Description

ERSILDE CERVI-CAROLI (CASUMARO, 24 APRIL, 1883 – FERRARA, 1 DECEMBER, 1964)

 

 

 

 

She studied in Ferrara as a pupil of Elisa Donzelli Stefanini. She made her debut in 1902 at the Teatro Comunale in Cesenatico as Mimì in La Bohème, and by 1906, she debuted at La Scala, Milan, singing the role of Micaela in Carmen. She became especially known as an interpreter of soprano roles in verismo operas, performing in many major Italian opera houses, including the Teatro Costanzi in Rome (where she created the title role in the Italian premiere of Charpentier’s Louise in 1916), Teatro Regio in Parma (1913 as Alice Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff), Teatro Massimo in Palermo (1922), Teatro della Pergola in Florence (1919, in the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica), Teatro La Fenice in Venice (1921), and Teatro Dal Verme in Milan (1924).

In 1914, she made a guest appearance at the Teatro Petit in St. Petersburg, performing in Manon and Tosca. She also appeared in Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Warsaw. She participated in the premieres of contemporary Italian operas, including Maria di Magdala by A. Pedrollo (Rome, 1924), Shanda by F. Lattuada (Genoa, 1924), and Anna Karenina by I. Robbiani (Rome, 1924). In 1936, she gave her final performance at the Teatro Grande in Brescia, singing the title role in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

After retiring, she became a voice teacher and served on the faculty of the opera school at the Teatro Comunale in Florence from 1947 to 1952. Among her pupils were Renata Tebaldi, Clara Petrella, and Lella Gaio.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1902 Cesenatico Teatro Comunale Boheme (Mimi)

1904 Serravalle Politeama Boheme (Mimi)

1906 Firenze Teatro Verdi Guglielmo Tell (Matilde)

1908 Bologna Teatro Olimpia Boheme (Mimi)

1910 Verona Teatro Filarmonico Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San)

1912 Roma Teatro Costanzi Boheme (Mimi)

1914 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San)

1916 Roma Teatro Costanzi Manon Lescaut (Manon)

1918 La Spezia Politeama Duca di Genova Wally (Wally)

1920 Genova Teatro Paganini Fedora (Fedora)

1922 Como Teatro Sociale Anima Allegra di F. Vittadini (Consuelo)

1924 Ravenna Teatro Alighieri Tosca (Tosca)

1926 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Adriana Lecouvreur (Adriana)

1928 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Werther (Carlotta)

1930 Pisa Teatro Verdi Fedora (Fedora)

1932 Malta Teatro Reale Madame Sans-Gene di U. Giordano

1936 Brescia Teatro Sociale Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Carmen (Bizet): Ah! mi parla di lei with Giovanni Zenatello 62004 XPh2341 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-01-18
2. Carmen (Bizet): Ti baciava mia madre with Giovanni Zenatello 62005 XPh2342 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-01-18
3. Carmen (Bizet): Io dico, no, non son paurosa Unpubl. XPh 2343 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-01-18
4. Manon (Massenet): Uscita di Manon Unpubl. XPh 2427 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-02-06
5. Manon (Massenet): Ancor son io 92950 XPh 3194 Fonotipia, Milano 1908-04-28
6. Boheme (Puccini): Si, mi chiamano Mimi 92462 XPh 3195 Fonotipia, Milano 1908-04-28
7. Carmen (Bizet): Ah! mi parla di lei with Mario Gilion 92248 XPh3340 Fonotipia, Milano 1908-05-08
8. Carmen (Bizet): Ti baciava mia madre with Mario Gilion 92249 XPh3341 Fonotipia, Milano 1908-05-08
9. Manon Lescaut (Puccini): In quelle trine morbide 92461 XPh 3834 Fonotipia, Milano 1909-04-20