Alda Noni
Encyclopedia
Alda Noni was an Italian soprano leggiero, one of the leading soubrette
of the immediate postwar period.
Born in Trieste
, she first studied voice and piano in her native city, and completed her studies in Vienna. She made her professional debut in Ljubljana
in 1937, as Rosina, later appearing in Zagreb and Belgrade.
She sang at the Vienna State Opera
from 1942 to 1946, in Mozart, Rossini and lighter Donizetti roles, such as: Susanna, Zerlina
, Despina
, Adina
, Norina
. She was chosen by Richard Strauss
himself, to sing Zerbinetta
in 1944, to celebrate his 80th birthday.
She sang widely in Italy, both on stage and on radio broadcast, where she was admired in opera by Cimarosa, Paisiello, and Fioravanti
, often partnering Cesare Valletti
and Sesto Bruscantini
. She also appeared in London, 1946, Glyndebourne, 1949, and made her Paris Opéra
debut in 1951, as Oscar
, later singing Nanetta
. She retired from the stage in 1955. She can be heard in many recordings made for Cetra Records in the early 1950s, notably Le cantatrici villane
, Le nozze di Figaro, Il matrimonio segreto
, L'elisir d'amore
, Don Pasquale
, I quatro rusteghi.
Soubrette
A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:...
of the immediate postwar period.
Born in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, she first studied voice and piano in her native city, and completed her studies in Vienna. She made her professional debut in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
in 1937, as Rosina, later appearing in Zagreb and Belgrade.
She sang at the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
from 1942 to 1946, in Mozart, Rossini and lighter Donizetti roles, such as: Susanna, Zerlina
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, Despina
Così fan tutte
Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti K. 588, is an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first performed in 1790. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte....
, Adina
L'elisir d'amore
L'elisir d'amore is an opera by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. It is a melodramma giocoso in two acts...
, Norina
Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The librettist Giovanni Ruffini wrote the Italian language libretto after Angelo Anelli's libretto for Stefano Pavesi's Ser Marcantonio ....
. She was chosen by Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
himself, to sing Zerbinetta
Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos is an opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Bringing together slapstick comedy and consuming beautiful music, the opera's theme is the competition between high and low art for the public's attention.- First version :The opera was originally...
in 1944, to celebrate his 80th birthday.
She sang widely in Italy, both on stage and on radio broadcast, where she was admired in opera by Cimarosa, Paisiello, and Fioravanti
Valentino Fioravanti
Valentino Fioravanti was a celebrated Italian composer of opera buffas.One of the best opera buffa composers between Domenico Cimarosa and Gioacchino Rossini. He was especially popular in Naples, and was the first in Italy to introduce spoken dialogue in the French manner in his works, sometimes...
, often partnering Cesare Valletti
Cesare Valletti
Cesare Valletti was an Italian operatic tenor, one of the leading tenore di grazia of the postwar era. He was much admired for his polished vocal technique, his musical refinement and elegance, and beauty of tone....
and Sesto Bruscantini
Sesto Bruscantini
Sesto Bruscantini was an Italian baritone, one of the greatest buffo singers of the post-war era, especially renowned in Mozart and Rossini....
. She also appeared in London, 1946, Glyndebourne, 1949, and made her Paris Opéra
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
debut in 1951, as Oscar
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
, later singing Nanetta
Falstaff (opera)
Falstaff is an operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare's plays The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV. It was Verdi's last opera, written in the composer's ninth decade, and only the second of his 26 operas to be a comedy...
. She retired from the stage in 1955. She can be heard in many recordings made for Cetra Records in the early 1950s, notably Le cantatrici villane
Le cantatrici villane
Le cantatrici villane is a comic opera in two acts composed by Valentino Fioravanti to a libretto by Giovanni Palomba. It was first performed in Naples in 1799...
, Le nozze di Figaro, Il matrimonio segreto
Il matrimonio segreto
Il matrimonio segreto is an opera in two acts, music by Domenico Cimarosa, on a libretto by Giovanni Bertati, based on the play The Clandestine Marriage by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick...
, L'elisir d'amore
L'elisir d'amore
L'elisir d'amore is an opera by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. It is a melodramma giocoso in two acts...
, Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The librettist Giovanni Ruffini wrote the Italian language libretto after Angelo Anelli's libretto for Stefano Pavesi's Ser Marcantonio ....
, I quatro rusteghi.
Sources
- Le guide de l'opéra, les indispensables de la musique, R. Mancini & J-J. Rouvereux, (Fayard, 1986), ISBN 9782213595672