Description

CLAUDIA MUZIO (PAVIA, ITALY, 7 FEBRUARY, 1889 – ROME, ITALY, 24 MAY, 1936)

 

 

 

 

Her father worked as an opera director at Covent Garden in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, while her mother sang in the choir of the Metropolitan Opera. Claudia Muzio first studied harp, then voice with Annetta Casaloni in Turin, and later with Elettra Callery-Viviani in Milan. In 1911, she made her debut at the Teatro Petrarca in Arezzo in the title role of Manon Lescaut by Puccini. In 1912, she achieved sensational success in the same role at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan. During the 1913-1914 season, at La Scala in Milan, she was celebrated for her performances as Desdemona in Otello and Fiora in L’amore dei tre re by Montemezzi. In 1914, she also sang the role of Mariella in the world premiere of Smareglia’s Abisso at La Scala.

In 1913, she appeared at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and in 1914, she made a brilliant guest appearance at Covent Garden, singing Manon, Margherita in Boito’s Mefistofele, and Mimi in La Bohème (with Enrico Caruso as Rodolfo). In 1915, she enjoyed great success at the Havana Opera. In 1916, she was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debuting as Tosca, and remained one of its leading sopranos until 1921. On December 14, 1918, she sang Giorgetta in the world premiere of Puccini’s Il Tabarro, and in 1920, she performed the role of Tatiana in the Italian premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. At the Met, she also took part in the first performances of Catalani’s Loreley (1922) and Giordano’s Andrea Chénier (1921). Altogether, she appeared in 152 performances at the Metropolitan Opera.

From 1922 to 1932, she sang with equal success at the Chicago Opera. During this time, she made guest appearances at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, as well as in Havana and Rio de Janeiro. In 1926, she performed the title role in Puccini’s Turandot at its South American premiere at the Teatro Colón. At the Teatro Colón, she appeared in 23 different roles and sang in 232 performances, also participating in the world premiere of the Argentine opera Ollontay by Constantino Gaita on July 23, 1926.

In 1926, she returned to Italy, performing triumphantly at leading theaters. In 1934, she was re-engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York, though she only sang the roles of Violetta in La Traviata and Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana. On February 15, 1934, she created the title role in the premiere of Licinio Refice’s sacred opera Cecilia at the Rome Opera.

In 1932, she sang Tosca for the opening of the new San Francisco Opera House, where she had previously performed during the 1924-1926 seasons. During the 1935-1936 season, she undertook a South American tour. On May 24, 1936, after a brief illness, she passed away in a Rome hotel from what was officially described as heart failure at the age of 47. She is buried in the Cimitero del Verano in Rome. Her goddaughter was the soprano Claudia Pinza Bozzolla.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Trovatore (Verdi): Tacea la notte placida… Di tale amor 82223 7611 Edison, New York 1920-11-01
2. Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky): Sei forse l’angelo fedele 82224 7614 Edison, New York 1920-11-03
3. Salvator Rosa (Gomes): Mia piccirella 82216 7619 Edison, New York 1920-11-05
4. Andrea Chénier (Giordano): La mamma morta 82224 7622 Edison, New York 1920-11-08
5. Crisantemi (Sodero) 82218 7628 Edison, New York 1920-11-11
6. Chère nuit (Bachelet) 82218 7629 Edison, New York 1920-11-11
7. Wally (Catalani): Ebben, ne andrò lontano 82232 7645 Edison, New York 1920-11-22
8. Trovatore (Verdi): D’amor sull’ali rosee 82223 7610 Edison, New York 1920-12-06
9. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Qual fiamma avea nel guardo (Ballatella) 82232 7608 Edison, New York 1921-01-24
10. Bohème (Puccini): Sì, mi chiamano Mimì 82234 7767 Edison, New York 1921-01-31
11. Zazà (Leoncavallo): Ammogliato… Dir che ci sono al mondo 82243 7621 Edison, New York 1921-03-14
12. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Nedda! Silv io, a quest’ota (w. Laurenti) 82247 7856 Edison, New York 1921-03-21
13. Aspiration (Nocturne) (Chopin) 82234 7880 Edison, New York 1921-04-01
14. Eternamente (Mascheroni) 82243 7941 Edison, New York 1921-04-27
15. Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Del sultano Amuratte… Ecco, respiro appena… Io son l’umile ancella 82247 7950 Edison, New York 1921-04-29
16. Loreley (Catalani): Dove son? 82320 7933 Edison, New York 1922-03-08
17. Mefistofele (Boito): L’altra notte 82305 8380 Edison, New York 1922-03-13
18. Mme Sans-Gêne (Giordano): Che me ne faccio del vostro castello 82305 8381
19. Bianca e Fernando (Bellini): Sorgi, o padre 82267 8392 Edison, New York 1922-03-24
20. Forza del destino (Verdi): Pace, pace mio Dio 82267 8397 Edison, New York 1922-03-28
21. Hérodiade (Massenet): Egli è bel 82309 8409 Edison, New York 1922-04-07
22. Africaine (Meyerbeer): Figlia del sol 82300 8427 Edison, New York 1922-04-19
23. Rinaldo (Händel): Lascia ch’io pianga 82300 8429 Edison, New York 1922-04-21
24. Lombardi (Verdi): O madre, dal cielo soccorri al mio pianto… Se vano è il pregare 82309 8450
25. La separazione (Rossini) 82291 8850 Edison, New York 1923-02-16
26. Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Son pochi fiori 82291 8851 Edison, New York 1923-02-16
27. Paride e Elena (Gluck): Spiagge amate 82287 8854 Edison, New York 1923-02-19
28. Mal d’amore (Buzzi-Peccia) 82287 8855 Edison, New York 1923-02-19
29. Shepherd’s love (Monahan) 82317 9400 Edison, New York 1924-03-04
30. Vêpres Siciliennes (Verdi): Mercè, dilette amiche 82320 9404 Edison, New York 1924-03-05
31. Guardami! (Guagni-Benvenuti) 82339 9405 Edison, New York 1924-03-05
32. Carmen (Bizet): Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante 82324 9412 Edison, New York 1924-03-10
33. Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach): Elle a fui, la tourterelle 82324 9413 Edison, New York 1924-03-10
34. Orange Blossoms (Herbert): A kiss in the dark 82317 9414 Edison, New York 1924-03-11
35. Se tu m’ami (Pergolesi) 82339 9970 Edison, New York 1925-01-27