Lablache, Luigi

Born Dec. 6, 1794, in Naples; died there Jan. 23, 1858. Italian singer (bass).

Lablache studied at the Naples Conservatory. In 1812 he made his debut at the San Carlino Theater in Naples. He performed in the opera houses of many cities, including Milan, London, Paris, and Vienna. In 1852–53 and 1856–57 he sang at the Italian Opera in St. Petersburg. His major parts included Geronimo in Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto, Oroveso and Walton in Bellini’s Norma and I Puritani, and the title roles in Verdi’s Otello and Donizetti’s Don Pasquale.

One of the outstanding singers of the 19th century, Lablache possessed a powerful voice of great range and bright timbre that was versatile enough for both cantilena and virtuoso passages. He was the author of Singing Method (1846; Russian translation, The Complete Method for Singing, 1881), exercises in vocalization, and other studies.