Nicola Zaccaria

Nicola Zaccaria March 9 1923 - July 24 2007 Was A Greek Bass-Baritone. Born In Piraeus Zaccaria Studied In Athens Where He Enjoyed His Debut In 1949 Aged 26. He Sang At La Scala In 1953 And His Position As A Mainstay Of The Bass Operatic Repertoire Was Assured Thereafter. He Was La Scala's Principal Bass For Almost 15 Years. Bass Singers Are Usually Overshadowed By The Tenors And Sopranos That Typically Take The Lead Roles In Opera And Zaccaria Was No Exception. He Sang With Some Of The Most Famous Singers Of His Generation Such As Maria Callas But Never Achieved Great International Fame. With Callas He Recorded Nine Complete Operas * Aida 1955 As Il Re D’Egitto * Rigoletto 1955 As Sparafucile * Il Trovatore 1956 As Ferrando * La Boheme 1956 As Colline * Un Ballo In Maschera 1956 As Tom * Il Barbiere Di Siviglia 1957 As Don Basilio * La Sonnambula 1957 As Il Conte Rodolfo * Turandot 1957 As Timur * Norma 1960 As Oroveso According To John Ardoin In His Book The Callas Legacy Zaccaria Also Recorded Under The Pseudonym Giulio Mauri In The Complete Recordings Of Il Trovatore And Turandot In Which He Appeared With The Soprano. Nicola Zaccaria Died In Athens On July 24 2007 From Alzheimer's Disease Aged 84. read less