Gemma Bellincioni

Gemma Bellincioni
(Matilda Cesira)
1864 – 1950
Italian soprano
Both her parents were singers, and after receiving training from them, she made her operatic debut in “ Il Segreto della Duchessa” by Dell'Orefice at Naples in 1880. She went on to sing extensively in Europe and South America during the next two decades, although she would appear only once in London—at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden—in 1895. Despite her fame, she never performed at America's foremost operatic venue, the New York Metropolitan Opera.On 17 May 1890, she created the role of Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni's “Cavalleria Rusticana” when it premiered in Rome. With her common-law spouse Roberto Stagno as Turiddu. She starred in the Italian premiere of Richard Strauss' Salome. She announced her retirement from the stage in 1911 to teach singing, Her roles included Violetta “ La traviata” Verdi , Dinorah “Dinorah” Meyerbeer, Amina ‘La Sonambulla” Bellini , Desdemona ‘Othello” Rossini, Elvira ‘I Puritani” Bellini , Carmen ‘Carmen” Bizet and Lucia ‘Lucia di Lammemoor” by Donizetti