Description

FERNANDA RAPISARDI (PARMA, 1861/1862 – MILAN, 1960)

 

 

 

She studied singing in Florence under the renowned pedagogue Salvatore Catalanotti and made her operatic debut in 1891 at the Teatro Alhambra in Viareggio, performing the role of Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. After a successful singing career, she transitioned to teaching, imparting her knowledge to future generations of singers at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan. In her later years, she resided at the Casa di Riposo G. Verdi, a retirement home for musicians founded by the composer Giuseppe Verdi, where she spent her final days.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1891 Viareggio Teatro Alhambra Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)

1893 Figline Valdarno Teatro Garibaldi Rigoletto (Gilda)

1895 Roma Teatro Costanzi Norma (Adalgisa)

1897 Bari Teatro Piccinni Norma (Adalgisa)

1899 Bastia Teatro Comunale Boheme (Musetta)

1902 Patrasso Teatro Apollo Boheme (Mimì)

1904 Piacenza Teatro Municipale Fedora (Olga)

1907 Marsiglia Casinò de la Plague Puritani (Elvira)

1909 Bastia Teatro Comunale Traviata (Violetta)

1912 Piove di Sacco Teatro Sociale    Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)

1913 Parma Politeama Reinach Boheme (Musetta)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Quanso rapita in estasi 1320 Zonophone, Milano 1902 (Spring)
2. Puritani (Bellini): Son vergine vezzosa X-422 Zonophone, Milano 1902 (Spring)
3. Carnevale di Venezia (Benedict) 10629 Zonophone, Milano 1902-09?
4. Puritani (Bellini): Vien diletto X-1720 Zonophone, Milano 1902-09?
5. Rigoletto (Verdi): Veglia, o donna with Giuseppe Reschiglian 12322 Zonophone, Milano 1902/1903
6. Traviata (Verdi): Morrò! la mia memoria with Giuseppe Reschiglian X-1523 Zonophone, Milano 1902/1903
7. Bohème (Puccini): Valzer di Musetta 12359 Zonophone, Milano 1903-04?
8. Rigoletto (Verdi): E’ il sol dell’anima with Carlo Ottolini 12353 Zonophone, Milano 1903-04?
9. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Verrano à te with Carlo Ottolini 12354 Zonophone, Milano 1903-04?
10. Traviata (Verdi): Un dì felice with Carlo Ottolini X-2504 Zonophone, Milano 1903-04?
11. Sonnambula (Bellini): Prendi, l’anel ti dono with Carlo Ottolini X-2505 Zonophone, Milano 1903-04?
12. Traviata (Verdi): Ah fors’è lui X-2516 Zonophone, Milano 1903-04?
13. Africana (Meyerbeer): Addio, terra natia Pathé – AICC cylinders & discs, Milano 1903