Description

CLOË ELMO (LECCE, APRIL 9, 1910 – ANKARA, MAY 24, 1962)

She studied at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome with Edvige Ghibaudo, Rinolfi and Pedrini. In 1932 she won a singing competition in Vienna, but continued her studies. She began her stage career in 1935 at the Theater of Cagliari (Sardinia) as Santuzza in ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ and soon had major successes in Italy; she sang here at the La Scala in Milan, at the Rome Opera and on the other major stages. In the 1936-1943 seasons and also after the Second World War (1951-1954) she was constantly to be found at the La Scala. There she made her debut as Meg Page in G. Verdi’s ‘Falstaff’ (1936). At the Maggio musicale in Florence in 1939, she premiered in Vito Frazzi’s opera ‘Re Lear’. She has appeared in other opera premieres: in ‘Re Hassan’ by Giorgio Federico Ghedini (1939, Teatro Fenice Venice), in ‘L’Uragano’ by Lodovico Rocca (1952, La Scala), in ‘Proserpina e lo straniero’ by Juan Castro (1952, La Scala) and in ‘I Festini’ by Gian Francesco Malipiero (1954, Teatro della Novità in Bergamo). After the Second World War she had great success with guest appearances in France, England, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and South America. In the 1947-1948 season she was a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she made a sensational debut as Azucena in ‘Trovatore’. There she also sang the role of Ulrica in G. Verdi’s ‘Ballo in maschera’, Maddalena in ‘Rigoletto’ and her special star role, the Quickly in ‘Falstaff’. In 1948 she appeared as Quickly and Azucena at the San Francisco Opera. Towards the end of her career, she sang again primarily in Italy. Also appreciated as an interpreter of contemporary operas by Malipiero, Rocca, Frazzi and Pedrollo. After her retirement she taught singing at the Ankara Conservatory (1954).

TRACKLIST

1. Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea) L’avrei giurato… Io son sua per l’amore (w. Cigna) BB25029 2-70548-2 Cetra, Torino 1941-03-30
2. Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea) O vagabonda stella BB25033 2-70500 Cetra, Torino 1941-01-11
3. Aida (Verdi) Fu la sorte dell’armi…Ebben quel nuevo fremito (w. Cigna) BB25038 BB25038 2-70545 2-70546 Cetra, Torino 1941-03-30
4. Fedora (Giordano) O grand’occhi lucenti BB25033, 2-70502 Cetra, Torino 1941-01-11
5. Feldeinsamkeit (Solitudine nei campi) (Brahms) AB30001 2-70770 Cetra, Torino 1942-05-04
6. Gioconda (Ponchielli) L’amo come il fulgor (w. Cigna) BB25029 2-70547 Cetra, Torino 1941-03-30
7. Ich liebe dich (Io t’amo) (Grieg) AT0108 51503 Cetra, Torino 1942-03-10
8. Morgen (Domani) (R Strauss) AT0108 51504 Cetra, Torino 1942-03-10
9. Ständchen (Serenata) (R Strauss) AB30001 2-70713 Cetra, Torino 1942-05-04
10. Trovatore (Verdi) Condotta ell’era in ceppi BB25057 2-70499 Cetra, Torino 1941-01-11
11. Trovatore (Verdi) Se m’ami ancor… Ai nostri monti (w. Gigli) DB5385 2BA3650-2 HMV, Milano 1940-01-23
12. Trovatore (Verdi) Stride la vampa 12-1326 E0-RC-833-1,1A RCA Victor, New York 1950-03-25