Marcella Lotti della Santa
Encyclopedia
Marcella Lotti della Santa (sometimes incorrectly called Marcellina) (September 1831 - 9 February 1901) was an Italian
opera
singer who had an active international career during the 1850s and 1860s. One of her nation's leading soprano
s, she drew particular acclaim for her portrayal of Verdi heroines. She was married to baritone Luigi della Santa.
, Lotti della Santa studied singing with Alberto Mazzucato
in Milan before making her professional opera debut in 1850 in Constantinople
with a traveling Italian opera troupe as Alice in Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable
. She quickly became one of the leading sopranos in Italy. As early as 1852 she was starring in operas at La Scala
and the Teatro Carlo Felice
. At La Scala she drew particular acclaim for her portrayal of Odabella in Giuseppe Verdi
's Attila.
On 16 August 1857, Lotti della Santa sang Mina in the world premiere of Verdi's Aroldo
for the opening of the Teatro Nuovo in Rimini
. From 1857-1858 she appeared as a guest at the Mariinsky Theatre
in St. Petersburg and in 1860 she was a guest artist at Her Majesty's Theatre
in London. She was highly active at the Teatro di San Carlo
in Naples during the years 1862, 1866 and 1869-1870, singing such roles as Marguerite di Valois Les Huguenots
and Princess Eudoxie in La Juive
. While there she notably created parts in several world premieres, including the title heroines in Saverio Mercadante
's Virginia
(1866), Errico Petrella
's Giovanna di Napoli (1869), and Gaetano Donizetti
's Gabriella di Vergy
(1869). She had further success at La Scala from 1863-1865.
Lotti della Santa retired from the stage around 1870 in order to manage her family. She died in Paratico
at the age of 69.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer who had an active international career during the 1850s and 1860s. One of her nation's leading soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
s, she drew particular acclaim for her portrayal of Verdi heroines. She was married to baritone Luigi della Santa.
Biography
Born Marcella Lotti in MantuaMantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, Lotti della Santa studied singing with Alberto Mazzucato
Alberto Mazzucato
Alberto Mazzucato was an Italian composer, music teacher, and writer.Mazzucato was born in Udine. Trained at the Padua Conservatory, he composed eight operas between 1834 and 1843, of which his most successful was Esmeralda...
in Milan before making her professional opera debut in 1850 in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
with a traveling Italian opera troupe as Alice in Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable
Robert le diable
Robert le diable may refer to:* Robert le diable by Giacomo Meyerbeer* Robert the Devil, a medieval legend...
. She quickly became one of the leading sopranos in Italy. As early as 1852 she was starring in operas at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
and the Teatro Carlo Felice
Teatro Carlo Felice
The Teatro Carlo Felice is the principal opera house of Genoa, Italy, used for performances of opera, ballet, orchestral music, and recitals. It is located on the Piazza De Ferrari....
. At La Scala she drew particular acclaim for her portrayal of Odabella in Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's Attila.
On 16 August 1857, Lotti della Santa sang Mina in the world premiere of Verdi's Aroldo
Aroldo
Aroldo is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on and adapted from their earlier 1850 collaboration, Stiffelio...
for the opening of the Teatro Nuovo in Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
. From 1857-1858 she appeared as a guest at the Mariinsky Theatre
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
in St. Petersburg and in 1860 she was a guest artist at Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
in London. She was highly active at the Teatro di San Carlo
Teatro di San Carlo
The Real Teatro di San Carlo is an opera house in Naples, Italy. It is the oldest continuously active such venue in Europe.Founded by the Bourbon Charles VII of Naples of the Spanish branch of the dynasty, the theatre was inaugurated on 4 November 1737 — the king's name day — with a performance...
in Naples during the years 1862, 1866 and 1869-1870, singing such roles as Marguerite di Valois Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, one of the most popular and spectacular examples of the style of grand opera. The opera is in five acts and premiered in Paris in 1836. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps....
and Princess Eudoxie in La Juive
La Juive
La Juive is a grand opera in five acts by Fromental Halévy to an original French libretto by Eugène Scribe; it was first performed at the Opéra, Paris, on February 23, 1835.-Composition history:...
. While there she notably created parts in several world premieres, including the title heroines in Saverio Mercadante
Saverio Mercadante
Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Gaetano Donizetti or Gioachino Rossini beyond his own lifetime, he composed as impressive a number of works as either; and his development of...
's Virginia
Virginia (Mercadante)
Virginia is an opera, a tragedia lirica, in three acts by composer Saverio Mercadante. The Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano is based on Vittorio Alfieri's tragedy of the same name. Alfieri's play was in turn taken from a story in Livy's Ab Urbe condita...
(1866), Errico Petrella
Errico Petrella
Errico Petrella was an Italian opera composer.Petrella was born at Palermo. A conservative of the Neapolitan school, he was the most successful Italian composer, second only to Verdi, during the 1850s and 1860s. He also earned the latter's scorn for his compositional and dramatic crudities,...
's Giovanna di Napoli (1869), and Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. His best-known works are the operas L'elisir d'amore , Lucia di Lammermoor , and Don Pasquale , all in Italian, and the French operas La favorite and La fille du régiment...
's Gabriella di Vergy
Gabriella di Vergy
Gabriella di Vergy is an opera seria in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti written in 1826 and revised in 1838, from a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, which was based on the tragedy Gabrielle de Vergy by Dormont De Belloy...
(1869). She had further success at La Scala from 1863-1865.
Lotti della Santa retired from the stage around 1870 in order to manage her family. She died in Paratico
Paratico
Paratico is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy. It is located near Lake Iseo....
at the age of 69.