Goodbye Antonello Palombi, the Umbrian tenor was 58 years old. Radames played Aida in jeans
The Umbrian singer, 58, was found dead in his hotel room in Germany. He became famous for replacing Roberto Alagna as Radamès at La Scala in 2006, performing in jeans and a black shirt.
Quick Look
- The Umbrian tenor Antonello Palombi, 58 years old, was found dead yesterday, Tuesday 10 November, in his hotel room in Mainz, Germany, where he was attending an engagement with the Staatstheater.
- The alarm was raised due to his unjustified absence from the rehearsals; the causes are being investigated, with the hypothesis of an illness.
- Palombi became known to the general public in 2006 when he replaced Roberto Alagna as Radamès in Aida at La Scala in Milan, performing in jeans and a black shirt.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Antonello Palombi was an Umbrian tenor who performed in the main Italian theaters and on large international stages. He became famous in 2006 when, during a performance of Aida at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, he replaced Roberto Alagna as Radamès after Alagna left the stage following whistles from the gallery. Palombi had to perform in jeans and a black shirt, the civilian clothes he was wearing, until the break and the change of clothes. He had performed several times at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, including in Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco in 2018 in the role of Ismaele.
The world of opera mourns Antonello Palombi, an Umbrian tenor who brought his voice to the main Italian theaters and to the great international stages. The singer, 58 years old, was found dead yesterday, Tuesday 10 November, in his hotel room in Mainz, Germany, where he was attending an engagement with the Staatstheater. The alarm was triggered by his unjustified absence from the tests, while the causes of his disappearance are still being investigated: the most popular hypothesis is that of an illness.
The tenor who played Radames in Aida with jeans
The name of Antonello Palombi is still linked today to one of the most curious episodes in the history of Italian opera. It was December 10, 2006 when, during a performance of Aida at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the tenor Roberto Alagna left the stage after boos came from the gallery at the end of the Celeste Aida romance. And so Palombi, present behind the scenes as a substitute, was literally catapulted into the role of Radamès. There wasn't even time to put on the stage costume: he had to perform in jeans and a black shirt, the civilian clothes he was wearing at the time, until the break and the change of clothes. The images then went around the world, making Palombi's name known to the general public and synonymous with professional reliability.
The homage of the San Carlo Theater in Naples
The San Carlo Theater in Naples, where the tenor performed several times, remembers him with images of Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco, staged in 2018, in which he played the role of Ismaele. From the superintendent of the Lirico Fulvio Macciardi and from the workers, condolences for the death of the artist.
Open Questions
- What were the exact causes of Antonello Palombi's death?
- Will the hypothesis of the illness be confirmed by the autopsy?
- What were Palombi's specific commitments with the Mainz Staatstheater?
