Maria Capuana

Maria Capuana (2 September 1891 – 22 February 1955) was an Italian mezzo-soprano who had a major international opera career during the first half of the 20th century. She possessed a voice with a dark timbre that she used with great expression.

Born in Fano in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, Capuana was the older sister of conductor Franco Capuana. She was trained in the art of singing and piano performance at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella in Naples where she was a pupil of Beniamino Carelli. She made her stage debut in 1916 at the opera house in Reggio Emilia as Amneris in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida; a role which she would repeat at many major opera houses internationally later in her career and notably record for the opera's first commercial recording in 1928.

Capuana soon began appearing in leading roles at major opera houses in both Italy and France and by 1920 she had already made appearances at La Scala in Milan, the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, the Teatro Regio in Turin, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris among others. She enjoyed several major successes with the role of Brangäne in Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde in her early career, and the part helped establish herself as one of Italy's leading Wagnerian singers. Other Wagner roles in her repertoire, included Ortrud in Lohengrin, Venus in Tannhäuser, and Erda, Fricka, Gutrune, and the Second Norn in The Ring Cycle.

In 1921 Capuana portrayed Zoraide in the world premiere of Carlo Adolfo Cantù's Ettore Fieramosca at the Teatro Regio in Turin. In 1923 she had a major triumph at La Scala as Herodias in Richard Strauss's Salome. She continued to return with some frequency to that house through 1928 in such roles as Amneris, Fricka, Ortrud, and Rubria in Arrigo Boito's Nerone. She was seen at the Teatro Carlo Felice periodically between 1924–1936 where she sang a number of Wagner roles. She also made a number of appearances between 1927–1930 at the Teatro di San Carlo, including the role of Rufina in Riccardo Zandonai's Conchita. She notably created the title role in the world premiere of Emilio Pizzi's Ivania at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo in 1926. During the 1930s she made several appearances at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. In 1931 she toured Italy as a member of the Carro di Tespi.

Outside of Italy, Capuana performed in operas in Barcelona, Lisbon, Cairo, Argentina, Chile, France, and South Africa during the 1920s and 1930s. She was a much loved Amneris at the Teatro Colón in 1925. In 1935 she toured France as a recitalist.

Capuana's performance career ceased around the outbreak of World War II. Other roles she performed on stage included Adalgisa in Norma, Azucena in Il trovatore, Cerinto in Nerone, Charlotte in Werther, Laura in La Gioconda, Leonora in La favorite, Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia, Marguerite in La damnation de Faust, Princess Eboli in Don Carlos, and the Old Woman in L'amore dei tre re. She died in Cagliari at the age of 63.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1891 (Fano), Died February 22, 1955 (Cagliari)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: mezzo-soprano

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia (U.K.) WBX159 12-in. August-November 1927 O Don fatale Maria Capuana Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX163 12-in. August-November 1927 Parte ultima, duetto finale, atto IV Maria Capuana ; Giuseppe Taccani Vocal duet (mezzo-soprano and tenor), with orchestra vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX375 12-in. 11/8/1928 Quale insolita gioia Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX384 12-in. 11/10/1928 Ohime di guerra fremere! Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Salvatore Baccaloni ; Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi ; Giuseppe Nessi ; Tancredi Pasero Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX386 12-in. between 11/10 and 11/12/1928 Chi mai fra glie inni e plausi Maria Capuana Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX387 12-in. 11/12/1928 Vieni sul crin ti piovano Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Maria Capuana Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX393 12-in. 11/13/1928 O tu che sei d'Osiride Maria Capuana ; Tancredi Pasero Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX395 12-in. 11/14/1928 O terra addio Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX396 12-in. 11/14/1928 Tu sei felice Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Maria Capuana Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX397 12-in. 11/14/1928 Act 2: Finale, part 4, Spento Amonasro Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Salvatore Baccaloni ; Armando Borgioli ; Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi ; Tancredi Pasero Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX401 12-in. 11/15/1928 L'abborrita rivale Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX402 12-in. 11/15/1928 Nile duet, part 3: Si fuggiam da queste mura; Di Napata le gole Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Armando Borgioli ; Maria Capuana Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX404 12-in. 11/16/1928 Spirito del nume Maria Capuana ; Tancredi Pasero Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX405 12-in. 11/16/1928 A lui vivo...la tomba Maria Capuana ; Tancredi Pasero Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX407 12-in. 11/17/1928 Ebben qual nuovo fremito Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Maria Capuana Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX413 12-in. 11/19 or 11/20/1928 Act 2: Finale, part 3, Il dolor che in quel volto Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Salvatore Baccaloni ; Armando Borgioli ; Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi ; Tancredi Pasero Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX414 12-in. 11/20/1928 Iside venerata Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Salvatore Baccaloni ; Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi ; Giuseppe Nessi ; Tancredi Pasero Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX415 12-in. 11/20/1928 Act 2: Finale, part 2, Che veggo! Egli! Giannina Arangi-Lombardi ; Armando Borgioli ; Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX423 12-in. 11/23/1928 Salvati dunque Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WBX424 12-in. 11/23/1928 E la morte Maria Capuana ; Aroldo Lindi Opera vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WB1568 10-in. between August and November 1927 Scena delle carte Maria Capuana Mezzo-soprano vocal solo vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WB1570 10-in. between August and November 1927 Condotta ell'era in ceppi Maria Capuana Mezzo-soprano vocal solo vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Columbia (U.K.) WB1571 10-in. between August and November 1927 Condotta ell'era in ceppi Maria Capuana Mezzo-soprano vocal solo vocalist, mezzo-soprano  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Capuana, Maria," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/359724.

Capuana, Maria. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/359724.

"Capuana, Maria." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/359724

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