liceu. From 1915 he sang as the second tenor at the Teatro Real in Madrid.

1917 marked a tour of South America the beginning of an international career that Cortis until his final farewell to the stage in 1950 in Zaragoza with Tosca led almost all the major opera houses in South, North America and Europe.

With the beginning of the Spanish Civil War , his artistic work was limited to Spain.

In 1940 he opened a singing school in Valencia .

Discography

Between 1918 and 1930 recordings were made for the following labels:

• Grammófono, Barcelona 1918, acoustic
• Parlophone, Berlin 1923, acoustic
• Victor, USA 1925 a. 1927, electric
• La Voce del Padrone (HMV), Milan 1929–1930, electrical

A carefully restored compilation on 3 CDs was released in 2000 by the Spanish label Aria under the number 1032.

Web links

• Antonio Cortis at Operissimo  on the basis of the Great Singer Lexicon