Clara Petrella

Clara Petrella (28 March 1914 – 19 November 1987) was an Italian operatic soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, an outstanding singing-actress nicknamed the "Duse of Singers".

She created many roles in opera by the following composers; Lodovico Rocca, Ildebrando Pizzetti, Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, and Renzo Rossellini.

Petrella had a beautiful spinto voice, combined with an explosive dramatic temperament, and she was compared to the great Italian actress Eleonora Duse.

In the early 1950s, she made several recordings with Cetra, notably; Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Il tabarro, L'amore dei tre re, Zazà, and for Decca, she recorded Pagliacci.

She also appeared on Italian television productions of Manon Lescaut and Il tabarro, in 1956.