Description

EUGENIA MANTELLI (FLORENCE, ITALY,  1860 – LISBON, PORTUGAL, 3 MARCH, 1926)

 

 

 

 

She studied at the Milan Conservatory, making her debut in 1883 at the Teatro San Carlo in Lisbon as Urbain in Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. That same year, she made guest appearances in Italy, first performing in Treviso as Kaled in Massenet’s Le Roi de Lahore. Her talent quickly garnered attention, leading to successful tours with the legendary Spanish tenor Julián Gayarre in Germany, Italy, and South America.

In 1889, she appeared alongside the celebrated baritone Mattia Battistini in Buenos Aires. A few years later, in 1894, she performed in Moscow with the renowned tenor Francesco Tamagno. Her international stature continued to grow, and in 1896 she performed at London’s Covent Garden as Brünnhilde in Wagner’s Die Walküre (still sung in French).

Between 1894 and 1900, she was a prominent member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Her debut there in 1894 was as Amneris in Verdi’s Aida. Her repertoire at the Met included key roles such as Azucena in Il Trovatore, Emilia in Otello, Ortrud in Lohengrin, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana, Fides in Le Prophète, Leonora in La Favorita, Nancy in Martha, the Queen in Hamlet, Queen Guinevere in the premiere of Herman Bemberg’s Elaine (1894), and Dalila in Samson et Dalila.

In 1902, she performed at the Manhattan Opera House in New York, taking on the title role in Mascagni’s Zanetto. She was re-engaged by the Metropolitan Opera for the 1902-1903 season. The following season, she embarked on a U.S. tour with her own opera troupe. By 1904-1905, she shifted to operetta performances in New York.

After 1905, she settled in Lisbon. However, she continued to make guest appearances, such as her 1908 performance as Carmen at the Teatro Politeama in Genoa. Her final stage appearance occurred in 1910 in Lisbon, marking the end of an illustrious career.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1883 Lisbon Teatro San Carlo Huguenots (Urbain)

1883 Treviso Opera Le Roi de Lahore (Kaled)

1896 London Covent Garden Walküre (Brünnhilde)

1894-1900 New York Metropolitan Opera Aida (Amneris/Debut)

1902 New York Manhattan Opera House Zanetto (Silvia)

1902-1903 New York Metropolitan Opera

1908 Genoa Teatro Politeama Carmen (Carmen)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Cenerentola (Rossini): Nacqui all’affano 12614 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
2. Cenerentola (Rossini): Non più mesta 12615 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
3. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Dunque io son (w. Parvis) 12575 Zonophone, New York 1905?
4. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Una voce poco fa 12592 Zonophone, New York 1905?
5. Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti): Brindisi 12587 Zonophone, New York 1905?
6. Favorita (Donizetti): O mio Fernando 12591 Zonophone, New York 1905?
7. Favorita (Donizetti): Ah l’altro ardor (w. Parvis) 12572 Zonophone, New York 1905?
8. Don Giovanni (Mozart): La ci darem la mano (w. Parvis) 12573 Zonophone, New York 1905?
9. Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Canzone del paggio 12590 Zonophone, New York 1905?
10. Huguenots (Meyerbeer): No… giammai de giovin paggio unpubl Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
11. Mignon (Thomas): Duetto delle rondinelle (w. Parvis) 12574 Zonophone, New York 1905?
12. Mignon (Thomas): Non conosci il bel suol 12622 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
13. Faust (Gounod): Le parlate d’amor 12617 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
14. Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Chanson de Stéphano unpubl Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
15. Carmen (Bizet): Habanera 11009 Zonophone, New York 1905?
16. Carmen (Bizet): Seguidilla 11012 Zonophone, New York 1905?
17. Carmen (Bizet): Canzone boema 12616 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
18. Trovatore (Verdi): Stride la vampa 12593 Zonophone, New York 1905?
19. Gioconda (Ponchielli): Voce di donna 12586 Zonophone, New York 1905?
20. Pur dicesti (Lotti) 12588 Zonophone, New York 1905?
21. Dopo (Tosti) 12620 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
22. Good-bye (Tosti) 12621 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
23. Serenata (Braga) 12613 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
24. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Intermezzo 12618 Zonophone, New York 1906/1907
25. Sans toi (d’Hardelot) 11010 Zonophone, New York 1905?