Description

PAOLA (PAULA) KORALEK (ESZEK, 14 JULY, 1882 – VIAREGGIO, 1924)

 

 

 

 

Paola Koralek, an Hungarian soprano that made her debut at Royal Theatre of Budapest in “The Queen of Saba”, was often in Italy on tour. In August 1908 she reached Pistoia, in September she was in Varese and in October in Forlì; then she treaded the boards of Vittorio Emanuele Theatre in Messina. On December, 28, together with the tenor Angelo Gamba, she sang Aida in front of an enthusiast Sicilian public. That evening, people from Messina and Reggio Calabria flocked in to enjoy a second performance besides the Opera. That Sunday, they had two reasons to be particularly euphoric: in fact, at sunset, Reggio Calabria provided a priceless show to everybody could admire it from the opposite Sicily. In one click, some roads were enlightened as if by magic by the “new light”, such as the electric light. These were two very good occasions to protract the celebrations late at night. The following Monday, at 5,20 in the morning, a three seconds telluric shock, followed by a violent seaquake, tragically woke up the two cities bringing a great number of people from sleep to death in a flash. Paola Koralek, mad with fear, threw herself out of a window of the Hotel Trinacria and received injuries to the four limbs that influenced her artistic career forever. Alas, her stage fellow Angelo Gamba was much more unluckier. He reached Messina with his family to spend the New Year’s holidays, but he was buried under the debris with all his relatives. Trapped to the neck, he couldn’t help his kin that cried louder and louder. Hearing the terrible silence that followed the last supplication of one of his relatives, Gamba died of a broken heart. Some of the rescuing assured to have heard him singing, in a whisper before dying, “O terra addio, addio valle di pianto”. It was the aria that a few hours before provided him loud applause: Radamès and Aida’s farewell to the world.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1903 Savona Teatro Chiabrera Tosca (Tosca)

1904 Biella Teatro Sociale Tosca (Tosca)

1905 Modena Teatro Municipale Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)

1906 Reggio Emilia Teatro Municipale Fedora (Fedora)

1907 Catania Teatro Bellini Tosca (Tosca)

1908 Pistoia Politeama Mabellini Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)

1909 Firenze Politeama Nazionale Aida (Aida)

1910 Novara Teatro Coccia Gioconda (Gioconda)

1911 Venezia Teatro La Fenice Gioconda (Gioconda)

1912 Palermo Teatro Massimo Gioconda (Gioconda)

1913 Brescia Teatro Grande Gioconda (Gioconda)

1914 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Gioconda (Gioconda)

1917 Firenze Hotel Baglioni Concerto

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Aida (Verdi) Pur ti riveggo (w. Albani) Unpubl., 759-B, Edison, 4 July 1911, London
2. Faust (Gounod) Signor, concesso sia all’umil vostr’ancella (w. Malatesta) Unpubl., 765-B, Edison, 7 July 1911, London
3. Germania (Franchetti) Tu non sei buono 10099 86335 Pathé, Milano 1912
4. Gioconda (Ponchielli) A te questo rosario 86333 Pathé, Milano 1912
5. Gioconda (Ponchielli) Così mantieni il patto (w. Benedetti) 760-A Edison, Milano 1912
6. Gioconda (Ponchielli) L’amo come il fulgor (w. López-Nuñez) 86334 Pathé, Milano 1912
7. Gioconda (Ponchielli) O madre mia 86332 Pathé, Milano 1912
8. Gioconda (Ponchielli) Ora posso morir… Ebbrezza (w. Pacini) 86344, 86345 Pathé, Milano
9. Gioconda (Ponchielli) Preghiera 86331 Pathé, Milano 1912
10. Isabeau (Mascagni) Sol ultima preghiera (w. Di Bernardo) 12571 86239 Pathé, Milano 1912
11. Traviata (Verdi) Addio del passato 86336 Pathé, Milano 1912
12. Trovatore (Verdi) Infida, qual voce alto! (w. Benedetti & Albani) Unpubl., 761-B, Edison, 5 July 1911, London