Gaetano Fraschini
Birthplace: Pavia, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
Gaetano Fraschini was an Italian tenor, noted above all as an early tenore di forza. He studied in his native Pavia with Felice Moretti and made his debut there in 1837, reached La Scala in 1840 and then spent thirteen years at the San Carlo in Naples, where he created roles for Pacini and Gerardo in Donizetti's Caterina Cornaro. His Edgardo's curse in Lucia di Lammermoor earned him the name 'tenore della maledizione'. For Verdi he created Zamoro in Alzira, Corrado in Il corsaro, Arrigo in La battaglia di Legnano, Stiffelio, and Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera.
Creations
- Zamoro — Alzira
- Corrado — Il corsaro
- Arrigo — La battaglia di Legnano
- Stiffelio — Stiffelio
- Riccardo — Un ballo in maschera
Written from
- Forbes, E. (1992) 'Fraschini, Gaetano', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 289.
- Wikipedia (2026) Gaetano Fraschini. (Accessed: 29 September 2026).