Maria Capuana
Encyclopedia
Maria Capuana was an Italian mezzo-soprano
who had a major international opera
career during the first half of the 20th century. She possessed a voice with a dark timbre that she used with great expression.
Born in Fano
in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, Capuana was the older sister of conductor Franco Capuana
. She was trained in the art of singing and piano performance at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella in Naples where she was a pupil of Beniamino Carelli
. She made her stage debut in 1916 at the opera house in Reggio Emilia as Amneris in Giuseppe Verdi
's Aida
; a role which she would repeat at many major opera houses internationally later in her career and notably record for the opera's first commercial recording in 1928.
Capuana soon began appearing in leading roles at major opera houses in both Italy and France and by 1920 she had already made appearances at La Scala
in Milan, the Teatro di San Carlo
in Naples
, the Teatro Regio in Turin, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
in Paris among others. She enjoyed several major successes with the role of Brangäne in Richard Wagner
's Tristan und Isolde
in her early career, and the part helped establish herself as one of Italy's leading Wagnerian singers. Other Wagner roles in her repertoire, included Ortrud in Lohengrin
, Venus in Tannhäuser
, and Erda, Fricka, Gutrune, and the Second Norn in The Ring Cycle.
In 1921 Capuana portrayed Zoraide in the world premiere of Carlo Adolfo Cantù
's Ettore Fieramosca
at the Teatro Regio in Turin. In 1923 she had a major triumph at La Scala as Herodias in Richard Strauss
's Salome
. She continued to return with some frequency to that house through 1928 in such roles as Amneris, Fricka, Ortrud, and Rubria in Arrigo Boito
's Nerone
. She was seen at the Teatro Carlo Felice
periodically between 1924-1936 where she sang a number of Wagner roles. She also made a number of appearances between 1927-1930 at the Teatro di San Carlo, including the role of Rufina in Riccardo Zandonai
's Conchita
. She notably created the title role in the world premiere of Emilio Pizzi
's Ivania at the Teatro Donizetti
in Bergamo
in 1926. During the 1930s she made several appearances at the Teatro Massimo
in Palermo. In 1931 she toured Italy as a member of the Carro di Tespi
.
Outside of Italy, Capuana performed in operas in Barcelona, Lisbon, Cairo, Argentina, Chile, France, and South Africa during the 1920s and 1930s. She was a much loved Amneris at the Teatro Colón in 1925. In 1935 she toured France as a recitalist.
Capuana's performance career ceased around the outbreak of World War II. Other roles she performed on stage included Adalgisa in Norma
, Azucena in Il trovatore
, Cerinto in Nerone, Charlotte in Werther
, Laura in La Gioconda
, Leonora in La favorite
, Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia
, Marguerite in La damnation de Faust, Princess Eboli in Don Carlos
, and the Old Woman in L'amore dei tre re
. She died in Cagliari
at the age of 63.
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
who had a major international 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...
career during the first half of the 20th century. She possessed a voice with a dark timbre that she used with great expression.
Born in Fano
Fano
Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, Capuana was the older sister of conductor Franco Capuana
Franco Capuana
Franco Capuana was an Italian conductor.Born in Fano in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, he was the younger brother of mezzo-soprano Maria Capuana. He became associated with the Teatro di San Carlo in 1930 and La Scala in 1937. In 1940 he conducted the premiere of Ghedini's opera La pulce d'oro...
. She was trained in the art of singing and piano performance at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella in Naples where she was a pupil of Beniamino Carelli
Beniamino Carelli
Beniamino Carelli was a celebrated Italian singing teacher and composer.Carelli was born and died in Naples, where he spent many years teaching at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella...
. She made her stage debut in 1916 at the opera house in Reggio Emilia as Amneris 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 Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
; a role which she would repeat at many major opera houses internationally later in her career and notably record for the opera's first commercial recording in 1928.
Capuana soon began appearing in leading roles at major opera houses in both Italy and France and by 1920 she had already made appearances 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...
in Milan, 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
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, the Teatro Regio in Turin, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a theatre at 15 avenue Montaigne. Despite its name, the theatre is not on the Champs-Élysées but nearby in another part of the 8th arrondissement of Paris....
in Paris among others. She enjoyed several major successes with the role of Brangäne in Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
in her early career, and the part helped establish herself as one of Italy's leading Wagnerian singers. Other Wagner roles in her repertoire, included Ortrud in Lohengrin
Lohengrin (opera)
Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself...
, Venus in Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (opera)
Tannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two German legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
, and Erda, Fricka, Gutrune, and the Second Norn in The Ring Cycle.
