VERA AMERIGHI-RUTILI (NAVACCHIO, 22 AUGUST, 1896 – PISA,
13 MAY, 1952)
The Italian sopranos: Ester Mazzoleni, Giannina Russ, Eugenia Burzio,
Iva Pacetti, Bianca Scacciati, Claudia Muzio, Giannina Arangi Lombardi, Tina
Poli Randaccio, Celestina Boninsegna Gina Cigna, Caterina Mancini, Anita
Cerquetti and Maria Caniglia are all familiar to opera fans around the
world. They had a great deal in common including, that their repuations
as famous Normas survive, though several sang the role very few times.
Not all were equally successful, but each one left a stamp of individuality as
the Druid priestess. Unquestionably, Russ is the one whose fame most
clearly rests on that role and she certainly sang more than one hundred
performances of the opera in an illustrious career. To round out the list
of the Century’s famous Normas, we can add Rosa Raisa, Maria Callas, Rosa
Ponselle, Zinka Milanov, Montserrat Caballe and Joan Sutherland, each of whom
can be counted among the most lauded sopranos of all time. Rasponi’s “The
last Prima Donnas” states, “In the twenties and thirties there were very few
who dared to challenge (Norma); among the successful were Raisa, Muzio,
Scacciati, Pacetti, Ponselle, Amerighi-Rutili and Cigna.” This story is
about the one who is least well known; the one who sang more performances of
the role than any other in this Century, and in more places.
Amerighi was born at Pisa in 1896 and studied voice at the Florence
Conservatory from 1915 until the end of World War One. Leopoldo Mugnone
discovered her during a concert for students at the academy and persuaded her
to debut as Aida. The venue was, surprisingly enough, London’s Covent
Garden in July of 1919, though other biographies list it as at Reggio Emilia
during the same year. Those performances took place three months
later. Harold Rosenthal, in his book “Two Centuries of Opera at Covent
Garden” states that her intense performance was extremely successful, more
successful than would be her career in her homeland. Well, that
isn’t really true, but it does again highlight how little is known about her.
She sang ten performances of “Norma” at Reggio in late September and
was immediately hired to repeat the opera at Catania’s Massimo Bellini, a high
honor indeed, for this young, unknown singer. She sang both Aida
and Norma in the autumn and returned in February of 1920 for Donizetti’s
“Lucrezia Borgia” and her first performances of “La Gioconda”. Genoa’s
Politeama, hearing of this new sensation, offered her a contract and she
debuted as Norma in mid year. It was so successful that she was asked to
return in November for performances of “Gioconda” and a new opera for her,
“Mose”, which she performed with Nazzareno De Angelis. While in Genoa,
the Carlo Felice presented her in two concerts with Angelo Minghetti.
Pisa also saw her Norma in 1920.
Amerighi Rutili was now among the most sought after singers from
Italy. In 1921, she traveled to Lisbon, where, at the San Carlo she repeated
the role as well as Gioconda. Oporto also saw her in the Ponchielli
work. Later in the season she toured with Norma to several Adriatic
cities, including Ancona and Trieste. Her year ended at Palermo where
she debuted again as Norma. During the years 1922 to 1924 she sang
Norma at Milan’s Teatro Lirico, and appeared as Gioconda in several Northern
Italian cities including Mantua, Pisa and a tour of the Veneto. In the 1925-26
period she sang Norma at Parma with Irene Minghini Cattaneo and Renato Zanelli,
at Venice, Cremona, Catania’s Bellini and at Modena. Venice’s Fenice
feted her to gala evenings of celebration not only for Norma, but Aida and
Gioconda, which she also sang there to enormous success. Ebe Stignani
partnered her in the Bellini and Verdi operas. At Turin’s Teatro
Chiarella she sang in “La Gioconda”, at Bologna’s Comunale she sang the
“Siegfried” Brunnhilde and at Pisa’s Verdi she sang in “Il Trovatore” for the
first time.
