Cesare Siepi was an Italian operatic bass born on February 10, 1923, in Milan.
He began his career in a madrigal group before debuting as Sparafucile in
Rigoletto in 1941. His career was interrupted by World War II, during which he
fled to Switzerland as an opponent of the fascist regime. In 1950, Siepi began a
long association with the Metropolitan Opera, debuting as King Philip II in Don
Carlos. He remained a principal bass at the theater until 1974, performing roles
such as Boris Godunov and Gurnemanz in Parsifal. He is particularly recognized
for the title role in Don Giovann...