In 1921 Capuana portrayed Zoraide in the world premiere of Carlo Adolfo Cantù
Carlo Adolfo Cantù
Carlo Adolfo Cantù was an Italian composer. He studied music composition at the Turin Conservatory with Giovanni Bolzoni and is best known for his opera Ettore Fieramosca which premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin in 1921....
's Ettore Fieramosca
Ettore Fieramosca
Ettore Fieramosca or Ferramosca was an Italian condottiero and nobleman during the Italian Wars. His father was Rainaldo, baron of Rocca d'Evandro, and it is thought that his mother was a noble woman from the Gaetani family of Aragon.Ettore served as a page to Ferdinand I of Naples and later...
at the Teatro Regio in Turin. In 1923 she had a major triumph at La Scala as Herodias in Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
's Salome
Salome (opera)
Salome is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by the composer, based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of the French play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. Strauss dedicated the opera to his friend Sir Edgar Speyer....
. She continued to return with some frequency to that house through 1928 in such roles as Amneris, Fricka, Ortrud, and Rubria in Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito , aka Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito, pseudonym Tobia Gorrio, was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist and composer, best known today for his libretti, especially those for Giuseppe Verdi's operas Otello and Falstaff, and his own opera Mefistofele...
's Nerone
Nerone (Boito)
Nerone is an opera in four acts composed by Arrigo Boito, to a libretto in Italian written by the composer. The work is a series of scenes from Imperial Rome at the time of Emperor Nero depicting tensions between the Imperial religion and Christianity, and ends with the Great Fire of Rome...
. She was seen at 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....
periodically between 1924-1936 where she sang a number of Wagner roles. She also made a number of appearances between 1927-1930 at the Teatro di San Carlo, including the role of Rufina in Riccardo Zandonai
Riccardo Zandonai
Riccardo Zandonai was an Italian composer.-Biography:Zandonai was born in Borgo Sacco, Rovereto, then part of Austria–Hungary....
's Conchita
Conchita (opera)
Conchita is an opera in four acts and six scenes by composer Riccardo Zandonai. The work uses an Italian language libretto by Maurizio Vaucaire and Carlo Zangarini which is based on Pierre Louÿs's 1898 novel La femme et le pantin...
. She notably created the title role in the world premiere of Emilio Pizzi
Emilio Pizzi
Emilio Pizzi was an Italian composer. His output of works include 10 operas, a ballet, an oratorio, and numerous vocal and chamber works....
's Ivania at the Teatro Donizetti
Teatro Donizetti
The Teatro Donizetti is an opera house in Bergamo, Italy. Built in the 1780s using a design by architect Giovanni Francesco Lucchini, the theatre was originally referred to as either the Teatro Nuovo or Teatro di Fiera. The first opera to be mounted at the theatre, Giuseppe Sarti's Medonte, re di...
in Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
in 1926. During the 1930s she made several appearances at the Teatro Massimo
Teatro Massimo
The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II....
in Palermo. In 1931 she toured Italy as a member of the Carro di Tespi
Carro di Tespi
Carro di Tespi was a travelling Italian theatrical company that was formerly supported by the Fascist regime. It was started in 1930 to bring opera to the masses....
.
Outside of Italy, Capuana performed in operas in Barcelona, Lisbon, Cairo, Argentina, Chile, France, and South Africa during the 1920s and 1930s. She was a much loved Amneris at the Teatro Colón in 1925. In 1935 she toured France as a recitalist.
Capuana's performance career ceased around the outbreak of World War II. Other roles she performed on stage included Adalgisa in Norma
Norma (opera)
Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition...
, Azucena in Il trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
, Cerinto in Nerone, Charlotte in Werther
Werther
Werther is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann based on the German epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe....
, Laura in La Gioconda
La Gioconda (opera)
La Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli set to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835...
, Leonora in La favorite
La favorite
La favorite is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud...
, Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia (opera)
Lucrezia Borgia is a melodramma, or opera, in a prologue and two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto after the play by Victor Hugo, in its turn after the legend of Lucrezia Borgia. Lucrezia Borgia was first performed on 26 December 1833 at La Scala, Milan with...
, Marguerite in La damnation de Faust, Princess Eboli in Don Carlos
Don Carlos
Don Carlos is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French language libretto by Camille du Locle and Joseph Méry, based on the dramatic play Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien by Friedrich Schiller...
, and the Old Woman in L'amore dei tre re
L'amore dei tre re
L'amore dei tre re is an opera in three acts by Italo Montemezzi. Its Italian-language libretto was written by playwright Sem Benelli who based it on his own play of the same title.-Performance history:...
. She died in Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
at the age of 63.
Source
- "Maria Capuana - obituary", Opera NewsOpera NewsOpera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
, March 28, 1955, p. 27 - Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 782 pages, ISBN 0-19-869164-5