PAST IMPERFECT:Giuseppe Campari's skill on the racing track was matched only by his astonishing operatic voice, writes Bob Montgomery
GIUSEPPE CAMPARI was born in Fanfulla near Milan in 1892. A love of cars and a great natural talent led to him joining the Alfa company as a test driver while still in his teens and, before long, he was driving its racing cars.
His first success was in the 1914 Coppa Florio, in which he was placed fourth. After the first World War, he drove for the new Alfa Romeo company and gave it its first win in 1920 at Mugello. Between then and 1933, Campari scored numerous successes – always at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo.
However, there was another side to the man. In addition to motor racing, he had a life-long love of opera and was married to the well-known singer Lina Cavalieri.
Much has been written about Campari’s singing ability and it has often been said that, had he not been a racing driver, he could have been successful as an opera singer.
The Italian journalist and co-founder of the Mille Miglia (Thousand Mile) open road endurance race, Giovanni Canestrini, told the following story about Campari’s singing ability.
It seems that, in 1931, the Alfa Romeo racing team included a particularly talented line-up of drivers – Nuvolari, Borzacchini and Campari – and rumours began to circulate that Campari, very much the veteran of the group, was considering retirement.
Campari devoted a great deal of his time to music and it was said that he had received an invitation to tour theatres in Milan, Turin, Genoa and Alexandria. Fuelling the rumours was the fact that, when Campari was not racing, he was often seen in the company of opera people in the Galleria at Milan.
Actually, Campari had no intention of giving up racing but nevertheless needed very little encouragement to break into his favourite ballads and snatches of opera. Most often, his thunderous baritone voice would sing pieces from his favourite operas – I Pagliacci and La Traviata.
One evening, while having dinner in a Milan hotel with a group of friends including Giovanni Canestrini, the famous soprano Luisa Tetrazzini was spotted sitting at a nearby table. Unbeknown to Campari, his friends had arranged her presence and told him “now’s your chance to sing with a celebrity”.
Despite Campari’s protestations, Tetrazzini was happy to sing with “such a famous racing driver” and, by a strange coincidence, just happened to have music with her.
"And what would Signor Campari care to sing?" As white as the tablecloth, Campari stammered "La Traviata".
“Excellent,” said the diva. “Then we will sing the duet between Violetta and Germont.”
The pianist from the orchestra agreed to play the accompaniment, and the duet began. Each of the singers gave their best and at the end there was tremendous applause from all present. Campari had given the operatic performance of his life. After that there was no more leg-pulling from his racing team mates about his ability as an opera singer.
Campari continued with his beloved racing and in 1933 won the French Grand Prix. But it was while driving an Alfa P3 in the Monza Grand Prix that he skidded on an oil spill and died in the ensuing crash.
This most unusual of racing drivers was mourned by the worlds of motor racing and opera alike.