UNA VOCE ('IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA)
(Rossini)
GRAMOPHONE 053146 recorded 1908
Luisa Tetrazzini (soprano) was born in 1871 at Florence, Italy. Her early musical training was under her sister Eva (Madame Campanini) and she also studied under Ceccherini at the Liceo Musicale in Florence. Her debut was in 1895 at the Teatro Pagliani as Inez in Meyerbeer's L'Africaine, and her first in a major role as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata in Rio de Janeiro. She sang successfully in many major opera houses including in South America, Italy, Spain and Russia; her first appearance in the English-speaking world was at San Francisco. She appeared first at Covent Garden in 1907, again as Violetta, where she was acclaimed and became one of the top opera stars of her time. The major part of her career took place before World War One, during which she remained in Italy, working and singing for the war charities. After the war she continued to make concert appearances and taught singing in Milan. She died in 1940.

Although, in common with many singers of her time, she was not much of an actress, her voice was remarkable for its purity and great range, with an extraordinary coloratura technique.

She made a number of recordings, first for the Gramophone Company (later HMV) in England and then for Victor in America (these latter were also issued by the Gramophone Comany): like the other top singers she had her own colour of label in the UK, in this case pink. (Mouse over the list for notes.)
AH, NON GIUNGE ('LA SONNAMBULA')
(Bellini)
VICTROLA 88313 recorded 18 March 1911
POLONAISE (IO SON TITANIA) ('MIGNON')
(Thomas)
GRAMOPHONE 053142 recorded 1908
MAD SCENE (SPLENDON LE SACRE FACI
INTORNO)(LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR)(Donizetti)
HMV 2-053047 recorded 1911
BEL RAGGIO LUSINGHIER ('SEMIRAMIDE')
(Rossini)
GRAMOPHONE 2-053034 recorded 1910
SOLVEIG'S SONG Op.23 No.1 ('PEER GYNT')
(Grieg)
HMV DB531 recorded 5 December 1914
L'ECHO
(Eckert)
HMV DB 530 recorded 17 March 1911