# Other Italian sopranos of the 40s-50s-60s



## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I've just 'discovered' the soprano Carla Gavazzi who appears on a number of the Cetra recordings from the 50s. I like what I've heard so far, although she doesn't compare with my favourites from that period. She retired early to look after an ill son, but had a career in Italy in the 40s and 50s in Verdi and Puccini, specialising in verismo.

She's one of a number of sopranos who were overshaddowed by the Callas-Tebaldi duopoly. I think that apart from Magda Olivero these sopranos (Mancini, Curtis-Verna, Stella, Pobbe, Petrella and Frazzoni) were most definitely second rank. Gavazzi and Frazzoni are a cut above the others although they never quite made it. Somewhat later on there was Tucci who I think was underrated a little and I wish she had recorded as much as Stella.

What are your thoughts, which other Italian sopranos from that era are worth hearing, who are your favourites and can you recommend any recordings?

N.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Of course, if the comparison is with Maria Callas or Renata Tebaldi, is very difficult to reach that level. But I think there were quite a few pretty interesting Italian sopranos during the period chosen in the OP. Some of them already mentioned.

I have also a soft spot for Rosanna Carteri, that started very young and retired early to live a family life.

This "Onegin" sung in Italian, was very nice:






Or this "Iris" duet with Di Stefano:






A complete "Traviata":


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Virginia Zeani


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Not Italian but a superb Turkish soprano, Leyla Gencer who got caught in the downdraught of the Callas/Tebaldi years.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

> I have also a soft spot for Rosanna Carteri, that started very young and retired early to live a family life.


*Carteri* (mentioned by Schigolch) was a recent discovery for me also when buying some of the new RCA remastered operas, lost in the shuffle of deep talent pool back then, great talent cut short....

Also *Tucci* mentioned by Conte sang with the all great singers of the time but lost in back waves of deep talent pool, some amazing recording survive though like famous Trovatore with Corelli.....


























Also must mention *Cerquetti* who was massively talented dramatic soprano with huge voice that could sing the great bel canto roles with fine technique and dramatic flair, unfortunately she quit at her peak popularity overcome from pressure of performance at the top and wanting some sense of normalcy for her life again........this Ernani will blow you away, five titans indeed!

















How can one sing "vissi d arte" and still stand out from the greatest singers ever, with voice and technique like this:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Virginia Zeani


Turns out that Zeani is Romanian.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Stella Roman is hardly mentioned much today but popular at MET / La scala in 1940s overshadowed by the stars like Zinka Milanov still she had her moments of fame.....

Check her bel canto technique as Leonora, very nice:


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Anita Cerquetti - Anch'io dischiuso un giorno - Salgo già del trono aurato - Nabucco - Verdi -1960
Top notch.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

does Italian-American count? If so, Dusolina Giannini is worth a listen


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Stella Roman was also Romanian, but I guess the intention was perhaps to discuss sopranos from the 40s-50s-60s, that mainly sang Italian repertoire?.

To me, Anita Cerquetti does belong to the Callas-Tebaldi tier of top singers. Of course, her career was very short, even shorter than Callas's, but her wonderful voice and great singing technique were outstanding.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

schigolch said:


> Stella Roman was also Romanian, but I guess the intention was perhaps to discuss sopranos from the 40s-50s-60s, that mainly sang Italian repertoire?.
> 
> To me, Anita Cerquetti does belong to the Callas-Tebaldi tier of top singers. Of course, her career was very short, even shorter than Callas's, but her wonderful voice and great singing technique were outstanding.


Cerquetti not only had very short career measured by time (retired at 30) but I know of only 1 studio opera recording available the Decca Gioconda, everything else we have is live performance of variable sound quality and a couple recitals so future opera fans are at a loss


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

> I've just 'discovered' the soprano Carla Gavazzi who appears on a number of the *Cetra recordings from the 50s*. I like what I've heard so far, although she doesn't compare with my favourites from that period. She retired early to look after an ill son, but had a career in Italy in the 40s and 50s in Verdi and Puccini, specialising in verismo.


I would love to see all those Cetra recordings collected together in a boxset with *Original Art Covers* which I love for their primitive almost child like simplicity but bold visual impact. Some of these crazy operas are hard to find or very expensive and feature a mixture of well known and 2nd, 3rd tier singers....but fun to discover these lost names now!


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

DarkAngel said:


> I would love to see all those Cetra recordings collected together in a boxset with *Original Art Covers* which I love for their primitive almost child like simplicity but bold visual impact. Some of these crazy operas are hard to find or very expensive and feature a mixture of well known and 2nd, 3rd tier singers....but fun to discover these lost names now!


I love that Aida recording (very much overlooked). I have been looking at the Cetras and going through listening to as many as possible and whilst I wouldn't need to listen to most of them again, there are some gems there. I too have been thinking that they could be put together as a box set as they make a comprehensive survey of 19th century Italian opera (with some forays into earlier and latter rep). However, that would be a huge box. I'm surprised that they didn't produce a Verdi box when they reissued the Verdi recordings for the 2013 anniversary though.

N.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

DarkAngel said:


> *Carteri* (mentioned by Schigolch) was a recent discovery for me also when buying some of the new RCA remastered operas, lost in the shuffle of deep talent pool back then, great talent cut short....
> 
> Also *Tucci* mentioned by Conte sang with the all great singers of the time but lost in back waves of deep talent pool, some amazing recording survive though like famous Trovatore with Corelli.....
> 
> ...


