Tenor Salvatore Licitra’s death following a scooter accident in Italy is not completely surprising, given reports about the extent of his injuries, but it still comes as a sad shock to opera fans. It’s a huge loss to the world of singing. Licitra, who was slated to sing Radames at Chicago Lyric Opera this coming March, had more of a career in Europe in recent years than on this side of the Atlantic, but impressed this writer with his solid portrayals and ringing voice that consistently conveyed emotion and dramatic momentum. There is a moving video tribute (narrated in Italian) on Licitra’s official web site; both the NY Times obituary and Tim Ashley’s tribute at guardian.co.uk are worth a look, as well as the comments section of La Cieca’s post at Parterre Box (including some choice YouTube videos) and Opera Chic’s post (I especially enjoyed Andrew Powell’s comment). And don’t miss Instant Encore’s repost of an insightful 2009 interview with Licitra.
UPDATE: Licitra’s organs are already saving lives