Miriam Pirazzini
Miriam Pirazzini (born 21 August 1918 - December 25, 2016) was a well-known Italian mezzo-soprano. Born in Vicenza, she made her formal debut in Rome, in 1944, as Laura Adorno in La Gioconda. For the next twenty years, she was one of Italy's foremost mezzo-sopranos.
Opposite Maria Callas, Pirazzini appeared as Amneris in Aïda, at Rovigo (1948), Reggio Calabria (1951) and the Verona Arena (directed by G.W. Pabst, 1953); in the oratorio San Giovanni Battista at Perugia (1949); as Azucena in Il trovatore at the Teatro dell'Opera, Rome (1953); and Néris in Médée in Venice (1953), as well as on the first studio recording of Cherubini's masterpiece. She was also the Adalgisa (replacing the indisposed Fedora Barbieri) in the infamous Norma at Rome in 1958, when the performance was cancelled after Callas sang Act I and felt unable to continue; she kept the role partnering Anita Cerquetti, who replaced Callas for the remaining performances.
Another of Pirazzini's roles was of the Princesse de Boullion in Adriana Lecouvreur, which she often sang with Magda Olivero in the title role, in Brescia (1956), Lisbon (1956), Palermo (1959) and Caracas (1961). In 1962, her recording of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly won a Grammy Award.
Studio Discography
- Cherubini: Médée (Callas, Scotto, Picchi, Modesti; Serafin, 1957) Ricordi/EMI
- Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Corridori, Campora, Colzani; Parodi, 1952) Urania
- Puccini: Madama Butterfly (de los Ángeles, Björling, Sereni; Santini, 1959) EMI
- Verdi: Aïda (Curtis-Verna, Corelli, Guelfi, Neri; Questa, 1956) Cetra
- Verdi: La forza del destino (Guerrini, Campora, Colzani, Corena; Parodi, p. 1952) Urania
- Verdi: Otello (Rysanek, Vickers, Gobbi; Serafin, 1960) RCA
- Verdi: Rigoletto (d'Angelo, Tucker, Capecchi; Molinari-Pradelli, 1959) Philips
- Verdi: Il trovatore (Mancini, Lauri-Volpi, Tagliabue; Previtali, 1951) Cetra
References
- Liner notes, Act I of Norma, Voce, undated.
External links
- Miriam Pirazzini in an excerpt from Il trovatore on YouTube (1951, audio only).
