Rolando Panerai was one of a number of fine Italian

baritones to emerge onto the international operatic

scene immediately after World War ll. Some, like

Giuseppe Taddei, Gino Bechi, Enzo Mascherini, Paolo

Silveri, Tito Gobbi and Giuseppe Valdengo had made

their debuts during the late 30’s, which meant that

during the hostilities their activities and any

recordings made were confined to European

audiences. However, from 1945, together with the new

wave, which included Aldo Protti, Giangiacomo

Guelfi, Giampiero Malaspina, Piero Cappucilli,

Anselmo Colzani, Mario Sereni, Antonio Manca-Serra

(who died tragically aged 32) and the young Rolando

Panerai, their talents began to be recognised world

wide, through the media of recordings, stage

performances, and in some cases films, many of them

enjoying excellent careers. None more so than

Rolando Panerai, who incredibly in his late 70’s was

still undertaking principal roles and singing with a

command and freshness of vocal timbre that surely

was the envy of many a singer 30 years younger.