Background
Bordogni was born in Gazzaniga, near Bergamo, Italy.
Bordogni was born in Gazzaniga, near Bergamo, Italy.
Bordogni made his operatic debut at Louisiana Scala, Milan in 1813 in Rossini"s Tancredi, and became very active in promoting that composer"s music He appeared in many of Rossini"s operas on their first presentation in various towns and theatres. In 1825 he created the role of Conte di Libenskof in Rossini"s Il viaggio a Reims.
He sang for many years at the Théâtre des Italiens in Paris.
He was the author of a published singing method, and composed many sets of vocalises which remained in use for singers for a century afterwards. Indeed they still remain in use in transcriptions for other instruments.
Bordogni was awarded the Légion d"Honneur on 10 May 1839 by M. de Gasparin, at the same time that it was awarded to the Director of the Opéra Duponchel, and to the composer Hector Berlioz, who wrote that Bordogni was the best singing-master of that period. The following list comprises town or theatre first performances of Rossini operas in which Marco Bordogni appeared.
From this list one can recognize the singer"s considerable virtuosity, ranging between his traditional baritonal tenor roles, and the leading tenore contraltino parts written by Rossini in tragic, serio-comic and comic operas.
In addition to the Rossini roles, Bordogni also gave first performances at the Théâtre-Italien in Paër’s Agnese di Fitz-Henry (Ernesto) in 1819. In Mayr’s Medea in Corinto (Giasone) in 1823. In Mercadante’s Elisa e Claudio ossia L"amore protetto dall"amicizia (Claudio) (also in 1823).
And in Vaccai’s Giulietta e Romeo (Capellio) in 1827.