The Old World

original Asti poster

1922 finds the tenor in Italy for further vocal study. The Italian debut is in Asti, as Don Alvaro in the production of La Forza del Destino, the name is changed to Aroldo Lindau. An audition before Auturo Toscanini results in the opening of the 1923 season at la Scala, the first foreigner to have this honor The maestro is chary about praising singers, but after hearing Lindau, spoke very encouragingly to him.. But it is now Aroldo Lindi, the more Italianate sounding to placate the officials........ In July of that year, a letter tells of a meeting with Guilio Gatti-Casazza, general manager of The Metropolitan Opera. " Gatti told me he would take me to the Met this year, had I not signed with Scala." The esteemed impresario would later sign Miguel Fleta, Beniamino Gigli, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi and Giovanni Martinelli to his roster, and close any door in the near future for Lindi....... An interesting anecdote occurs in the May 1923 issue of The Teatro Illustrato. Sharing the publication of an article on the new "Italian " tenor.is an article on Fortunato Gallo, who ten years later in America would be Lindi's impresario.

diploma, 1922

"Don Alvaro"

original poster, 1925

Rhadames

In the following years the now established tenor adds the portrayals of Don Jose, Manrico, Turiddu, Cavaradossi,. Then Enzo, Calaf, Chenier, Janko, and Otello Sharing the stage with Lindi in Aida is Elsa Foerster, Albertina Dal Monte, Irene Minghini Cattaneo, Giuseppina Zinetti, Giannina Arangi- Lombardi, Elisabeth Rethberg, Eva Turner, Claudia Muzio, Rosa Raisa, Tina Poli-Randaccio, and Cyrena Van Gordon Other offerings would partner Dusolina Giannini, Gina Cigna, Bruna Castagna, I. Belardi-Cantoni, and Fidela Campina The male roles would include Richard Bonelli, Antonio Righetti, Carlo Morelli, Armando Borgioli,and Salvatore Baccoloni. Giacomo Rimini, Virgilio Lazzari, Apollo Granforte, John Charles Thomas, and Angelo Pilotto would add nobly to this roster. Performers of Pagliacci along with the tenor are Maria Zamboni, Rosa Tentoni, E Foerster, and Giulio Lussardi. La Forza del Destino would partner Eva Turner, Norma Richter,Bruna Castagna, along with Righetti, Borgioli, and Morelli. His Trovatore finds Louise Homer,Claire Loring, Campina, Murzio, Raisa, Richter, and Castagna. Messrs..Bonelli, Rimini, Lazzari, and Morelli would also colloborate. La Giaconda partners include Tina Poli-Randaccio, and Apollo Granforte.....Tosca performances include Maria Jeritza, and later, Victor Damiani... Rosa Raisa would be oppoite Lindi's Turiddu; Albertina Dal Monte in Carmen; Iva Pacetti , Armando Borgioli, and later Angelo Pilotto appear alongside of Lindi in Chenier. Fasma's role of Janko is paired with Belardi-Cantoni and Eleanor LaMance. The productions of Turandot with our tenor will feature Eva Turner, Gina Cigna, Rosetta Pampanini, Iris Adami-Coradetti, Dusolina Giannini, Margaret Sheriden, Adeaide Saraceni, Bianca Scacciati, and Salvatore Baccaloni, amongst others. Lindi's travels would take him to Milan, Rome, Modena, Cremona, Florence, Palermo, Torino, Pisa, Lisbon, Madrid, London, Hamburg, Stockholm. He would appear in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, then Barcelona,, Cairo, Tripoli, Zurich, Genoa, Nice, and Paris. Other houses to hear him are Venice, Alessandria, Tripoli, Monte Carlo, Malta, Grosseto, and back to Asti, where the Italian debut was made, ten years earlier.

Verona - 1931

Highlights of these years include a command performance of Tosca, with Jeritza, before the King and Queen of England.... a special gala in Malaga, before King Alfonso and Queen Victoria. For this, he receives the title of Cavaliere....... creates the role of Calaf in Barcelona, and in Pisa....... assumes the same portrayal in a special performance in Lucca of Turandot, in honor of Giacomo Puccini, and once again, the only foreigner invited...... Also worth noting is another command performance, this one of Calaf at The Liceo, before the crowns of Spain..... For his Radames in Cairo, Lindi is awarded the costume originally made for that role at the first presentation of Verdi's Aida. It is a remarkable garment, made entirely by hand. It would be treasured for years.

Here we should note, the majority of Lindi's recording history would come during the years 1925 thru 1931. The early pressings would be accoustic, and then, starting in 1926, electric. All were Columbia and made in London or Milan.... Included is the complete Aida, with Arangi-Lombardi and Armando Borgioli, with Molajoli conducting, 1928. . This album has been a staple from its introduction in Italy, and is still popular today, This recording was in direct competition with Grammaphones edition, with Pertile and Giannini.... In Maurizio Tiberi's excellent booklet with the TIMA Club CD, he states " Pertile is Pertile and no one could compete against him. Lindi succeeded in representing Radames, yes less intimate, but to be honest, of greater vocal substance, pure and simple." Lindi would also record over seventy single discs; arias and ballads, including some in his native tongue, Svensk.