Tenor Giuseppe di Stefano passed away March 3, leaving wonderful memories in the minds of his older fans and fabulous recordings available everywhere that can thrill old and young alike.
Born in 1921 near Catania, Sicily, the young di Stefano moved to Milan when he was 5, where he sang in choirs but did not think of music as a career. He intended to be a priest and entered a seminary in 1934. Fellow students heard him sing, however, and convinced him to change his vocation. He won a vocal contest a few years later, but did not continue singing because Italy drafted him to serve in World War II.
When the war was over, di Stefano made his operatic debut in Manon in 1946 in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Soon he was singing in major opera houses around the world. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1948, and from that time until the 1970s he sang opera regularly and recorded frequently. He made his last appearance as the Emperor Altoum in Turandot at the Rome Opera in 1992.
In retirement di Stefano divided his time between homes in Brianza, near Lake Como, and Diani in Kenya. In Kenya, in December 2004, robbers beat him and his second wife, soprano Monica Curth. She returned to good health, but di Stefano never completely recovered. A son, Giuseppe, and a daughter, Floria, both from his second marriage, survive him.
Di Stefano Lives On in Word and Song
Watch, listen, and read more about di Stefano on the web at:
• www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3477710.ece
• www.moderato.wordpress.com/category/you-tube
• www.video.aol.com/video-detail/Giuseppe-di-stefano-puccini-la-boheme-che-gelida-manina/2417509839
• youtube.com/watch?v=jhY1l_DQHo&feature=related
