Gilda Dalla Rizza (Soprano) (Verona 1892 - Milan 1975)

She was 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 Colón (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. 

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 

 

Columbia, Milano 1913?

Forza del destino (Verdi): La vergine degli angeli E2459 42070
Forza del destino (Verdi): Madre pietosa vergine E2459 42071
Andrea Chenier (Giordano): La mamma morta D9338 42080
Faust (Gounod): Allor che lieve ebbrezza with  Eugenia Lopez Nuñes & Vincenzo Bettoni D4517 42063
Faust (Gounod): Permettereste a me with Gaetano Tommasini & Eugenia Lopez Nuñes D4517 42064 

Fonotipia, Milano 1924-02-25
Tosca (Puccini): Vissi d'arte 152028 Pho5435

Fonotipia, Milano 1924-02-27

Manon Lescaut (Puccini): In quelle trine morbide 152024  Pho5438

Fonotipia, Milano 1925-05-01

Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Un bel di vedremo 74991 XXph 5434

Fonotipia, Milano 1928-05-29

Traviata (Verdi): Brindisi with Giovanni Manuritta  120152 xxph6282-2
Traviata (Verdi): Parigi, o cara with Giovanni Manuritta 120163 xxph6283
Traviata (Verdi): E strano…Sempre libera with Giovanni Manuritta 120156 xxph6285

Traviata (Verdi): Sempre libera with Giovanni Manuritta 120156 xxph6284

Traviata (Verdi): Un di, felice Fonotipia with Giovanni Manuritta 120152 xxph6286
Traviata (Verdi): Teneste la promessa...Addio, del passato 120163 XXph 6287

Fonotipia, Milano 1928-06-15

Manon (Massenet): Lettura della lettera with Giovanni Manuritta 120160 xxph6314

Manon (Massenet): Addio nostro picciol desco 120160b xxph6315
Tosca (Puccini): Vissi d'arte 120164 XXPh6316
Manon Lescaut (Puccini): In quelle trine morbide 120164 XXPh6317

Fonotipia, Milano 1928-10-26

Traviata (Verdi): Pura siccome un angelo with Giulio Fregosi 120186 XXPh6437
Traviata (Verdi): E grave il sacrifizio with Giulio Fregosi 120186 XXPh6438
Traviata (Verdi): Dite alla giovine with Giulio Fregosi 120187 XXPh6439

Traviata (Verdi): Imponete... Morro! la mia memoria with Giulio Fregosi 120187 XXPh6440

Columbia, Milano 1931

Complete Fedora (Giordano) with  Antonio Melandri, Emilio Ghilardini, Ljuba Mirella and Corrado Zambelli