Valentina Bartolomasi
Encyclopedia
Valentina Bartolomasi was an Italian soprano
who had a major opera
career from 1910 through 1927. Particularly successful in the dramatic soprano repertoire, she was Italy's leading Wagnerian soprano of her day. She notably appears on the first complete recordings made of Umberto Giordano
's Andrea Chénier
(as Maddalena de Coigny), Giacomo Puccini
's Tosca
(in the title role), and Giuseppe Verdi
's Aida
(in the title role).
Bartolomasi was born in Modena
and studied singing under her father, Bernardo Bartolomasi, a well known voice teacher. She made her professional opera debut in 1910. Early on in her career she had major successes at the Teatro Dal Verme
in Milan, La Fenice
in Venice, the Teatro Comunale Florence
, and the Teatro Scribe in Turin. She became a regular performer at La Scala
between 1915 and 1925. She was committed to the Teatro Petruzzelli
in Bari from 1920-1921. In 1923 she was engaged by the Teatro Carlo Felice
where she had particular triumphs as Amelia in Un ballo in maschera
and Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana
. She later returned to that house in 1925 to sing Elvira in Ernani
with Tullio Verona in the title role.
In addition to appearing on the stages of most of Italy's major opera houses, Bartolomasi performed several times at La Monnaie
and was a favorite singer of the Belgian court. Her career ended prematurely due to illness in 1927. Other roles in her stage repertoire included Abigaille in Nabucco
, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser
, Elsa in Lohengrin
, Odabella in Attila, Sieglinde in Die Walküre
, and the title role in Isabeau
among others.
After retiring from the stage, Bartolomasi lived with her husband, Count Antoniani of Padua, in Milan. She spent the last several years of her life fighting endometrial cancer
from which she eventually died in 1932 in Milan. Her niece, Mirella Freni
, also became a famous operatic 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...
who had a major 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 from 1910 through 1927. Particularly successful in the dramatic soprano repertoire, she was Italy's leading Wagnerian soprano of her day. She notably appears on the first complete recordings made of Umberto Giordano
Umberto Giordano
Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano was an Italian composer, mainly of operas.He was born in Foggia in Puglia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Serrao at the Conservatoire of Naples...
's Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier is a verismo opera in four acts by the composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier , who was executed during the French Revolution....
(as Maddalena de Coigny), Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
's Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
(in the title role), and 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...
(in the title role).
Bartolomasi was born in Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
and studied singing under her father, Bernardo Bartolomasi, a well known voice teacher. She made her professional opera debut in 1910. Early on in her career she had major successes at the Teatro Dal Verme
Teatro Dal Verme
The Teatro Dal Verme is a theatre in Milan, Italy located on the Via San Giovanni sul Muro, on the site of the former private theatre the Politeama Ciniselli. It was designed by Giuseppe Pestagalli to a commission from Count Francesco Dal Verme, and was used primarily for plays and opera...
in Milan, La Fenice
La Fenice
Teatro La Fenice is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of the most famous theatres in Europe, the site of many famous operatic premieres. Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of two theatres...
in Venice, the Teatro Comunale Florence
Teatro Comunale Florence
The Teatro Comunale di Firenze is an opera house in Florence, Italy. It was originally built as the open-air amphitheatre, the Politeama Fiorentino Vittorio Emanuele which was inaugurated on 17 May 1862 with a production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor and which seated 6,000 people...
, and the Teatro Scribe in Turin. She became a regular performer 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...
between 1915 and 1925. She was committed to the Teatro Petruzzelli
Teatro Petruzzelli
The Teatro Petruzzelli is the largest theatre of the city of Bari and the fourth Italian theatre by size.-The birth and the golden age:The history of the Teatro Petruzzelli of Bari begins when Onofrio and Antonio Petruzzelli, traders and ship builders of Trieste presented the design of the theatre...
in Bari from 1920-1921. In 1923 she was engaged by 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....
where she had particular triumphs as Amelia in Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
and Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
. She later returned to that house in 1925 to sing Elvira in Ernani
Ernani
Ernani is an operatic dramma lirico in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play Hernani by Victor Hugo. The first production took place at La Fenice Theatre, Venice on 9 March 1844...
with Tullio Verona in the title role.
In addition to appearing on the stages of most of Italy's major opera houses, Bartolomasi performed several times at La Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
and was a favorite singer of the Belgian court. Her career ended prematurely due to illness in 1927. Other roles in her stage repertoire included Abigaille in Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue...
, Elisabeth 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...
, Elsa 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...
, Odabella in Attila, Sieglinde in Die Walküre
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
, and the title role in Isabeau
Isabeau
Isabeau is a leggenda drammatica or opera in three parts by Pietro Mascagni, 1911, from an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. Mascagni conducted its first performance on June 2, 1911 at the Teatro Coliseo, Buenos Aires....
among others.
After retiring from the stage, Bartolomasi lived with her husband, Count Antoniani of Padua, in Milan. She spent the last several years of her life fighting endometrial cancer
Endometrial cancer
Endometrial cancer refers to several types of malignancies that arise from the endometrium, or lining, of the uterus. Endometrial cancers are the most common gynecologic cancers in the United States, with over 35,000 women diagnosed each year. The incidence is on a slow rise secondary to the...
from which she eventually died in 1932 in Milan. Her niece, Mirella Freni
Mirella Freni
Mirella Freni, birth name Mirella Fregni, is an Italian opera soprano whose repertoire includes Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Tchaikovsky...
, also became a famous operatic soprano.
Reference
- Recording of Isabeau, with some biographical information