Enzo Dara

Italian basso buffo ('funny bass') Enzo Dara was born in Mantua on 13 October 1938. His first role was in La bohème in Fano in 1960, and from there he went on to sing at Reggio Emilia, Spoleto, La Scala and Covent Garden.

His best known roles were Don Bartolo (The Barber of Seville), Don Magnifico (La Cenerentola), the title role in Don Pasquale, Dulcamara (L'Elisir d'Amore) and Taddeo in The Italian Girl in Algiers.

In 1994 he published a collection of memories, anecdotes and observations, entitled Anche il buffo nel suo piccolo.

Enzo Dara died in Mantua on 25 August 2017, aged seventy-eight.