1927 saw Amerighi at Brescia, Trieste and Genoa in “Norma”, and the
Verona Arena presented her as the Grand Vestale in Spontini’s opera. In
the autumn she undertook Elvira in “Ernani” for the first times at Pisa and
Florence. In 1928,at Genoa’s Carlo Felice, she sang in Bellini’s
“Pirata”; at Milan’s Dal Verme she presented the Druid priestess and Florence
saw her as Aida. 1929 found her at Palermo for “Tosca” and
“L’Africaine”, at Genoa, Florence and Como for Norma and at Mantua for “La
Gioconda” with Apollo Granforte. Amerighi also debuted at Milan’s La
Scala in “Vestale”. She had a fine success, but there were very negative
observations about her girth, which was apparently, enormous. About her singing
there was no equivocation.
1930 found her at Livorno for Aida, at Lecce for Aida and “La Forza
del Destino” and at Trieste for Aida and “Il Trovatore”. She sang
Norma at Pola, Bologna and Forli in 1931, as well as for Italian Radio at both
Rome and Turin. The Rome Radio station also presented her in “Il
Trovatore”. Livorno and Genoa saw her as Norma in 1932 and Italian Radio
of Turin hosted her in Donizetti’s “Poliuto” and Verdi’s “I Vespri
Siciliani”. Vera’s Rome stage debut was at the Teatro Adriano in
“La Gioconda”. In 1933 Fiume, Trento, and Bari all heard her in Norma and
Cagliari and Sassari saw her Aida with Luigi Marletta, Minghini-Cattaneo and
Apollo Granforte.
1934 was Amerighi’s Norma year of Norma years. She sang the role
at Bolzano and Merano, and after singing Donna Anna and Norma at Trieste she
embarked on a two month tour of Italy in the Bellini masterpiece with Irene
Minghini Cattaneo, Ebe Stignani, Antonio Bagnariol, Antonio Melandri, Diulio
Baronti, Pasero and Pinza. Though the list of cities visited is not
complete, she is known to have appeared at Civitavecchia, Rome, Grosseto,
Livorno, Siena, Montevarchi, Frosinone, L’Aquila, Pescara, Foggia, Lecce,
Perugia, San Severo and Chieti.
In 1935, the Centenary of Bellini’s death, Amerighi debuted at both
Piacenza and Monte Carlo as Norma and repeated the role at the Carlo Felice
with the defining Oroveso of De Angelis. In commemoration of the
anniversary, Palermo’s Massimo presented her in a gala production of “Pirata”. At
Bari, in 1936, she sang in “Aida” with Aureliano Pertile and in “Mefistofele”
as Elena, and, she made her long overdue debut at Naples’ San Carlo in “La
Gioconda”. Naples’ Teatro Giacosa also presented her as Gioconda and
Frascati mounted “Aida” and “La Gioconda” for her. At Assisi she sang in
Perosi’s “Resurrezione di Lazzaro”.
In 1937, after “Gioconda” at Ancona, she made another two month tour
of Italy with Carro di Tespi as Aida and Gioconda, singing at Grosseto, Pisa,
Lodi, Lecco and Prato among about fifteen cities. In the autumn, Amerighi
appeared at Santiago, Chile and Lima, Peru in “La Forza del Destino”, “Aida”
and “Gioconda” and she returned to South America in 1938 for “Gioconda” and
“Mefistofele” at Rio de Janeiro. The career in opera was by now winding
down, appearing sporadically at her home town, Pisa, in “Trovatore” and
“Ernani” as well as in Turin as the “Trovatore” Leonora. Concerts
took most of her time and she offered at least one every year at Pisa until
1950 as well as in other cities of Tuscany and Liguria. Galliano Masini
partnered her at Livorno in 1940 and other singers often joined her in scenes
from her beloved “Norma”. “Casta Diva’ and “Mira o Norma” were programmed
as late as 1946. Amazingly, in 1947, she sang the Gotterdammerung
Brunnhilde at Trieste, and with these performances her opera career came to an
end.
