Roméo Berti - Un ange, une femme inconnue (Columbia, 1905)

Описание: Roméo Berti (1867-1959) is one of those frustrating tenors of whom we know almost nothing today. Born Roméo Aristodemo Berti in Ravenna on February 21, 1867, he reportedly studied in Paris with Paul Lhérie and Jean de Reszke. Some sources state that the tenor made his debut around 1890, spending the next decade singing throughout the Italian provinces. However, there is absolutely no record of any operatic activity by Berti in his homeland. In fact, an 1899 newspaper article listing the roster of Lille’s Grand Théâtre Municipal is the earliest known mention of Berti’s name in print. The tenor’s son, Roméo Berti, Jr. (1907-1978), a fine violinist who made his mark in British variety theatres, recalled in a 1954 radio interview that his father sang leading roles in major European houses. In addition, early 20th century publicity has Berti singing at the Opéra de Paris, Covent Garden, and La Scala. Although it is possible that Berti was a chorister at Covent Garden, there is absolutely no evidence of him having sung leading roles in any major European theatre. Contemporary reviews and other mentions of Berti’s activity before the recording horn suggest that he performed in Paris during the early 1900s, but any stage career he might have had must have been relegated to small theatres. The tenor was listed as a “ténor de traductions” (whatever that means) on the roster of the Grand Théâtre Municipal in Lille, and made appearances in concert with the Grand Hotel in Paris, the Matinées-Danbé, the Charleville Philharmonic Society, La Société des Matinées Musicales et Populaires, the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique, and even the Parisian children’s amusement park, Jardin d’Acclimatation, where he performed in February of 1903.

Roméo Berti, for whatever reason, never gained a foothold in the opera world. The handful of reviews that have survived are generally favorable. Of the tenor’s January 23, 1904 performance with the Charleville Philharmonic Society, a critic for L’Europe Artiste wrote, “Mr. Romeo Berti, tenor of La Scala in Milan, revealed a marvelous voice in the grand aria from Manon.” Apart from the aforementioned series of concert appearances, the tenor’s public career was rather sparse and, sadly, short lived. While in his early 40s, the tenor suffered a devastating vocal crisis, from which he never fully recovered. When it became obvious that his singing days were over, he settled permanently in London, where he founded a successful voice studio in 1914. The ex-tenor also established himself in London’s vintner industry, making a decent living as a wine merchant throughout the 1920s. Berti spent the remaining five decades of his life in London’s St. Pancras district, dying there on May 12, 1959 (not 1954 as is often reported) at the ripe old age of 92.

Roméo Berti remains something of a mystery. The fact that he seemingly spent the bulk of his singing career in France has led to the misconception that the tenor was, in fact, French and not Italian. Admittedly, he DOES sound like a French tenor, with his stylistic choices and idiomatic French diction. Some record collectors believed him to be Carlo Albani, recording under a pseudonym. Yet another rumor, this one a bit more bizarre, claimed that Berti’s recordings were actually those of Jean de Reszke, again recording under a pseudonym! Despite the cryptic stories bandied about by collectors over the years, the truth is far more mundane. Roméo Berti was simply Roméo Berti, a relatively unknown tenor who just happened to have recorded prolifically. The tenor made around 150 discs and cylinders for Bettini, Odéon, Columbia, APGA, Homophon, Beka, Excelsior, Dutreih, Favorite, and Edison. These recordings, made between 1904 and 1909, showcase a sturdy, well produced full lyric tenor with impressive musical instincts and interpretive skills. The singing can be inconsistent, though, which may give a hint as to why he never enjoyed a significant stage or concert career. That being said, Berti’s recorded performances are always interesting and often unique. Here, Berti sings “Un ange, une femme inconnue” from Donizetti’s La Favorite. This recording was made in Paris for the Columbia label in July of 1905.