Celestina Boninsegna Ernani Ernani involami G &T 53417 enregitré en 1905
2Celestina Boninsegna - Ernani - Ernani involami - G.&T. 53417 enregitré en 1905
Celestina Boninsegna (26 February 1877 – 14 February 1947) was an Italian operatic soprano, known for her interpretations of the heroines in Verdi's operas. Although particularly eminent in Verdi's works, she sang a wide repertoire during her 25-year career, including Rosaura in the world premiere of Mascagni's Le maschere. Boninsegna made many recordings between 1904 and 1918, and her voice was one of the most successfully recorded in that period.
Boninsegna was born in Reggio Emilia, where she began to study singing in her youth with Guglielmo Mattioli. She made her professional opera debut at the unusually young age of 15, singing Norina in Don Pasquale. She entered the Conservatorio Gioachino Rossini in Pesaro shortly thereafter, where she studied under Virginia Boccabadati. In 1897 she made her début at Bari as Marguerite in Gounod's Faust.
Subsequently, she sang Rosaura in the first Rome performance of Mascagni's Le maschere. This was followed by many engagements throughout Italy, Europe, and the United States including Covent Garden (1904), La Scala (1904–5), Teatro Real (1905–6), and the Metropolitan Opera (1906–7). She also appeared in Boston (1909–10), at the Liceu in Barcelona (1911–12), in St Petersburg (1914), and in numerous less important theatres in Italy and abroad. She retired from the stage in 1921 and spent the next two decades teaching singing. Amongst her pupils was the Australian dramatic soprano Margherita Grandi.
Boninsegna possessed a rich, resonant voice with a wide compass that was particularly suited to Verdi. She was considered one of the finest interpreters of several Verdi heroines including the title role in Aida, Amelia in Un ballo in maschera, and Leonora in both Il trovatore and La forza del destino. Critics particularly admired her smooth vocal delivery and the dignity and refinement that she gave to the vocal lines of the music.
However, in an era of dynamic and passionate singing actresses (such as Gemma Bellincioni and Emmy Destinn), Boninsegna's acting skills were dull in comparison, and her career suffered to some extent as a result. Furthermore, with the exception of Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana and the title role in Puccini's Tosca, Boninsegna was either unfamiliar with or simply not cast in the verismo repertory which was very popular during the time she was performing, a problem that prejudiced her career. Nonetheless, she did achieve considerable success on gramophone records, being one of the first dramatic sopranos whose voice recorded well. She died in Milan in 1947.
Source: Wikipedia
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