Carlo Bergonzi

Italian singer who made his opera debut as a baritone in Lecce in 1948 and as a tenor in Bari in 1951. He is known as endearing but not thrilling. His voice ordinarily is round and warm but without sufficient brilliance to be called exceptional. When the role calls for passion, he often comes across as bombastic.

Nevertheless, handsome and romantic looking, he has demonstrated luminous performances on occasion, with plush and resonate sound.

His repertory has consisted of 68 operas, mainly performed abroad, with appearances in London and at the Met. Bergonzi became a director of his own school, "Accademia di Canto" and president of a contest for singers in the Verdi operas.

After a lifetime in the theater, acclaimed for his beautiful voice and professionalism, he sang at the Met on 27 April 1996 at age 71, stepping in at the last minute as a replacement for Pavarotti, who had the flu.