Many years later Elena Nicolai was to say “I first sang Adalgisa at
Piacenza with the remarkable Vera Amerighi-Rutili, .of huge dimensions, but
with a nobility that left one in awe. She taught me to understand the
dignity of a priestess, and I shall always be grateful for her example and her
advice.”
Amerighi’s performance total as Norma is uncertain, though I know it
exceeds one hundred and fifty. What is certain is that no other soprano
in this Century has approached it. Her several recordings of scenes from
the opera are quite wonderful and for those who would want to know
more, she is represented on Genoa’s Carlo Felice, One Hundred Years –
Vol 5 in “Deh, non volerli vittime” with Antonio Righetti. We find the
voice to be in fine estate, clear, vibrant and with a ringing top though her
ascent is rather ungraceful. The tone is very forward and she can darken
it for dramatic effect when she wishes. The line is lovely and the
dramatic urgency is very apparent. I do not wonder why she was Italy’s
Norma for nearly twenty years.
Chronology of some appearances
1919 11 Firenze Teatro Della Pergola Mefistofele (Elena)
1922 05 Pavia Teatro Fraschini Norma (Norma)
1924 06 Firenze Politeama Fiorentino Aida (Aida)
1926 01 Venezia Teatro Fenice Aida (Aida)
1928 04 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Il Pirata (Imogene)
1930 04 Livorno Politeama Aida (Aida)
1932 01 Pisa Teatro Verdi Concerto
1934 06 Livorno Piazza Luigi Orlando Norma (Norma)
1936 01/02 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Aida (Aida)
1938 08 Rio de Janeiro Teatro Municipal Gioconda (Gioconda)
1940 07 Pisa Politeama Trovatore (Leonora)
1942 06 Massa Teatro Guglielmi Concerto
1943 01 Pisa Dopolavoro Ospedalieri Concerto
1947 Trieste Teatro Verdi Crepuscolo Degli Dei
TRACKLIST
Fonotipia, Milano 1929-12-16
Norma (Bellini): Deh! non volerli vittime (w. Righetti & Oldrati)
120206, XXPho6541
Norma (Bellini): Casta diva 120205, XXPho6542
Norma (Bellini): Ah! bello, a me ritorna (w. chorus) 120205, XXPho6543
Norma (Bellini): Qual cor tradisti (w. Oldrati) 120206, XXPho6544
Fonotipia, Milano 1929-12-18
Aida (Verdi): Ritorna vincitor!, pt 1 120210, XXPho6545
Aida (Verdi): Ritorna vincitor!, pt 2 120210, XXPho6546
Aida (Verdi): Qui Radames verrà 120211 XXPho6549
Fonotipia, Milano 1929-12-19
Forza del destino (Verdi): Pace, pace! pace, mio Dio 120203, XXPho6553
Aida (Verdi): O cieli azzurri 120211, XXPho6554
Trovatore (Verdi): D’amor sull’ali rosee 120220 XXPho6557
Fonotipia, Milano 1930-03-18
Norma (Bellini): Sola, furtiva al tempio (w. Lanza) 172194, XXPh6564
Norma (Bellini): Sì, fa core abbracciami (w. Lanza) 172194, XXPh6565
Norma (Bellini): Mira o Norma, pt 1 (w. Lanza) 172127 XXPh6566
Norma (Bellini): Mira o Norma, pt 1 (w. Lanza) pt 2 172127 XXPh6567
Norma (Bellini): Oh! di qual sei tu vittima, pt 1 (w. Colombo &
Lanza) 168838, Mo2886
Norma (Bellini): Oh! di qual sei tu vittima, pt 2 (w. Colombo &
Lanza) 168838 Mo2887
Fonotipia, Milano 1930-03-22
Norma (Bellini): In mia man alfin tu sei (w. Colombo) 172128, XXPh6577
Norma
(Bellini): Ah crudele (w. Colombo) 172128, XXPh6578
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