Word: valdengo
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...newcomers: slim Norwegian Contralto Eva Gustavson (Amneris), who arrived in the U.S. last October, young Canadian Bass-Baritone Dennis Harbour (the King of Egypt), who a fortnight ago won the Met's radio auditions, and Soprano Teresa Randall (the Priestess), a finalist in the same contest. Baritone Giuseppe Valdengo (Amonasro), big Bass Norman Scott (Ramfis), Tenor Virginio Assandri (the Messenger), were all Toscanini veterans. NBC was doing its part in the old top-network tradition-spending an estimated $70,000 of its own money to put the show on just as Toscanini wanted...
Reiner didn't get quite the cast he had in mind, but the cast he faced across the footlights was one that no conductor could kick about: big-voiced Leonard Warren as the fat Sir John himself, brilliant young Giuseppe Valdengo, who made his first big U.S. splash as Lago in Toscanini's 1947 broadcast of Otello, Soprano Licia Albanese and Mezzo Cloe Elmo...
...lastly voice. He had heard the Philadelphia La Scala Soprano Herva Nelli sing last summer, and announced, "This is Desdemona." She told him she had never sung the role. Toscanini snapped: "Good. I'll teach you myself." He drilled the Metropolitan's brilliant new baritone, Giuseppe Valdengo (a graduate of the New York City Opera Co.), for two hours on the proper way to sing just two words-"non so"-at a crucial spot in the play...