CLAUDIA MUZIO (PAVIA, ITALY 7 FEBRUARY 1889 – ROME, ITALY 24 MAY 1936)
Her father worked as an opera director at the Covent Garden Opera in London and at the Metropolitan Opera New York, her mother sang in the choir of the Metropolitan Opera. Claudia Muzio first studied harp playing, then singing with Annetta Casaloni in Turin, later with Elettra Callery-Viviani in Milan. In 1911 she made her debut at the Teatro Petrarca in Arezzo in the title role in "Manon Lescaut" by G. Puccini. In 1912 she had a sensational success in the same part at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan. In the 1913-1914 season, at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, she celebrated as Desdemona in "Otello" and as Fiora in "L'Amore dei tre Ré" by I. Montemezzi. In 1914 she also sang the part of Mariela at the Teatro alla Scala in the premiere of the opera "Abisso" by A. Smareglia. In 1913 she was at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples; In 1914 she made a brilliant guest appearance at the Covent Garden Opera as Manon, Margherita in "Mefistofele" by A. Boito and as Mimi in "La Bohème" (with Enrico Caruso as Rodolfo). In 1915 she had a great successes at the Havana Opera. In 1916 she was committed to the Metropolitan Opera in New York (debut role: ‘’Tosca’’), whose real prima donna she remained until 1921. On 14. 12. 1918 she sang in the premiere of G. Puccini's "Il Tabarro" as Giorgetta, in 1920 she sang the role of Tatiana in the premiere of "Eugene Onegin" by P. Tchaikovsky (in Italian). At the Metropolitan Opera she also participated in the first performances of A. Catalani's "Loreley" (1922) and U. Giordano's "Andrea Chénier" (1921). Totally she appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in 152 performances. In the 1922-1932 seasons she performed with the same successes at the Chicago Opera. During this time she completed guest performances at the Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires as well as the opera houses of Havana and Rio de Janeiro. In 1926 she sang the part of Turandot in G. Puccini's eponymous opera in its premiere at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. At the Teatro Colón she appeared in 23 different roles and sang in 232 performances. Here she also participated in the world premiere of the Argentine opera "Ollontay" by C. Gaita (23. 7. 1926). In 1926 she returned to Italy, where she performed with triumph at the leading theaters. In 1934 she was again committed to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, but sang there only the role of Violetta in "La Traviata" and Santuzza in "Cavalleria Rusticana". On 15. 2. 1934 she created at the Rome Opera the title role in the premiere of the sacred opera "Cecilia" by Licinio Refice. In 1932 she sang the part of Tosca for the opening of the new opera house of San Francisco (where she had already performed in the 1924-1926 seasons). In the 1935-1936 season she undertook a South American tour.
TRACKLIST
1. Trovatore (Verdi): Tacea la notte placida... Di tale amor 82223 7611 Edison, New York 1920-11-01
2. Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky): Sei forse l'angelo fedele 82224 7614 Edison, New York 1920-11-03
3. Salvator Rosa (Gomes): Mia piccirella 82216 7619 Edison, New York 1920-11-05
4. Andrea Chénier (Giordano): La mamma morta 82224 7622 Edison, New York 1920-11-08
5. Crisantemi (Sodero) 82218 7628 Edison, New York 1920-11-11
6. Chère nuit (Bachelet) 82218 7629 Edison, New York 1920-11-11
7. Wally (Catalani): Ebben, ne andrò lontano 82232 7645 Edison, New York 1920-11-22
8. Trovatore (Verdi): D'amor sull'ali rosee 82223 7610 Edison, New York 1920-12-06
9. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Qual fiamma avea nel guardo (Ballatella) 82232 7608 Edison, New York 1921-01-24
10. Bohème (Puccini): Sì, mi chiamano Mimì 82234 7767 Edison, New York 1921-01-31
11. Zazà (Leoncavallo): Ammogliato... Dir che ci sono al mondo 82243 7621 Edison, New York 1921-03-14
12. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Nedda! Silv io, a quest'ota (w. Laurenti) 82247 7856 Edison, New York 1921-03-21
13. Aspiration (Nocturne) (Chopin) 82234 7880 Edison, New York 1921-04-01
14. Eternamente (Mascheroni) 82243 7941 Edison, New York 1921-04-27
15. Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Del sultano Amuratte... Ecco, respiro appena... Io son l'umile ancella 82247 7950 Edison, New York 1921-04-29
16. Loreley (Catalani): Dove son? 82320 7933 Edison, New York 1922-03-08
17. Mefistofele (Boito): L'altra notte 82305 8380 Edison, New York 1922-03-13
18. Mme Sans-Gêne (Giordano): Che me ne faccio del vostro castello 82305 8381
19. Bianca e Fernando (Bellini): Sorgi, o padre 82267 8392 Edison, New York 1922-03-24
20. Forza del destino (Verdi): Pace, pace mio Dio 82267 8397 Edison, New York 1922-03-28
21. Hérodiade (Massenet): Egli è bel 82309 8409 Edison, New York 1922-04-07
22. Africaine (Meyerbeer): Figlia del sol 82300 8427 Edison, New York 1922-04-19
23. Rinaldo (Händel): Lascia ch'io pianga 82300 8429 Edison, New York 1922-04-21
24. Lombardi (Verdi): O madre, dal cielo soccorri al mio pianto... Se vano è il pregare 82309 8450
25. La separazione (Rossini) 82291 8850 Edison, New York 1923-02-16
26. Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Son pochi fiori 82291 8851 Edison, New York 1923-02-16
27. Paride e Elena (Gluck): Spiagge amate 82287 8854 Edison, New York 1923-02-19
28. Mal d'amore (Buzzi-Peccia) 82287 8855 Edison, New York 1923-02-19
29. Shepherd's love (Monahan) 82317 9400 Edison, New York 1924-03-04
30. Vêpres Siciliennes (Verdi): Mercè, dilette amiche 82320 9404 Edison, New York 1924-03-05
31. Guardami! (Guagni-Benvenuti) 82339 9405 Edison, New York 1924-03-05
32. Carmen (Bizet): Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante 82324 9412 Edison, New York 1924-03-10
33. Contes d'Hoffmann (Offenbach): Elle a fui, la tourterelle 82324 9413 Edison, New York 1924-03-10
34. Orange Blossoms (Herbert): A kiss in the dark 82317 9414 Edison, New York 1924-03-11
35. Se tu m'ami (Pergolesi) 82339 9970 Edison, New York 1925-01-27
36. For all eternity (Mascheroni) 7613 unpubl Edison, New York 1920-11-03
37. Odorano le rose (-) 8410 unpubl Edison, New York 1922-04-07
38. O del mio amato ben (Donaudy) 8428 unpubl Edison, New York 1922-04-21
39. Torna, amore (-) 9401 unpubl Edison, New York 1924-03-04
40. Mon jardin (-) 9975 unpubl Edison, New York 1925-01-28