Gabriella Tucci facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gabriella Tucci
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Gabriella Tucci as Tosca in 1968
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| Born | 4 August 1929 |
| Died | 9 July 2020 (aged 90) Rome, Italy
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| Education | Accademia di Santa Cecilia |
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Gabriella Tucci (born August 4, 1929 – died July 9, 2020) was a famous Italian opera singer. She was a soprano, which means she sang the highest female voice parts in operas. Gabriella Tucci was known for her amazing performances in Italian operas all around the world. She sang many times at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, performing in 11 different roles by the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi. Some of her well-known roles included Violetta in La traviata and Desdemona in Otello.
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Gabriella Tucci's Life and Career
Gabriella Tucci was born in Rome, Italy, on August 4, 1929. She studied music at a special school called the Accademia di Santa Cecilia with Leonardo Filoni, who later became her husband.
Her first big performance was in 1951 in Lucca, Italy. She sang the main role in Verdi's opera La traviata. In 1952, she won a singing competition in Spoleto. After that, she performed in La forza del destino by Verdi, singing alongside the famous tenor Beniamino Gigli.
Early Successes
In 1953, Gabriella Tucci took part in a famous show of Cherubini's opera Medea. She sang the role of Glauce, while the legendary Maria Callas played Medea.
In 1959, she made her debut at La Scala in Milan, one of the most famous opera houses in the world. She sang Mimi in Puccini's La bohème. The same year, she performed in America for the first time at the San Francisco Opera.
Performing at the Metropolitan Opera
The next year, 1960, was very important for her. She made her debut at the Royal Opera House in London as Puccini's Tosca. She also performed for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, singing Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly.
Gabriella Tucci performed at the Met 260 times between 1960 and 1972. She sang 20 different roles there. A record 11 of these roles were from operas by Verdi. Some of her most frequent roles included Aida, Leonora in Il trovatore, and Alice Ford in Falstaff. She also sang in operas like Gounod's Faust, Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, and Bizet's Carmen.
On April 16, 1966, she sang in a special concert that closed the Met's first theater. She performed a part from Faust with Nicolai Gedda and Jerome Hines.
International Performances
Besides the Met, Tucci sang at many other famous opera houses. These included the Opera di Roma, the Arena di Verona, and the Vienna State Opera. She also performed in major cities like Berlin, Moscow, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires. She even traveled with the La Scala Opera company to Moscow and Tokyo. Some of these live performances were recorded, so people can still listen to them today.
Gabriella Tucci was known for being a very flexible singer and a great actress. She could sing many different types of operas, from the beautiful bel canto style of Bellini's I puritani to the more realistic verismo works. Her full list of roles included about 80 different characters. She sang in operas in English, French, German, and Russian.
Recordings and Concerts
Gabriella Tucci made only two official studio recordings: Pagliacci in 1959 and Il trovatore in 1964. However, many of her live performances were recorded. This means fans can still hear her amazing voice in operas like Cherubini's Medea.
She also performed in concerts. In 1968, she sang in Verdi's Requiem with the Cleveland Orchestra. People said her singing was part of a "vibrant quartet" of voices.
Gabriella Tucci passed away in Rome on July 9, 2020, at the age of 90.
Discography
CDs
- Verdi: Il trovatore, conducted by Thomas Schippers, EMI
- Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (together with Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana), conducted by Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Decca
DVDs
- Leoncavallo: Pagliacci, conducted by Giuseppe Morelli, VAI
- Verdi: Aida, conducted by Franco Capuana, VAI
- Verdi: Otello, conducted by Alberto Erede, VAI
Sources
- The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia (Simon and Schuster, New York 1987). ISBN: 0-671-61732-X
- Guide de l'opéra, Les indispensables de la musique (Fayard, 1995). ISBN: 2-213-59567-4
See also
In Spanish: Gabriella Tucci para niños
