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Q&A
When did you start singing?
When I was 11 to a disc of Rigoletto with Gobbi, Callas and Di Stefano; a blanket on my shoulder and an umbrella served as my cloak and sword!
Above all I loved “La donna è mobile” and the role of the Duke of Mantua; my voice would crack but I didn't give in!
Why did you start singing?
Because I thought it was such a wonderful way to express myself, and I would have willingly sung instead of speaking, even in everyday life! There was… strength and truth.
Which singer inspired you most when you were young?
Above all, Giuseppe Di Stefano.
Which singer do you most admire?
It's difficult to say, there are many, each one for different reasons, with their different qualities… but if I really had to choose: Beniamino Gigli.
What's your favourite role?
Many, and also here, if I have to choose: “Simon Boccanegra, the first Doge of Genoa”.
What role have you never played but would have liked to?
The other Verdian Doge, the Doge of Venice this time: Francesco Foscari!
What's your favourite opera to watch?
Rossini's La Cenerentola — a masterpiece.
Who is your favourite composer?
Many, but… Verdi!
Who is your favourite writer?
J. R. R. Tolkien.
Who is your favourite theatre or film director?
Ermanno Olmi.
Who is your favourite actor?
Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep.
Who is your favourite dancer?
I don't follow dance so I don't know enough to express an opinion.
What is your favourite book?
The Lord of the Rings and Dante's The Divine Comedy. I have more than 500 editions, collected over the years by my ancestors, some of which are very old.
What is your favourite film?
The Big Silence.
Which is your favourite city?
Genoa.
What do you like most about yourself?
My kind-heartedness.
What do you dislike about yourself?
My kind-heartedness.
What was your proudest moment?
Whenever I am pleased with myself as an artist.
When and where were you happiest?
Whenever I am in contact with my true self.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My wife and nature.
What is your greatest fear?
Madness.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My bad temper.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
That my greatest passion became my work.
What do you value the most?
Serenity.
What is your greatest extravagance?
My passion for heraldry, but being that I'm the last descendent of the Marquis of Brignano, I'd say that it's a family ‘vice'.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Justice (in the sense that, apart from obvious cases, I find it difficult to define what it actually is!)
On what occasion do you lie?
…with fear?
If you hadn't been a singer what would you have liked to be?
An archaeologist.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My cheerfulness.
What quality do you most value in a friend?
Loyalty.
What quality do you most value in a colleague?
Intelligence and a beautiful voice. If the two come together it's the best!
Which historical figure do you most admire?
Diogenes.
Which living person do you most admire?
Ermanno Olmi, who I've had the fortune to know personally through work. He's a man who fills you with light and drains you of all that is worthless (he does so as a director, but even more as a person).
What do you most dislike?
Aggressiveness.
What talent would you most like to have?
To be able to write poetry.
What's your idea of perfect happiness?
The integration of the shadow.
How would you like to die?
Fulfilled and during a beautiful dream.
What is your motto?
‘Ardua Placent'
Jump to BIOGRAPHY
D&R
Quando hai iniziato a cantare?
A 11 anni su un disco di Rigoletto con Gobbi, la Callas e Di Stefano. Con coperta sulle spalle e ombrello al fianco a mo' di spada e di mantello!
Amavo soprattutto “la donna è mobile” e il ruolo del Duca di Mantova; steccavo spesso, ma non demordevo!
Perché hai iniziato a cantare?
Perché era un modo di esprimersi adorabile, avrei cantato invece di parlare anche nella vita quotidiana! C'era…forza e verità.
Quale cantante ti ha più ispirato da piccolo?
Soprattutto Giuseppe Di Stefano.
Quale cantante ammiri di più?
Difficile a dirsi, ce ne sono moltissimi, ognuno per motivi diversi e con qualità differenti…ma se proprio devo scegliere: Beniamino Gigli.
Qual è il tuo ruolo preferito?
Tanti, ma anche qui, se proprio devo scegliere: “Simon Boccanegra, primo Doge di Genova”.
Quale ruolo non hai mai interpretato ma vorresti o avresti voluto cantare?
L'altro Doge verdiano, Doge di Venezia stavolta: Francesco Foscari!
Quale opera non ti stanchi mai di vedere?
La Cenerentola di Rossini, un capolavoro assoluto.
Chi è il tuo compositore preferito?
Tanti, ma… Verdi!
Scrittore preferito?
J. R. R. Tolkien.
Regista teatrale o cinematografico?
Ermanno Olmi.
Attore / attrice?
Robert De Niro e Meryl Streep.
Danzatore?
Non seguo e non conosco abbastanza il balletto per potermi esprimere.
Libro?
The Lord of the Rings e La Divina Commedia dantesca. Ne possiedo più di 500, raccolte nei secoli dai miei avi, di cui alcune molto antiche.
Film?
Il grande silenzio.
Città?
Genova.
Cosa ti piace di più di te stesso?
Il buon cuore.
