Miriam Pirazzini

Miriam Pirazzini (21 August 1918 – 26 December 2016) was an Italian mezzo-soprano and occasionally soprano.

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 Neris in Medea (the Italian version of Luigi Cherubini's 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.

She appeared at the Teatro alla Scala in 1951, as Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia, opposite Caterina Mancini, Mirto Picchi, and Nicola Rossi Lemeni.