Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Titta Ruffo
Titta Ruffo, born June 9, 1877 - died July 5, 1953, was an Italian opera singer.
Born in Pisa, Italy, Ruffo was the son of an engineer. He studied opera and acting in Rome and debuted in Lohengrin, Rome, in 1898. Ruffo sang in a variety of languages, including Spanish, German, and French, and was well known for his strong baritone voice. Though a good singer and actor, he was not generally considered the best amongst such contemporaries as Enrico Caruso, Antonio Scotti , and Giuseppe de Luca .
He performed mostly in Europe, but also sang in Philadelphia and New York in 1912. In 1921 he was invited to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House, and stayed until 1929.
Ruffo retired in the 1930s, staying for several years in Switzerland and Paris. In 1937 he returned to Italy, where he was arrested for opposing the Fascist regime.
He died in Florence from lung cancer in 1953.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details