Description

MARGHERITA CAROSIO (GENOA, ITALY, 7 JUNE, 1908 – GENOA, ITALY, 10 JANUARY, 2005)

 

 

 

 

Her father, composer Natale Carosio, directed her musical education, and she also studied at the Conservatorio Paganini in Genoa. At the age of 16, she began her career by performing in concert halls. In 1926, she made her operatic debut at the city theater of Novi Ligure as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor. That same year, she appeared at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa in Siegfried.

By 1928, she had achieved international recognition, performing at Covent Garden Opera in London as Musetta in La Bohème. In 1929, she joined La Scala in Milan, where she remained a regular performer until 1955. Her debut role at La Scala was Oscar in Un ballo in maschera. She took part in several notable premieres at La Scala, including Egloge in Mascagni’s Nerone (1935), Aminta in the Italian premiere of Richard Strauss’s Die schweigsame Frau (1936), and a role in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko (1938).

Her guest appearances included performances in Antwerp, Nice, Monte Carlo, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (1937 and 1954, in Le Coq d’or), Teatro Liceo in Barcelona (1953 as Linda di Chamounix), the Stadttheater in Zurich (1946), the State Operas in Vienna and Berlin (1941 as Adina), and other major Italian opera houses. She performed at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in 1940 and 1950, notably as Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Beniamino Gigli.

At the Arena di Verona in 1932, 1936, and 1939, she sang roles such as Gilda in Rigoletto. In 1939, she portrayed Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Salzburg Festival. At Teatro San Carlo in Naples, she participated in the premiere of Beatrice Cenci by Giuseppe Pannain (1942). The following year, she embarked on a major concert tour of Germany.

In 1946, she returned to Covent Garden Opera with the Teatro San Carlo ensemble, and in 1950, she appeared there again. She toured England and South Africa in 1948 and 1951 and gave guest performances in Cairo and Alexandria. In 1954, she performed the title role in the Teatro alla Scala premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amelia al ballo.

In 1949, she made a successful guest appearance in Paris. She also appeared in several films, further enhancing her public profile. After retiring, she lived in Genoa, where she worked as a journalist and music critic and published a music magazine, Retroscena.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Andalusa (Granados) DA5404 0BA4329 HMV, Milano 1941
2. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Dunque io son (w. Tagliabue) DB6387 2EA11293 HMV, London 1946-10-14
3. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Io sono docile DB6379 2EA11301 HMV, London 1946-10-17
4. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Una voce poco fa DB6379 2EA11300 HMV, London 1946-10-17
5. 6. Betly (Donizetti) Cavatina, pt 1 and pt 2 DA1910 DA1910 0EA13469 0EA13470 HMV, London 1948-11-26
6. Bohème (Puccini) Sì, mi chiamano Mimì DB6343 2EA11219 HMV, London 1946-09-19
7. Capuleti ed i Montecchi (Bellini) Oh! Quante volte DB21336 DB21336 HMV, London 1951-05-20
8. Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Quel guardo DB6858 2EA12904 HMV, London 1948-04-13
9. Elisir d’amore (Donizetti) Prendi, prendi, per me sei libero DB6867 2EA12905 HMV, London 1948-04-13
10. 12. I Pastori, pt 1 and pt 2 (Pizzetti) DA5403 DA5403 0BA4326 0BA4327 HMV, Milano 1941
11. Lina (Ponchielli) La madre mia DB6388 2EA11305 HMV, London 1946-10-18
12. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Appressati, Lucia (w. Tagliabue) DB6358 2EA11302 HMV, London 1946-10-17
13. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Soffriva nel pianto (w. Tagliabue) DB6358 2EA11303 HMV, London 1946-10-17
14. Manon (Massenet) Ebben! Lo deggio! DB21336 2EA15659 HMV, London 1951-05-27
15. Rigoletto (Verdi) Ah! Solo per me l’infamia (w. Tagliabue) DB6387 2EA11304 HMV, London 1946-10-18
16. Rigoletto (Verdi) Tutte le feste al tempio DB6867 2EA12906 HMV, London 1948-04-13
17. Sonnambula (Bellini) Ah! non credea mirarti DB6388 2EA11306 HMV, London 1946-10-18
18. Traviata (Verdi) Addio del passato DB6343 2EA11220-3A HMV, London 1946-09-19