Pompilio Malatesta

An Italian bass who spent more than twenty years at the Metropolitan Opera in comic and character parts. Born in Rome, he sang at La Scala, La Fenice and Covent Garden, but the Met was his home from his debut there as Dr Bartolo on 25 November 1915. He gave more than 700 performances with the company, most often as the Sacristan in Tosca, and sang in the world premieres of The Canterbury Pilgrims, Il trittico, where he created Maestro Spinelloccio, and Merry Mount. He left the Met in 1939 and died in New York.