Elisa Bruno (Mezzo-Soprano) (Turin 1869 - ?)

She studied with Antonietta Fricci at the Liceo Musicale in Turin. She made her debut in 1890 at the opera house of Valencia as Cieca in ‘’La Gioconda’’. In the same year she appeared at the Teatro Politeama in Genoa as Siebel in ‘’Faust’’ and again as Cieca, from 1891-92 she sang at the Teatro Municipale in Modena among other things as Lola in ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’. In the 1893-94 season she guested at the Teatro Grande in Brescia as Emilia in Verdi’s ‘’Otello’’ and appeared in the premiere of the opera ‘’Il Malacarne’’ of  G. Coronaro. Appeareances followed at the Teatro Alfieri in Turin, at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan (1894, in ‘’Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor’’ of Nicolai), at the Teatro Comunale in Ferrara (1895 as Mrs. Quickly in Verdi’s ‘’Falstaff’’), at the Teatro Sociale in Como and at the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele in Turin. In 1899 she sang at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa in Massenet’s opera ‘’Sapho’’ and in Mancinelli’s opera ‘’Ero e Leandro’’. In the 1898-99 season she had significant success at La Scala where she debuted as Edvige in Rossini’s ‘’Guglielmo Tell’’ and appeared in Wagner's operas ‘’Lohengrin’’ (as Ortrud) and ‘’Siegfried’’ (as Erda). At La Scala she also sang in Tchaikovsky’s ‘’Eugene Onegin’’ (as Olga). In 1900 She appeared with success as a soloist in Lorenzo Perosi’s oratorio ‘’La strage degli Innocenti’’ at Milan. In 1902 she sang at La Scala in Verdi’s ‘’Requiem’’ under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. At the Teatro Costanzi in Rome she appeared with big success from 1902 to 1906. At La Scala under the baton of Arturo Toscanini she sang in the première of  the opera ‘’Salome’’ (Richard Strauss, 26.12.1906). From 1906-09 she appeared at La Scala as Cieca in ‘’La Gioconda’’, as Lola in’’ Cavalleria rusticana’’', as  Bersi in ‘’Andrea Chénier’’ of Giordano, in the important première of Mussorgsky’s ‘’Boris Godunov’’ with Fedor Chaliapin in the title role (1909) and in the Italian première of the opera ‘’Theodora’’ of Xavier Leroux (1909). In 1905 she appeared at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna in the premiere of the opera ‘’Cassandra’’ of Vittorio Gnecchi in the title role. In 1907 she helped at the Teatro Regio in Turin in the Italian première of Massenet's opera ‘’Ariane’’ appearing as Persephone. She guested in 1900 at the Vienna Court Opera, in 1910 at the German theatre in Prague.

Chronology of some appearances

1892 Siena Teatro dei Rinnovati Cavalleria rusticana (Lola)
1893 Asti Teatro Alfieri Cavalleria rusticana (Lola)
1894 Torino Teatro Alfieri Cavalleria rusticana (Lola)
1897 Bari Teatro Piccinni Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)
1899 Padova  Teatro Garibaldi Carmen (Carmen)
1900 Pavia Teatro Guidi Carmen (Carmen)
1900 Feltre Teatro Sociale Carmen (Carmen)
1901 Genova Teatro Paganini Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)
1901 Cesena Teatro Comunale Carmen (Carmen)
1904 Roma Teatro Costanzi Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)
1905 Roma  Teatro Costanzi Adriana Lecouvreur (Principessa)
1912 Budapest Volgsopera Ballo in maschera (Ulrica)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 

G&T, Milano 1902

Trovatore (Verdi): Stride la vampa 53227 1724G

Favorita (Donizetti): O mio Fernando 53137 4339G

Samson e Dalila (Saint-Saens):  Romanza di Dalila 53241 1726G

Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): Racconto di Pierotto 53229 1728b

Pathe cylinders & discs, Milano 1905/1906

Gioconda (Ponchielli): A te questo rosario 86137

Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-23

Trovatore (Verdi): Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto with Giovanni Zenatello 92880 XPh 4683

Trovatore (Verdi): Gia I sacerdoti with Giovanni Zenatello 92827 XPh 4685

Aida (Verdi): Misero appien mi festi with Giovanni Zenatello 92828 XPh 4686

Fonotipia, Milano 1911-06-09

Trovatore (Verdi): Non m'inganna quel fioco lume? with Giovanni Zenatello and Ester Mazzoleni  74168 XXPh 4710