From an era when Italianate (and indeed, Italian) tenors were in more plentiful supply, Renato Cioni has passed away at the age of 84. He was also one of the last links to the age of Maria Callas, as one of her last Cavaradossis in Puccini's Tosca.
Yes, the decision to cast him in the now legendary 1964 Covent Garden production by Franco Zeffirelli was something of a risk. Alongside Callas was Tito Gobbi as Scarpia, both regarded then as now as preeminent in their roles. Cioni was young and little known and had a lot to live up to. The Callas/Gobbi Tosca recording had Giuseppe Di Stefano and was regarded (again, then as now) as unsurpassed--the pair's second recording had Carlo Bergonzi, a tenor equal to Di Stefano's fame, rather than Cioni. Yet, Callas, apparently impressed by Cioni's readiness and presumably also by his full, rich tone (both amply in evidence in both the film of Act II of that production and various "unofficial" complete recordings) with, as one might say of a fine red wine, intriguing dark notes, quickly accepted her new leading man.
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