Carla Gavazzi

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Carla Gavazzi (born in 1913) is an Italian operatic soprano, largely based in Italy, and particularly associated with the verismo and contemporary repertories.

Carla Gavazzi was one of many talented Italian sopranos from the 1950s, who were eclipsed by the likes of Renata Tebaldi and Maria Callas. Her voice was rich, powerful, warm and vibrant. Her clear diction and expressive delivery and musicality made her a unique and memorable interpreter of the Verismo repertoire, as well as that of Puccini and Verdi.

She made her debut as Mimi in La bohème, in 1940. She sang throughout Italy in the standard lirico-spinto repertory such as Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Simon Boccanegra, Otello, etc.

She was much appreciated in contemporary works such as; Hindemith 's Mathis der Maler, Malipiero 's La favola del figlio cambiato, Respighi 's La campana sommersa, Alfano 's Cyrano de Bergerac and Rizzurezione. Alfano also chose her for the premiere of his song cycle to poetry by Tagone.

Gavazzi appeared in a television production of Cavalleria rusticana in 1956, she can also be heard in a few recordings she made for Cetra; as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and the lead soprano roles in Pagliacci, Adriana Lecouvreur, and La fanciulla del west.

In 1959, a goiter caused her to retire from the stage, sadly just as she was invited to appear at the Royal Opera House in London, which could have been the beginning of an international career.