This was a beautiful voice. I discovered Carosio as I have discovered many singers – just by browsing the internet. She was the most famous bel canto soprano of her day. Her placement is very high in the resonating registers, and her vocal production is excellent. She was Italy’s leading Bel Canto singer of her day.
Ironically, she is responsible for one of the turning points in Callas’s career. Carosio was singing Elvira in 1949 in I Puritani, when she became sick and could not go on. Callas replaced her, but Callas was already performing Brunnhilde in Wagner’s Die Walküre at Teatro La Fenice in Venice. The famous conductor Serafin told Callas to learn the part of Elvira in 5 days while still singing Brünhilde. Callas did this, and it was a triumph for her, singing these two roles.
Puccini, La Bohème, “Sí mi chimano Mimì”
Sì, Mi chiamano Mimì,
ma il mio nome è Lucia.
La storia mia è breve:
a tela o a seta
ricamo in casa e fuori…
Son tranquilla e lieta
ed è mio svago
far gigli e rose.
Mi piaccion quelle cose
che han sì dolce malìa,
che parlano d’amor, di primavere,
di sogni e di chimere,
quelle cose che han nome poesia…
Lei m’intende?
Mi chiamano Mimì,
il perchè non so.
Sola, mi fo
il pranzo da me stessa.
Non vado sempre a messa,
ma prego assai il Signore.
Vivo sola, soletta
là in una bianca cameretta:
guardo sui tetti e in cielo;
ma quando vien lo sgelo
il primo sole è mio
il primo bacio dell’aprile è mio!
Germoglia in un vaso una rosa…
Foglia a foglia la spio!
Cosi gentile il profumo d’un fiore!
Ma i fior ch’io faccio,
Ahimè! non hanno odore.
Altro di me non le
saprei narrare.
Sono la sua vicina
che la vien fuori
d’ora a importunare.
Puccini, La Bohéme, “Yes, they call me Mimí”
Yes, they call me Mimì,
but my real name’s Lucia.
My story is brief.
I embroider silk and satin
at home or outside.
I’m tranquil and happy,
and my pastime
is making lilies and roses.
I love all things
that have gentle magic,
that talk of love, of spring,
that talk of dreams and fancies –
the things called poetry…
Do you understand me?
They call me Mimì –
I don’t know why.
I live all by myself
and I eat alone.
I don’t often go to church,
but I like to pray.
I stay all alone
in my tiny white room,
I look at the roofs and the sky.
But when spring comes
the sun’s first rays are mine.
April’s first kiss is mine, is mine!
The sun’s first rays are mine!
A rose blossoms in my vase,
I breathe its perfume, petal by petal.
So sweet is the flower’s perfume.
But the flowers I make, alas,
the flowers I make, alas,
alas, have no scent.
What else can I say?
I’m your neighbour, disturbing you
at this impossible hour.
Bellini, La Sonnambula, “Ah, no creda”
Ah, non credea mirarti
si presto estinto, o fiore!
Passasti al par d’amore,
che un giorno sol durò.
Potria novel vigore
il pianto mio recarti
ma ravvivar l’amore
il pianto mio, ah no, non può…
Bellini, The Sleepwalker, “Ah, I didn’t believe”
Ah, I didn’t believe I’d see you
Wither so quickly, oh blossom!
You have faded away just like love,
Which only lasted a day.
Maybe my tears could
Lend you new life,
But to revive love
My tears oh no, they cannot do so…
Bellini, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Act I, “Oh, quante volte”
Eccomi in lieta vesta…
Eccomi adorna
come vittima all’ara
Oh! almen potessi, qual vittima,
cader dell’ara al piede!
O nuziali tede, aborrite
cosi, cosi fatali,
siate, ah! siate per me
faci ferali.
Ardo… una vampa, un foco
tutta mi strugge.
Un refrigerio
ai venti io chiedo invano
Ove sei tu, Romeo?
in qual terra t’aggiri?
Dove, dove, inviarti,
dove, i miei sospiri?
Oh! quante volte, oh quante
ti chiedo al ciel piangendo!
Con quale ardor t’attendo,
e inganno il mio desir!
Raggio del tuo sembiante
ah! parmi il brillar del giorno:
ah! l’aura che spira intorno
mi sembra un tuo sospir,
Bellini, I Capuleti e i Montecchi Act I, “Oh, How Many Times, How Many!:
Here I am, in such gay clothing…
Here I am, dressed up
like a victim about to be sacrificed at the altar
Oh, if I could at least, like a victim,
fall at the feet of the altar!
Oh, nuptial lights, repulsive,
so, so fateful,
oh, be to me
ferocious torches,
I burn… a flame, a fire
wrecks me completely.
I ask for relief
to the winds, in vain.
Where are you, Romeo?
In which land do you roam?
Where should I send you
my sighs, where?
Oh, how many times, how many
I ask the sky for you in tears!
With such passion I await you,
deceiving my own desire!
Ah, the light of the day
looks to me like a ray of your appearance:
ah, the wind blowing around here
seems your breath to me,
ah, the wind blowing around here
seems your breath to me!
Bellini, I Puritani, “Qui, la voce”
Qui la voce sua soave
mi chiamava…e poi sparì.
Qui giurava esser fedele,
qui il giurava,
E poi crudele, mi fuggì!
Ah, mai più qui assorti insieme
nella gioia dei sospir.
Ah, rendetemi la speme,
o lasciate, lasciatemi morir.
Bellini, The Puritans, “Here his voice”
Here his sweet voice
He called me and then disappeared.
Here he swore to be faithful,
Here he swore,
And then cruel, he fled!
Ah! never again here absorbed together
In the joy of sighs.
Ah! make me hope,
Or leave, let me die!
Margherita Carosio
June 7, 1908 – January 10. 2005
Carosio, born in Genoa to a teacher/composer father, began singing in public at 14 and made her operatic debut at 16 as Lucia di Lammermoor at Novi Ligure. Soon after, in 1928, she made her Covent Garden debut as Feodor in Boris Gudnov, singing in Italian while bass Feodor Chaliapin sang in Russian and the chorus sang in French.
She made her La Scala debut as Oscar in Verdi’s Ballo in maschera, followed by Philine in Thomas’s Mignon.
Until Maria Callas came on the scene, Carosio was the leading bel canto soprano in Italy, famous for her performances in light lyrical roles such as MimÐ and Violetta.
She sang lead roles into her early 60s, and retired from singing in the mid-1950s. Afterward, she devoted herself to music criticism and journalism.