Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli was a leading Italian opera conductor of the 20th century. He studied piano and composition in Bologna, and continued these studies at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, adding conducting studies with Bernardino Molinari (no apparent relation). He graduated in 1938. His first performances were as an orchestral concert conductor. His first operatic performance was a production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, a production that traveled to Bologna, Bergamo, and Brescia.
He built a reputation during the war years that enabled him to debut at La Scala in 1946, the year it reopened after its bombing. He quickly became known as a reliable opera conductor capable of strong leadership, ability to accompany the greatest stars on the opera stage, and creator of exciting performances (although not always possessing great individuality or new insight).
He debuted at Covent Garden in London in 1956, leading Tosca with Tebaldi in the title role, and returned in 1960 to lead Verdi's Macbeth, a performance that contributed to a rising interest in Verdi's lesser-heard operas.
He debuted in San Francisco in 1957 and was much in demand there; one of his most memorable performances was a Turandot in 1964 with Birgit Nilsson in the title role. His Vienna debut was at the Staatsoper in 1959, and his first performance at the Metropolitan was in 1966. He returned to that house often during the next two decades.
He also maintained his skills as a pianist, delighting in taking breaks from the standardized nature of the Italian operatic repertory by playing little known pieces. He was also appreciated as a vocal recital accompanist. His recording in that capacity in songs of Rossini with Suzanne Danco attained legendary status. His Turandot performance with Nilsson is one of the three or four top recordings of the opera, and he accompanied some performances on disc by Maria Callas. In 1966, a record of his, Prima Donna with Leontyne Price, won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance (With or Without Orchestra). He died in his hometown of Bologna four days after his 85th birthday.
© TiVo
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Discography
20 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Puccini: Tosca
Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, George London, Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 30 Apr 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore
Hilde Güden, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Renato Capecchi, Fernando Corena, Orchestre du Mai Musical Florentin , Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1955
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Art Of The Prima Donna
Dame Joan Sutherland, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1960
Stereophile: Record To Die For24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini: Turandot
Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Renata Scotto, Bonaldo Giaiotti, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 14 Mar 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: La traviata (highlights)
Renata Tebaldi, Gianni Poggi, Aldo Protti, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 16 Oct 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini: Tosca (highlights)
Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, George London, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi · la forza del destino
Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia
Classical - Released by G.O.P. on 31 Jan 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Rigoletto - Opera in three acts
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 3 Sep 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Bohème (Intégrale)
Full Operas - Released by Myto Historical on 1 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cetra Verdi Collection: Simon Boccanegra
Opera - Released by WMI Italy on 1 Jan 1952
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini · Tosca
Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia
Classical - Released by G.O.P. on 5 May 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pavarotti – The Opera Collection 3: Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Live in Turin, 1967)
Luciano Pavarotti, Renata Scotto, RAI Symphony Orchestra, Turin , Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini · manon lescaut
Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia
Classical - Released by G.O.P. on 20 Mar 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leoncavallo · Pagliacci
Mario del Monaco, Gabriella Tucci, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia
Classical - Released by G.O.P. on 25 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Verdi: Un Ballo In Maschera (Remaster)
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Orchestra del Teatro Colon
Opera - Released by Nar Classical on 6 Mar 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lyrica - Carmen
Georges Bizet, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Classical - Released by Ermitage Records on 27 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo