A successful pupil of Mayr, in addition to the celebrated Gaetano Donizetti, was Giuseppe Viganoni from Almenno, who immediately became a great admirer of Donizetti as well as a companion at musical parties and country festivities at Antonio Quarenghi’s villa in Almenno San Bartolomeo.
He was born in Almenno San Salvatore in 1754, specifically in the Contrada della Porta, just opposite the Convento degli Agostiniani, the complex today known as San Nicola. A sister of Giuseppe Viganoni’s father, Teresa, married Francesco Nozzari of Vertova in Almenno San Salvatore. From this marriage would come Andrea, destined to become – as Stendhal defined him – one of the best European singers, Rossini’s Otello par excellence.
Before going to Venice to study under Bertoni, Viganoni completed his apprenticeship at the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
He achieved success in Brescia, Venice, Florence and Padua as first tenor before subsequently performing in all major Italian theatres then making his debut in London in 1782.
In 1784, he landed in Vienna, a city of great musical traditions. His career was paved with successes but the chronicles contain only very brief notes about him. His second stay in London also saw him perform some eighty operas over a ten-year period. This artistic career was then conclude in Naples in 1810.
Around 1817, Viganoni decided to leave his home in Bergamo for good and move to Almenno San Bartolomeo. From the outset, Viganoni was an enthusiastic, solicitous and affectionate supporter of the very young Donizetti, with whom he delighted in music at Villa Quarenghi, in Almenno San Bartolomeo, as guest of Antonio Quarenghi, a lawyer, musician for fun and talented copyist for the Unione Filarmonica di Bergamo.
He died in Almenno San Bartolomeo on 30th December 1823.
The villa, which was first a holiday residence then the tenor’s permanent home, has been renovated and restored to its former glory, now housing the Municipal Library.
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