Titta Ruffo

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Titta Ruffo, born Ruffo Cafiero in Pisa on September 9, 1877, was an Italian opera baritone who became one of the biggest stars of his time. He was famous for a powerful, dramatic voice and was nicknamed the “Voice of the Lion.”

He made his debut in 1898 in Rome as the Herald in Wagner’s Lohengrin. His career quickly grew, and he performed in Buenos Aires (1902), London (1903), Milan (1904), Lisbon (1907), Paris (1911), and São Paulo (1911). He came to the United States in 1912, sang in Philadelphia and Chicago, and finally joined the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1922, where he appeared 46 times through 1929.

Ruffo fought in the Italian army during World War I. In 1929 he signed a movie contract worth about $350,000. He retired in 1931 and lived for a while in exile in Switzerland and Paris. He wrote an autobiography, La mia parabola (My Parabola in English, published in 1995).

In 1937 he returned to Italy but was arrested for opposing Fascism and his socialist beliefs. His sister had married Giacomo Matteotti, whose murder led Ruffo to vow never to sing in Italy again. He remained friends with other famous singers, including Gino Bechi, Carlo Tagliabue, Lauri-Volpi, and Giuseppe di Stefano.

Titta Ruffo died in Florence on July 5, 1953, from heart disease. His repertoire covered many major baritone roles in Italian and French opera, and he was celebrated for a bold, forceful singing style that combined power with expressive depth.