Renato Cellini (1912-1967) was an Italian conductor who worked in both Europe and the United States. He was particularly active in opera and became associated with RCA Victor recordings in the early LP era.

In the Pristine catalogue he conducts Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, with casts including Jussi Björling, Zinka Milanov, Leonard Warren and Victoria de los Angeles.

Cellini’s conducting was practical, dramatic and singer-conscious, shaped by the needs of Italian theatre and studio recording. He knew how to keep verismo moving without losing heat.

His page deserves a note because the recordings themselves are major mid-century operatic documents. Cellini is part of the engine under their dramatic bonnet.