Tino Folgar (1892-1983) was a Spanish operatic tenor, primarily active in Spain and Italy. He studied in his native city with Esteban Pasqual and made his stage debut at the Liceu as Rodolfo in La bohème, in 1922. He made his debut in Italy in Acqui Terme, as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, in 1925. He went on appearing in Genoa, Turin, Cremona, and scored a triumph at the Teatro Adriano in Rome, as Lindoro in L'italiana in Algeri, opposite Conchita Supervia, in 1926. He is partly responsible for the Rossini renaissance, alongside Supervia. From 1929, he appeared mainly in Spain, singing in zarzuela and operetta. In 1932, he went to London, on tour with a zarzuela ensemble. He then sang mostly in concert and on radio, he also appeared in a feature film La Canción del Dia.
In 1945, he went to Mexico City where he worked as a teacher, later moving to Buenos Aires, where he remained until his death in January 1983. José Serrano (1873-1941) was a Spanish composer of zarzuelas. He was born in Sueca, Valencia, Spain. His most famous works include La dolorosa and La canción del olvido. Serrano’s works tend to be simple popular theater but filled with dramatic emotion. He is considered the musical progeny of Federico Chueca, and the influence of Giacomo Puccini and Italian verismo is evident in many of his works. This superb record was made in 1929.
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