Pietro Mongini, the first Radames.

Pietro Mongini. Italian tenor, first Radames. Mayall Photo, London. (b Rome, 29 Oct 1839; d Milan, 27 April 1874). Italian tenor. He started his career as a bass, but by 1853 was singing tenor roles at Genoa. In 1855 he made his Paris début at the Théâtre Italien as Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), and in 1857 sang at Reggio Emilia in the first performance of Achille Peri’s Vittor Pisani and in Anna Bolena. He first appeared at La Scala in 1858 as Arnold (Guillaume Tell), and made his London début in 1859 as Elvino (La sonnambula) at Drury Lane, where he also sang Henri in the first London performance of Les vêpres siciliennes. In 1860 he sang Manrico at La Scala and Huon (Oberon) at Her Majesty’s Theatre. He returned to London every year from 1862 to 1873, singing either at Her Majesty’s, where his roles included Don Alvaro in the first London performance of La forza del destino (1867), or at Covent Garden, where he made his début as Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia (1868). In 1871 he created Radames in Aida, at the Cairo Opera House. His heroic voice was not used with much subtlety, but in such roles as Arnold, Manrico and Don Alvaro the sheer brilliance of sound compensated for any lack of artistry.