Luisa Tetrazzini (soprano) - Ah, fors' e lui...Sempre libera ('La Traviata' - Verdi) (1911)

Luisa Tetrazzini sings 'Ah, fors' e lui,' recorded at 21 City Road, London, on 11 July 1911.

Tetrazzini (1871-1940) spent the first part of her career in Italy, made her American debut to great acclaim in 1905, and then - as a complete unknown - took Covent Garden by storm when she appeared in 'La Traviata.' For the next decade she was - as Wikipedia says - 'an international operatic superstar.' After World War I, she largely abandoned the operatic stage for the concert platform. Unfortunately, as Michael Scott puts it, affairs 'of the heart proved ruinous' and she spent her last years in financial difficulty.

Michael Scott refers to her 'astounding technique...founded in complete control of the breath,' her musicianship and the beauty of her singing. At the same time, he points out the obvious problem with her vocalism: 'the registers were very clearly delineated and not properly equalised.'

I transferred this recording from HMV DB 531.

[DCBfanboy]

Thank you for uploading these Luisa Tetrazzinis, they are very emjoyable. :)

[saltburner]

One of my all-time favourites. And to imagine that John McCormack was her Alfredo at Covent Garden when only 23 - still the youngest tenor ever to have appeared there in a major role! Caballe was the only soprano I heard who, in control of the breath, was her equal.

[johnamaral]

Tetrazzini one my favorite godess from the decade 1920.

[philipcarli]

There's an engraving of Percy Pitt conducting for Tetrazzini at HMV dating from this time, so I would hazard a guess he's conducting here. Lovely recording.