Outstanding Italian opera singer (1938-2017), basso buffo, one of the best comic basses of his generation.
Enzo Dara was born in Mantua and began his professional career as a journalist, switching to singing only a few years later. He studied voice with Bruno Sutti in Mantua and made his debut in 1960 as Colline in "La Bohème" at the opera house in Fano, a small town in the Italian region of Le Marche.
In 1966 in Reggio Emilia, he performed the role of Dulcamara in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore"; in 1967 at the Spoleto Festival, he sang Dr. Bartolo in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", and with the same role he made his La Scala debut in 1970 under the baton of Claudio Abbado. By this time, Dara's comic talent was evident, and he began to specialize in buffo roles in the operas of Rossini and Donizetti.
He performed at all the major opera houses of Europe; in 1983 he made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Bartolo in "The Barber of Seville". This role, considered one of his finest, Enzo Dara performed more than 400 times in his career. He was also renowned for the roles of Dulcamara (Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore"), Don Magnifico (Rossini's "La Cenerentola"), Taddeo (Rossini's "L'Italiana in Algeri"), and Don Pasquale (Donizetti's opera of the same name). He was a regular participant in the Rossini Festival in Pesaro. In 1984 in Pesaro, he performed in the first production in nearly 150 years of Rossini's "Il Viaggio a Reims" conducted by Claudio Abbado (role of Baron Trombonok). Alongside him in the performance were such outstanding singers as Cecilia Gasdia, Samuel Ramey, Ruggero Raimondi, Leo Nucci, and Katia Ricciarelli.
In the 1990s, the singer reduced his number of performances and tried his hand as an opera director. Among his productions are operas by Domenico Cimarosa ("Il Maestro di Cappella") and Donizetti ("Don Pasquale"). In 1994, he published an autobiographical book titled "Anche il buffo nel suo piccolo".
Enzo Dara died in 2017 in his native Mantua at the age of 78.
Enzo Dara was born in Mantua and began his professional career as a journalist, switching to singing only a few years later. He studied voice with Bruno Sutti in Mantua and made his debut in 1960 as Colline in "La Bohème" at the opera house in Fano, a small town in the Italian region of Le Marche.
In 1966 in Reggio Emilia, he performed the role of Dulcamara in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore"; in 1967 at the Spoleto Festival, he sang Dr. Bartolo in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", and with the same role he made his La Scala debut in 1970 under the baton of Claudio Abbado. By this time, Dara's comic talent was evident, and he began to specialize in buffo roles in the operas of Rossini and Donizetti.
He performed at all the major opera houses of Europe; in 1983 he made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Bartolo in "The Barber of Seville". This role, considered one of his finest, Enzo Dara performed more than 400 times in his career. He was also renowned for the roles of Dulcamara (Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore"), Don Magnifico (Rossini's "La Cenerentola"), Taddeo (Rossini's "L'Italiana in Algeri"), and Don Pasquale (Donizetti's opera of the same name). He was a regular participant in the Rossini Festival in Pesaro. In 1984 in Pesaro, he performed in the first production in nearly 150 years of Rossini's "Il Viaggio a Reims" conducted by Claudio Abbado (role of Baron Trombonok). Alongside him in the performance were such outstanding singers as Cecilia Gasdia, Samuel Ramey, Ruggero Raimondi, Leo Nucci, and Katia Ricciarelli.
In the 1990s, the singer reduced his number of performances and tried his hand as an opera director. Among his productions are operas by Domenico Cimarosa ("Il Maestro di Cappella") and Donizetti ("Don Pasquale"). In 1994, he published an autobiographical book titled "Anche il buffo nel suo piccolo".
Enzo Dara died in 2017 in his native Mantua at the age of 78.
