Gilda Dalla Rizza (Soprano) (Verona 1892 – Milan 1975)
She was an important Italian soprano. Born in Verona, she made her operatic debut in Bologna (the Teatro Verdi) in 1912, as Charlotte in Werther. Especially acclaimed in the verismo repertory, she was regarded as being Giacomo Puccini's favorite soprano, creating Magda in his La rondine (1917). Although he created the part of Minnie in La fanciulla del West for Emmy Destinn, when Puccini saw Dalla Rizza in the part, he said, "At last I have seen my true Fanciulla". She also gave the first European performances of his Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, at Rome in 1919. She also created roles in Pietro Mascagni's Il piccolo Marat and Riccardo Zandonai's Giulietta e Romeo. She was also an important interpreter of that composer's Francesca da Rimini. She also appeared at the Teatro Colon (including Manon Lescaut opposite Aureliano Pertile) and Covent Garden, and was a favorite at Monte Carlo and the Teatro alla Scala. One of Dalla Rizza's unexpected successes at the latter theatre was in La traviata, under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. The beautiful singing-actress bade Farewell to the stage in 1939, though she returned for a final Suor Angelica, at Vicenza in 1942. She was married to the tenor Tino Capuzzo, and, from 1939 to 1955, she taught at Venice's Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello. The great prima donna died at Milan's Casa Verdi, in 1975.
The tenor Giacomo Lauri-Volpi wrote of her in Voci parallele (1977): "The voice, characterised by guttural and nasal inflexions, imperfect technically, responded to the demands made of it by the actress, who employed it rather to express the emotions than for purely musical effects."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilda_dalla_Rizza
Chronology of some appearances
1913 Roma Teatro Costanzi Dannazione di Faust (Margherita)
1913 Novara Teatro Coccia Fanciulla del West (Minnie)
1913 Roma Teatro Costanzi Fanciulla del West (Minnie)
1914 Buenos Ayres Teatro Coliseo Boheme (Mimi)
1914 Rio de Janeiro Teatro Municipal Boheme (Mimi)
1914 San Paolo Politeama Boheme (Mimi)
1914 Montevideo Teatro Solis Boheme (Mimi)
1914 Montevideo Teatro Solis Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza)
1915 Piacenza Teatro Municipale Boheme (Mimi)
1915 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Boheme (Mimi)
1915 Porto Alegre Teatro San Pedro Boheme (Mimi)
1915 San Paolo Teatro Municipal Boheme (Mimi)
1916 Milano Teatro La Scala Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1916 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1916 Montevideo Teatro Solis Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1916 San Paolo Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1916 Havana Teatro Nacional Boheme (Mimi)
1917 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Boheme (Mimi)
1918 Rio de Janeiro Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1919 Buenos Ayres Teatro Coliseo Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San)
1920 San Paulo Teatro Municipal Francesca da Rimini (Francesca)
1920 Roma Teatro Costanzi Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San)
1921 Rosario di Santa Fe Teatro Colon Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1923 Santiago del Cile Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1923 Milano Teatro La Scala Manon Lescaut (Manon)
1923 Milano Teatro La Scala Tosca (Tosca)
1923 Torino Teatro Scribe Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1924 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1924 Montevideo Teatro Solis Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1924 Rio de Janeiro Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1924 San Paolo Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1925 Santiago del Cile Teatro Municipal Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1925 Valparaiso Teatro Victoria Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1925 Conception Teatro Conception Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1926 Firenze Politeama Fiorentino Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1930 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1930 Valparaiso Teatro Victoria Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1931 Roma Teatro dell'Opera Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1933 Palermo Politeama Garibaldi Manon Lescaut (Manon)
RECORDINGS FOR SALE
Manon: Addio nostro picciol desco with Giovanni Manuritta Fonotipia 120160b xxph6315
La Traviata: Brindisi with Giovanni Manuritta Fonotipia 120152a xxph6282-2
La Traviata: Un di, felice Fonotipia with Giovanni Manuritta 120152b xxph6286
La Traviata: E strano…Sempre libera with Giovanni Manuritta Fonotipia 120156b, xxph6284, xxph6285
La Traviata: Parigi, o cara with Giovanni Manuritta Fonotipia 120163b xxph6283-b
La Forza del Destino: La vergine degli angeli Columbia E2459 42070
La Forza del Destino: Madre pietosa vergine Columbia E2459 42071
Andrea Chenier: La mamma morta Columbia D9338 42080
Madama Butterfly: Un bel di vedremo Fonotipia 74991 XXph 5434-3
La Traviata: Teneste la promessa...Addio, del passato Fonotipia 120163 XXph 6287
Tosca: Vissi d'arte Fonotipia 120164 XXPh6316
Manon Lescaut: In quelle trine morbide Fonotipia 120164 XXPh6317
La Traviata: Pura siccome un angelo with Giulio Fregosi Fonotipia 120186 XXPh6437
La Traviata: E grave il sacrifizio with Giulio Fregosi Fonotipia 120186 XXPh6438
La Traviata: Dite alla giovine with Giulio Fregosi Fonotipia 120187 XXPh6439
