Description

ELISA BRUNO (TURIN, ITALY 1869 – ?)

 

 

 

 

She studied singing with Antonietta Fricci at the Liceo Musicale in Turin. She made her debut in 1890 in Valencia as La Cieca in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. That same year, she appeared at the Teatro Politeama in Genoa as Siebel in Gounod’s Faust and reprised the role of La Cieca. During the 1891-1892 season, she performed at the Teatro Municipale in Modena, notably as Lola in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.

In the 1893-94 season, she guested at the Teatro Grande in Brescia as Emilia in Verdi’s Otello and participated in the premiere of G. Coronaro’s opera Il Malacarne. Her career took her to various prestigious venues, including the Teatro Alfieri in Turin and the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, where she performed Nicolai’s Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor in 1894. She also sang Mrs. Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff at the Teatro Comunale in Ferrara in 1895 and appeared at the Teatro Sociale in Como and Teatro Vittorio Emanuele in Turin.

In 1899, she performed at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa in Massenet’s Sapho and Mancinelli’s Ero e Leandro. Her La Scala debut came during the 1898-99 season, where she enjoyed great success as Edvige in Rossini’s Guglielmo Tell. At La Scala, she also took on notable roles such as Ortrud in Wagner’s Lohengrin and Erda in Siegfried. In 1902, she sang in Verdi’s Requiem under the baton of Arturo Toscanini.

She made guest appearances at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome from 1902 to 1906. On December 26, 1906, under Toscanini’s direction at La Scala, she participated in the Italian premiere of Richard Strauss’s Salome. Between 1906 and 1909, she continued her association with La Scala, appearing in significant productions, including the premiere of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov with Feodor Chaliapin in 1909 and the Italian premiere of Xavier Leroux’s Theodora.

In 1905, she performed in Bologna at the Teatro Comunale for the premiere of Vittorio Gnecchi’s opera Cassandra. Two years later, she participated in the Italian premiere of Massenet’s Ariane at the Teatro Regio in Turin.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1892 Siena Teatro dei Rinnovati Cavalleria rusticana (Lola)

1893 Asti Teatro Alfieri Cavalleria rusticana (Lola)

1894 Torino Teatro Alfieri Cavalleria rusticana (Lola)

1897 Bari Teatro Piccinni Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)

1899 Padova Teatro Garibaldi Carmen (Carmen)

1900 Pavia Teatro Guidi Carmen (Carmen)

1900 Feltre Teatro Sociale Carmen (Carmen)

1901 Genova Teatro Paganini Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)

1901 Cesena Teatro Comunale Carmen (Carmen)

1904 Roma Teatro Costanzi Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)

1905 Roma Teatro Costanzi Adriana Lecouvreur (Principessa)

1912 Budapest Volgsopera Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Trovatore (Verdi): Stride la vampa 53227 1724G G&T, Milano 1902
2. Favorita (Donizetti): O mio Fernando 53137 4339G G&T, Milano 1902
3. Samson e Dalila (Saint-Saens):  Romanza di Dalila 53241 1726G G&T, Milano 1902
4. Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): Racconto di Pierotto 53229 1728b G&T, Milano 1902
5. Gioconda (Ponchielli): A te questo rosario 86137 Pathé cylinders & discs, Milano 1905/1906
6. Trovatore (Verdi): Mal reggendo all’aspro assalto with Giovanni Zenatello 92880 XPh 4683 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-23
7. Trovatore (Verdi): Gia I sacerdoti with Giovanni Zenatello 92827 XPh 4685 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-23
8. Aida (Verdi): Misero appien mi festi with Giovanni Zenatello 92828 XPh 4686 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-23
9. Trovatore (Verdi): Non m’inganna quel fioco lume? with Giovanni Zenatello and Ester Mazzoleni 74168 XXPh 4710 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-06-09
10. Favorita (Donizetti) O mio Fernando 86150 Pathé cylinders & discs, Milano 1905/1906