Tucci and Cerquetti are quite recent discoveries for me and this Trovatore and Aida are two of Simionato's best recordings. It would have been wonderful if Callas had been up to recording another Leonora in that set (WOW!!), however it wasn't to be and Tucci isn't to be sniffed at. Her voice may not be particularly memorable, but she can sing the role and with enough drama to make it a very successful set.

N.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

the Italian spinto soprano Antoinetta Stella is CRIMINALLY underrated


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Turns out that Zeani is Romanian.


That's fine, when starting the thread I sort of forgot that Maria Verna started out life as Mary Curtis...

I suppose I _meant_ sopranos active in Italy in Italian rep at that time.

It's great to see people's suggestions in this thread.

N.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

The prestige of Maria Callas is so great, that today we mostly remember Margherita Carosio as the sick soprano that was replaced by the young Callas, just before a performance of "I Puritani".










However, Carosio was a leading soprano during a long time, starting her career while still very young in the 1920s, and retiring in 1959.

A few examples of her singing:


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Good mention Schigolch with miss Carosio especially that Callas connection.....

Checking the La Scala archives the go to sopranos for the major bel canto roles in late 1940 > mid 1950s besides major names we know include these two.....Conte will be proud to know they made the cover of a Cetra album
















Maria Caniglia























Adriana Guerrini


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Another forgotten La Scala soprano of the 1960s era - Ilva Ligabue








Ilva Ligabue


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> the Italian spinto soprano Antoinetta Stella is CRIMINALLY underrated


Something is wrong with her breathing in that "Un bel di." Can you hear the way phrases are abruptly chopped off, not fully extended and supported to the end? The tempo seems rushed to accommodate a physical weakness.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Something is wrong with her breathing in that "Un bel di." Can you hear the way phrases are abruptly chopped off, not fully extended and supported to the end? The tempo seems rushed to accommodate a physical weakness.


Great voice, mediocre artist.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

howlingfantods said:


> Great voice, mediocre artist.


I have to agree, IMHO Stella was an _overrated_ artist and I can't really understand how she ended up in so many EMI recordings (Don Carlo, Boccanegra, Traviata etc.) Stella always pales when in the presence of 1st tier artists, whereas Tucci, Cerquetti and some of the others hold their own in the few recordings they appear in.

N.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Lina Pagliughi (who has a very fun name to say): 





Another fun to say one in Pia Tassinari, giving a beautiful performance of Mascagni's lovely _L'amico Fritz_:





More obscure is Maria Vitale, displaying her excellent lower register and verismo voice in _Thais_:





Also obscure, Eugenia Ratti:





A bit caprino, but Giuliana Tavolaccini had a warm voice in this _Lodoletta_ broadcast:





I personally think Petrella was often first rate, and never cared much for Pobbe. Her voice seemed to lack its center. Stella was variable. She was often better live than in studio, but she's really excellent in the RAI film of _Andrea Chenier_ with Del Monaco and Taddei. In general, I wish we had such "second rate" singers today.


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## The Wolf (Apr 28, 2017)

Caterina Mancini ("Lucrezia Borgia" - Teatro Alla Scala, 1950)


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Gré Brouwenstijn; "D'amor sull'ali rosee"; Il trovatore; Giuseppe Verdi
Not Italian, if she had be born there she would be more admired.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Rogerx said:


> Gré Brouwenstijn; "D'amor sull'ali rosee"; Il trovatore; Giuseppe Verdi
> Not Italian, if she had be born there she would be more admired.


8/10. needs more chest voice, but the upper 80% of the voice was quite nice.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Check this amazing resource - *Forgotten Opera Singers Blog*
Scroll down right side to access past entries - year and month
http://forgottenoperasingers.blogspot.com/2018/

And Ebay Store (830 items)
https://www.ebay.com/str/forgottenoperasingers

I think even Schigolch will be impresssed with how deep this info source goes..........


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## Revitalized Classics (Oct 31, 2018)

Thanks for the interesting topic. I've some suggestions for sopranos who were active in Italy during this period. 
A lot of them have fine voices and when you scan through the discographies they often performed such challenging parts as Abigaille, Elisabetta, Norma, Elena and Odabella as well as the various verismo operas which were far more frequently performed than today.

Maria Pedrini singing Elisabetta from Verdi's Don Carlo in 1953




(I think this is actually with Jose Soler singing rather than Mirto Picchi)

Margherita Roberti (actually American) singing Amelia from Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera in 1960





Mirella Parutto singing Eboli from Verdi's Don Carlo in 1969





Floriana Cavalli singing Leonora from Verdi's La Forza del Destino in 1962


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## Revitalized Classics (Oct 31, 2018)

Some more...

Anna De Cavallieri (another capable American singing in Italy during this period) singing Turandot in 1966





Margherita Guglielmi singing Lucia in 1969





Rita Orlandi-Malaspina singing Odabella from Atilla in 1975





Carla Castellani with Mario del Monaco in Ballo in 1946





and the unforgettable Elena Souliotis singing Abigaille at La Scala in 1966





Thanks,
David


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

schigolch said:


> The prestige of Maria Callas is so great, that today we mostly remember Margherita Carosio as the sick soprano that was replaced by the young Callas, just before a performance of "I Puritani".
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Interesting listening to Carosio. She obviously had a light and appealing voice, but even the higher stretches of _Traviata_ tax her overmuch. In Sempre libera," she was frankly done before she was done. Fortunately she didn't attempt the final high E-flat, instead settling for a B-flat that was nonetheless a bit flatter than normal.

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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