Herva Nelli facts for kids
Herva Nelli (born January 9, 1909 – died May 31, 1994) was a famous soprano singer. She was known for her powerful voice in opera performances. Herva Nelli was born in Italy and later became an American citizen.
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Her Life and Career
Early Years and First Performances
Herva Nelli was born in Florence, Italy. When she was ten years old, her family moved to the United States. They settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she later studied music.
In 1937, Herva Nelli sang in her first opera. This was with the Salmaggi Opera company in Brooklyn. Her first role was Santuzza in the opera Cavalleria rusticana. Over the next few years, she gained a lot of experience. She performed many important roles that became central to her career. These included Leonora in Verdi's La forza del destino and another Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore. She also sang the main parts in Norma, Verdi's Aida, and La Gioconda. In 1947, she performed for the first time at the New York City Opera.
Working with Arturo Toscanini
A very important part of Herva Nelli's career was working with the famous conductor Arturo Toscanini. In 1947, she sang for him and he was very impressed. This led to her performing in many famous concerts with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. These concerts were later released as recordings.
She sang Desdemona in Verdi's Otello. She also performed in Verdi's Aida (which was shown on television), Alice Ford in Falstaff, and Amelia in Un ballo in maschera. She also sang in Verdi's Requiem. The performance of Un ballo in maschera in 1954 was Toscanini's very last opera performance. When Toscanini passed away in 1957, he left his special conducting stick to Herva Nelli in his will. This showed how much he respected her.
Performances Around the World
Herva Nelli sang in many famous opera houses. In 1948, she performed in Genoa, Italy. She also sang at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, which is a very famous opera house.
From 1949, she often performed with the New Orleans Opera Association. She sang in Aida, Otello, and Il trovatore. She also performed a lot in Philadelphia from 1946 to 1959. There, she sang in many operas like Aïda, La Gioconda, Cavalleria rusticana, Norma, Il trovatore, Otello, La forza del destino, Puccini's Tosca, and Un ballo in maschera.
In 1951, she returned to the New York City Opera. She sang in Cavalleria rusticana and Aida. The next year, she played Maddalena de Coigny in Andrea Chénier. She also performed with the San Francisco Opera in 1951 and 1952. Her roles there included Otello, La forza del destino, Aida, Cavalleria rusticana, Il trovatore, and La bohème.
Metropolitan Opera Debut
Herva Nelli made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1953. This is one of the most important opera houses in the world. She performed there until 1961. She was seen in Aida, La forza del destino, Il trovatore, Cavalleria rusticana, Andrea Chénier, Un ballo in maschera, and Mozart's Don Giovanni (as Donna Anna). With the Met, she also toured to many cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto.
She also sang in Cuba in 1950 and in Mexico City in 1953. She performed in Il trovatore and Norma there.
Later Career and Farewell
Herva Nelli also performed many times at the Cincinnati Opera between 1953 and 1956. She sang in Aida, La traviata, Andrea Chénier, Un ballo in maschera, and Puccini's Madama Butterfly. She also performed with the Pittsburgh Opera, San Francisco's Cosmopolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Tulsa Opera, and Opera Guild of Miami.
In 1956, Herva Nelli created the role of Bethsheba in the first American performance of David by Darius Milhaud. This was performed at the Hollywood Bowl.
In 1958, she was a soloist for Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Teatro Colón in Argentina. In 1960, she sang Aida with the New York Opera Festival. She also performed Verdi's Requiem with orchestras like the New York Philharmonic. She toured to places like Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Madeira.
Herva Nelli gave her last performance in April 1962. It was with the Brooklyn Opera Company, where she sang in Norma. After retiring from singing, she became known as a great chef. In 1985, she appeared in a documentary called Toscanini: The Maestro.
Herva Nelli passed away on May 31, 1994, at the age of eighty-five. She was buried in Wingdale, New York.
In 2005, when a recording of her Aida performance with Toscanini was released, a reviewer noted her strong commitment to the music. They said she "lived every moment through the music," especially in the famous arias from Aida.
