Description

HINA SPANI (PUÁN, ARGENTINA 15 FEBRUARY, 1896 – BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, 11 JULY, 1969)

Her real name was Higinia Tuñon. She began her vocal studies at the age of eight, gave a concert in Córdoba (Argentina) at twelve, then studied with Amanda Campodonico in Buenos Aires, and from 1914 with Vittorio Moratti in Milan. She made her debut at La Scala in Milan in 1915 as Anna in A. Catalani’s Loreley. In 1915, she was engaged by the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and appeared as Samaritana in the South American premiere of R. Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini. She had great success there until 1919. She appeared at the Teatro Colón in 1919 as Micaela in Carmen, Nedda in Pagliacci opposite Enrico Caruso, and in 1918 in the premiere of the Argentine opera Tucumán by Leopoldo Díaz. The same year, she also sang in the world premiere of Felipe Boero’s Tucumán. In 1919, she returned to Italy and performed at the Teatro Regio in Turin in P. Mascagni’s Zanetto, then at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples (1922, Sieglinde in Walküre and in the premiere of the opera Glauco by Alberto Franchetti), and at the Teatro Regio in Parma (Elsa in Lohengrin). On March 26, 1923, she appeared at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires in the world premiere of Felipe Boero’s Raquela and on the same evening in the premiere of Manuel de Falla’s La Vida Breve. She also sang at the Teatro Colón as Mathilde in G. Rossini’s Guillaume Tell and in 1923 in the first performance of Debora e Jaele by I. Pizzetti. She guested in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In 1924, she sang at the funeral of Giacomo Puccini in Milan Cathedral. At the Arena di Verona, she appeared in 1924 as Maddalena in U. Giordano’s Andrea Chénier. During the 1924-1925 season, she had great success at La Scala. In 1930, she performed with the La Scala Ensemble in Paris. In 1925, she was heard at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, and from 1925 to 1929, she performed frequently at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona and in Madrid. In 1928, she took part in an Australian tour with an opera troupe organized by the famous prima donna Nellie Melba. Until 1934, she performed at major Italian opera houses, especially La Scala and the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. She was admired in guest performances and concerts in Paris, London, Spain, Switzerland, Australia, and South America. In the 1934-1940 seasons, she performed again at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In 1936, she sang in the premiere of La Sangre de las Guitarras and in the title role of Maria Egiziaca by O. Respighi. Since 1936, she taught singing in Buenos Aires, though she continued to give occasional concerts. From 1952, she worked as the director of the Music School of the University in Buenos Aires.

TRACKLIST

1. Amarilli (Caccini) AV15 (30-944) HMV, Milano 1929-07-01
2. Antico amore (Alte Liebe) (Brahms) AV24 (30-3520) HMV, Milano 1930-04-22
3. Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Ma dall’arido stelo DB1045 (2-053291) HMV, Milano 1927-03-11
4. Bohème (Puccini) Donde lieta usci DA879 (7-53112) HMV, Milano 1927-03-12
5. Canción del carretero (Lopez Buchardo) AV32 (30-4069) HMV, Milano 1930-04-17
6. Canzone boeme (Dvorák) No 5, Tune thy strings, o gipsy, No 7, Give the hawk a cage DA1246 (30-1110) HMV, Milano 1929-04-19
7. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Tu qui Santuzza, pt 1 and pt 2 with Paolo Masini 17607 17608 Columbia 1924
8. Coplas de curro dulce (Obradors) AV33 (30-4070) HMV, Milano 1930-05-02
9. Dia di Fiesta, Ballata argentina No 2 (Ugarte) AV33 (30-3538) HMV, Milano 1930-04-17
10. Fanciullina (Ciampi) AV32 (30-945) HMV, Milano 1929-07-01
11. Faust (Gounod) Ei m’ama DB1163 (2-053320) HMV, Milano 1928-04-03
12. Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Sombre forêt HMB138 0F168 HMV, Milano 1931-07-07
13. Il mago sabbiolino (Sandmännchen) (Brahms) AV24 (30-3521) HMV, Milano 1930-04-15
14. Lohengrin (Wagner) Aurette a cui si spesso DB1164 (2-053293) HMV, Milano 1927-03-15
15. Lohengrin (Wagner) Solo nei miei prim’anni DB1164 (2-053323) HMV, Milano 1928-04-10
16. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Tu, tu, piccolo Iddio DA1060 (30-885) HMV, Milano 1929-05-06
17. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Un bel di 17631 Columbia 1924
18. Manon (Massenet) Addio, la nostra picciol desco DB1503 (32-686) HMV, Milano 1929-05-03
19. Manon Lescaut (Puccini) In quelle trine morbide 17632 Columbia 1924
20. Manon Lescaut (Puccini) In quelle trine morbide DA879 (7-53115) HMV, Milano 1927-03-10
21. Montañesa (Nin) AV25 (30-4071) HMV, Milano 1930-05-02
22. O primavera (Tirindelli) DA1246 (30-6228) HMV, Milano 1931-07
23. Otello (Verdi) Quando narravi…Venga la morte (w. Zenatello) DB1006 (2-054173), DB1006 (2-054174) HMV, Milano 1926-11-09
24. Otello (Verdi) Salce salce (2-053321), HMB138 HMV, Milano 1928-04-03
25. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Decidi il mio destin…No, tu non m’ami (w. Granforte) DB1046 (2-054175), DB1046 (2-054176) HMV, Milano 1927-03-12
26. Quel ruscelletto, Arietta (Paradies) AV23 (30-3518) HMV, Milano 1930-04-14
27. Se Florindo è fedele (Scarlatti) AV15 (30-946) HMV, Milano 1929-07-01
28. Se tu m’ami, Arietta (Pergolesi) AV23 (30-3519) HMV, Milano 1930-04-14
29. Tonadillas (Granados) El majo discreto AV25 (30-4072) HMV, Milano 1930-05-02
30. Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d’arte 17606 Columbia 1924
31. Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d’arte DA1060 (30-884) HMV, Milano 1929-05-03
32. Trovatore (Verdi) D’amor sull’ali DB1503 (2-053324) HMV, Milano 1928-04-10
33. Trovatore (Verdi) Tacea la notte DB1045 (2-053292) HMV, Milano 1927-03-15
34. Wally (Catalani) Ebben, ne andrò lontana DB1163 (2-053322) HMV, Milano 1928-04-03