Domenico Reina

Who was Domenico Reina?

Domenico Reina was a Swiss bel canto tenor, notable for creating roles in the operas of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Saverio Mercadante, and other Italian composers.

He was born in Lugano, studied in Milan and made his operatic debut in 1820. He joined John Ebers's company at the King's Theatre, Haymarket and in 1823 sang in the first London performances of Gioachino Rossini's operas Ricciardo e Zoraide, La donna del lago and Matilde di Shabran.

Reina returned to Italy and sang in the theatres of Rome, Venice, Turin, Bologna, Parma and Livorno. At La Scala, Milan, he created in 1829 the leading role of Arturo in Bellini's La straniera, in 1834 that of Tamas in Donizetti's Gemma di Vergy and in 1835 that of Leicester in his Maria Stuarda. At the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, he created the role of Decio in Mercadante's La vestale in 1840. Other Mercadante operas in which Reina created roles were Il conte di Essex, Uggero il danese and La gioventù di Enrico V.

Other composers in whose operas Reina sang at the first performances were:

⁕Carlo Coccia: Caterina di Guisa, La figlia dell'arciere,