Pia Tassinari

[1] She sang widely in Italy before making her debut at La Scala in Milan in 1932 in the première of Veretti’s Il favorito del re.

[1] She also appeared in Russia and South America, and made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1947, as Tosca.

In the 1950s, as her voice darkened, she tackled successfully mezzo-soprano roles, notably Carmen, Charlotte, Amneris and Ulrica.

They can be heard together in a number of complete opera recordings: Un ballo in maschera, Martha, Werther, L'arlesiana, and most notably L'amico Fritz, conducted by Pietro Mascagni himself.

[2] Tassinari had a beautiful voice of great range, and she brought considerable warmth, sensitivity, and refinement to whatever she was singing.