Giuseppina Finzi-Magrini (Soprano) (Torino 1878 - Desio 1944)

She was born to a famous Jewish family. She made her debut in 1896 at the Teatro Estivo in Thiene as Oscar in ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’. During the following years she sang at the opera stages in Italy and Greece and soon excited sensation by the beauty of her coloratura soprano. In 1900 she guested at the Teatro Verdi in Padua as Sophie in ‘'Werther’'. Her first international success was in Chile in 1903. In 1908 she made guest appearance at the Odessa Opera House. In 1910 she performed in St. Petersburg’s Conservatory. She appeared also in Madrid (1910. Teatro Real ''Amleto''), Rome (1915-16. Teatro Costanzi ''Rigoletto'', ''La Traviata''), Turin (1915. Teatro Regio ''Gli Ugonotti''), Brescia, Verona, Milan, Bologna and Genoa. At the beginning of the twenties her appearances became rarer, she devoted herself to her family and been active in Turin in educational area. Her students included the Danish baritone Frantz Rabinowitz (1918-1948). In 1943 she went into hiding under a false name. In 1944 a young nephew was deported to a concentration camp, causing a heart attack that left her mute and paralyzed. She died six weeks later from wounds received in an American air-raid on Desio.

Chronology of some appearances

1896 Teatro Estivo Thiene Ballo in maschera (Oscar)

1900 Teatro Verdi Padua Werther (Sofia)

1910 Teatro Real Madrid Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)

1915 Teatro Costanzi Rome Rigoletto (Gilda)

1915 Teatro Regio Turin Ugonotti (Margherita)

1916 Teatro Costanzi Rome Traviata (Violetta)

 RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, Milano 1904-11/12

Rigoletto (Verdi): Bella figlia dell'amore with Mario Matroiani, Emanuele Bucalo and Bianca Lavin de Casas 054045 218½m

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Rondo  53383 2266L

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-05-25

Rigoletto (Verdi): E' il sol dell'anima with Elvino Ventura 39681 XPh 1902

Traviata (Verdi): Parigi, o cara with Elvino Ventura 39682 XPh 1911

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-05-28

Boheme (Puccini): Quando m'en vo' soletta 39764 XPh1919

Fonotipia, Milano 1906-06-05

Traviata (Verdi): Ah, fors'è lui  39763 XPh1936

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-10-02

Traviata (Verdi): Ah, fors'è lui 92284 XPh 3464

Fonotipia, Milano 1908-10-15
Rigoletto (Verdi): Giovanna, ho dei rimorsi  with Giuseppe Armanini 92388 XPh3520
Rigoletto (Verdi): È il sol dell'anima with Giuseppe Armanini 92389 XPh3521

Columbia, Milano 1911?
Sonnambula (Bellini): Ah! non credea mirarti E2082 11159
Sonnambula (Bellini): Ah! non giunge E2082 11160

Rigoletto (Verdi): Caro nome D 4319 11162

Rigoletto (Verdi): Tutte le feste al tempio D 4319 11163

Traviata (Verdi): Addio, del passato 11180 D 4323

Columbia, Milano 1912?

Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Un bel di  D 530 11321

Faust (Gounod): Aria dei gioielli D 4344 11322

Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Son pochi fiori D 9278 11324

Faust (Gounod): C'era un re di Thule D 4344 11328

Gramophone, Milano 1912-10-15

Rigoletto (Verdi): Deh non parlare al  misero with Titta Ruffo 054396 02535v

Finzi Magrini Giuseppina by Stampanoni