Corriere della Sera is reporting in its print edition that Cesare Siepi passed away at the age of 87.
One has to wonder, what are we going to miss the most? His graceful musicality; his amazing, sculpted diction; his ability to sustain an unusually long career; the sheer variety of his talent -- for comedy, for drama, and the many layers of expression in between?
We mourn the passing of one of the 20th century's great singers, a bass of pure unadulterated talent. Opera lovers have truly been blessed by his presence.
As Ferruccio Furlanetto, probably the greatest living bass recently stated, "'Mozart came because I had Cesare Siepi as an idol, and he was doing Figaro and Don Giovanni, so I started to aim in that direction. It really opened the door for me".