Cosa non ti piace di te stesso?
Il buon cuore.
Qual è stato il momento di cui sei più orgoglioso?
Quando sono contento di me come artista.
Dove e quando ti sei sentito più felice?
Sempre quando sono in contatto col mio vero essere.
Cosa o chi è il più grande amore della tua vita?
Mia moglie e la natura.
Qual è la cosa di cui hai più paura?
La pazzia.
Se potessi, cosa cambieresti di te?
L'irosità.
Cosa consideri il tuo più grande successo?
Che la mia più grande passione sia diventata il mio lavoro.
Qual è la cosa a cui tieni di più?
La serenità.
Qual è la tua abitudine più stravagante?
La passione per l'araldica, ma essendo l'ultimo discendente dei Marchesi di Brignano, direi che è un ‘vizio' di famiglia.
Quale virtù ti sembra più sopravvalutata?
La giustizia (nel senso che, a parte i casi ovvi, trovo ben difficile definire cosa realmente sia!)
In quale situazione dici una bugia?
…paura?
Se non fossi stato un cantante cosa ti sarebbe piaciuto fare?
L'archeologo.
Cos'è la tua più evidente caratteristica?
La giovialità.
La qualità che apprezzi di più in un amico?
La lealtà.
La qualità che apprezzi di più in un collega?
L'intelligenza e la bella voce. Se le trovo insieme è il massimo!
Il personaggio storico che ammiri di più?
Diogene di Sinope.
La persona vivente che ammiri di più?
Ermanno Olmi, che ho avuto la fortuna di conoscere personalmente sul lavoro. Un uomo che ti riempie di luce e ti svuota di cose inutili (lo fa già come regista, di persona ancor di più!)
Cosa non sopporti?
L'aggressività.
Quale talento ti piacerebbe avere?
La poesia.
Qual è la tua idea di perfetta felicità?
L'integrazione dell'ombra.
Come vorresti morire?
Interiormente realizzato e durante un bel sogno.
Qual è il tuo motto?
‘Ardua Placent'
Franco Vassallo – a biography
Franco Vassallo was born in Milan and already in his early years discovered his great passion for classical music and Opera.
Still a high school student, while singing in the corridors of the school was heard by a teacher, who, considering the extraordinary predisposition for the boy's singing, presents to him his father, the baritone Carlo Meliciani, who studied with the great Carlo Tagliabue. Meliciani, enthusiastic, becomes his teacher and encourages him to attend also the Civic School of Music in Milan, currently dedicated to Claudio Abbado.
Passionate about humanistic studies, Vassallo combined musical studies with Literature and Philosophy at the State University of Milan.
The love for operatic dramaturgy and the awareness of how the actorial gifts can enrich the stage intensity of the characters lead Vassallo to a dedicated study of the Stanislavski Method.
In 1994, he won the international competition “As.Li.Co.” in Milan, performing David in Mascagni's L'amico Fritz and Belcore in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.
In 1997 he won the competition for the Verona Arena to play Ford in Verdi's Falstaff, alongside Renato Bruson in the title role.
The performances immediately gave him a role in the Barber of Seville at Teatro La Fenice in Venice. It was his first Figaro. His extraordinary success opened the doors to the world's largest theatres, making him, for several years, a Barber of reference.
He also debuted in several roles such as Lord Enrico Ashton in Lucia of Lammermoor and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly alongside Raina Kabaivanska.
In the following years he brought Bellini, Donizetti and his vast repertoire to the Scala of Milan, Vienna's Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera of New York, under the baton of conductors such as: Riccardo Chailly, Daniele Gatti, Valery Gergiev, Daniel Harding, James Levine, Fabio Luisi, Anton Guadagno, Marco Armiliato, Marcello Viotti, Michele Mariotti, Gianandrea Noseda, Daniel Oren, Nello Santi, Jeffrey Tate, James Conlon…
Already in the early years of his career he experiences some roles of the verdian repertoire, knowing, however, to reserve them for the phase of the vocal maturity, in keeping with the dictates of the ancient Italian school of the “canto sul fiato”.
Despite being faithful to his bel canto origins, today Vassallo is an acclaimed interpreter of Simon Boccanegra, Rigoletto, Macbeth, Nabucco, La forza del destino, Otello, Il trovatore, La traviata, Ernani, Attila, Un ballo in maschera, Don Carlo… with successful performances in Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Opèra de Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Deutsche Oper and Staatsoper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zürich, Metropolitan Opera in New York, Royal Opera House in London…
In 2018 he will debut the role of Scarpia in Tosca at the Hamburgisches Staatsoper.
The last descendant of the Marquis of Brignano in Tortona, Franco Vassallo was recently welcomed as Knight of Justice in the Spanish noblemen's association “Capitulo Noble de Fernando VI” and as Royal Guard of His Royal Highness the Duke of Braganza, pretending to the throne of Portugal.
Keep up to date by visiting Franco Vassallo's website: www.francovassallo.com
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
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