Born: 29 June 1871, Italy
Died: 28 April 1940
Country most active: International
Also known as: NA
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Luisa Tetrazzini was a truly great coloratura (vocal range of low B to high F). She made her debut in 1891 in Florence, Italy, and then left for a long stay in South America where she led a bohemian existence. She first sang in San Francisco in 1904 with a Mexican company and remained there for two seasons. Tetrazzini then went to London and was rapturously received. Oscar Hammerstein signed her immediately, and she soon conquered the New York public. When Hammerstein’s Manhattan Opera failed, she joined the Chicago Opera from 1910 until 1913, singing briefly with the Metropolitan Opera, in 1911–1912. Her voice was uneven, and while superb in the upper register was somewhat undeveloped elsewhere. However, her joy of singing is apparent on her records.
The following was excerpted from Famous Women: An Outline of Feminine Achievement Through the Ages With Life Stories of Five Hundred Noted Women. Written by Joseph Adelman, published 1926 by Ellis M Lonow Company.
Louisa Tetrazzini, an Italian prima donna, born in Florence. After only three months’ regular study she sang with success in 1895 as Inez in L’Africaine, and following engagements in Italy, Spain and Russia, she went to Buenos Aires, Mexico and California, whence her fame as a second Patti began to spread. In 1907 she made a sensation at Covent Garden, London, and the next year she sang at the Manhattan Opera House, New York.
Mme. Tetrazzini has a soprano voice of wonderful purity, power and charm, combined with a faultless technical execution of the most florid and difficult passages in the Italian operas.