Fedora Barbieriwas one of the most celebrated Italian mezzo-sopranos of the postwar era. In addition to possessing a voice of formidable proportions, given her small stature, she was a consummate actor, as happy in comic as in tragic parts. From her 1942 debut, as Meg Page in Verdi’s Falstaff, she appeared regularly at La Scala, Milan, until 1969.
She was just as popular at the New York Met, where she gave 95 performances of 11 roles, following her first appearance in 1950, as Princess Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlos. She performed the same role at Covent Garden in 1958, at the first night of the legendary Visconti staging. During the same season, she also sang an imposing Amneris, and returned in 1964 as Mistress Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff.
Barbieri was a powerful mezzo who tended to use a lot of chest voice (where the lower notes are produced). Her higher notes were often criticized as not being well produced. I don’t find that that is the case at all. And I don’t hear any kind of register break as she moves into higher notes. While she uses chest voice for the lower notes in her range, she is also mixing them with the resonant cavities in the head, or in the mask as it is sometime called. I hope that you enjoy this post. The duet with Callas is a special treat.
Verdi, La trovatore, “Stride lsa vampa”
AZUCENA
Stride la vampa! – la folla indomita
Corre a quel fuoco – lieta in sembianza;
Urli di gioia – intorno echeggiano:
Cinta di sgherri – donna s’avanza!
Sinistra splende – sui volti orribili
La tetra fiamma – che s’alza al ciel!
Stride la vampa! – giunge la vittima
Nerovestita, – discinta e scalza!
Grido feroce – di morte levasi;
L’eco il ripete – di balza in balza!
Sinistra splende – sui volti orribili
La tetra fiamma – che s’alza al ciel!
Verdi, The Troubadour, “The flame crackles”
AZUCENA
The flame crackles! The unrestrained mob
runs to that fire, their faces all happy!
Shouts of joy re?echo around;
surrounded by killers, a woman comes forward!
Sinister, shining on the horrible faces,
the ghastly flame rises, rises towards heaven!
The flame crackles! The victim arrives,
dressed in black, dishevelled, barefoot!
A fierce shout of death is raised,
its echo repeated from hill to hill!
Sinister, shining, etc.
Ponchielli, La Gioconda, È un anatema!
Gioconda
E un anatema!
Laura
Ah! Chi sei?
Gioconda
Chi son tu chiami? Sono un’ombra che t’aspetta!
Il mio nome è la Vendetta. Amo l’uomo che tu ami.
Laura
Ciel!
Gioconda
Là attesi e il tempo così come belva nella tana
La forza sovrumana del furor m’invade i polsi!
Vuoi fuggir? D’amor ti struggi, lieta rivale?
Sì l’antenna e il governale pronto son, va, fuggi!
Laura
Furia orrenda!
Gioconda
Ah! mi pavernti! Ed ardisci amar d’amore querll’eroe
Laura
Sfido il tuo rival!
Gioconda
Bestemmi!
Laura
Menti! L’amo come il fulgor del creato!
Come l’aura che arrive il respiro!
Come il sogno celeste e beato
da cui venne il mio primo sospir
Gioconda
Ed io l’amo siccome il leone ama il sangue,
Ed il turbone il volo la folgor le vette,
E l’alcione le voragini e l’aquila il sol!
Laura
Per suo bacio soave io disfido della pallida morte l’orror!
Gioconda
Pel suo bacio soave t’uccido, son più forte,
più forte è il mio amor! Il mio braccio t’afferra!
Vien ch’io ti scorge in viso! A terra!
Or più scampo non hai! Questo pugnale . . .
Ma no . . .tu avrai per sorte un fulmin più fatale . . .
Là, guarda . . .in quella barca bruna
Laura
O Ciel!
Gioconda
Là, è il tuo consorte!
Laura
Cielo! Perduta io son!
Gioconda
È pieno l’anatema!
Ormai nè un nume nè un santuario salvar ti può.
Laura
Vergin m’aita!
Gioconda
Che! Quel rosario! Presto! Fuggi!
A te, questa maschera t’ascondaL
Ponchieli, La Gioconda, “It is a curse”
Gioconda
It is a curse
Laura
Ah!, Who are you?
Gioconda
Who am I, you ask? I am a shadow that awaits you!
My name is Revenge. I love the man whom you love.
Laura
Heavens
Gioconda
There I waited and the time I took like a beast in its lair,
The superhuman strength of fury invades my blood!
Do you want to flee? You are consumed with love, happy rival?
Yes, the mast and the rudder are ready. Very well, go, flee!
Laura
Horrendous fury
Gioconda
Ah1 You fear me! And you dare to love that hero with true love?
Laura
I defy your heart, oh rival!
Gioconda
You blaspheme!
Laura
You lie! I love him as the splendor of creation!
As the air that quickens the breath!
As a dream heavenly and blessed.
From whence came my first sigh.
Gioconda
And I love him as the lion loves blood,
and the whirlwind its flight, and the lightning its peaks.
And as the halcyons (birds) the whirlpools and the eagles the sun.
Laura
For his gentle kiss, I even defy the pale horror of death!
Gioconda
For his gentle kiss, I will kill you. I am stronger.
Stronger is my love! My arm is seizing you!
Come so that I can see your face! Down!
Or no longer take the escape you don’t have. This dagger . . .
But no . . you shall have as a fate a blow more fatal
There, look . . .in that dark boat
Laura
Heavens!
Giocona
Your husband is there!
Laura
Heavens! I am lost!
Giaconda
My curse is fulfilled.
Now neither a god nor a sanctuary can save you.
Laura
Virgin, help me!
Giaconda
What! That rosary. Quickly! Flee!
For you, this mask will hide you.
Verdi, Don Carlo, “O don fatale”
O don fatale, o don crudel
Che in suo furor mi fece il cielo!
Tu che ci fai sì vane, altere
Ti maledico, o mia beltà.
Versar, versar sol posso il pianto
Speme non ho, soffrir dovrò!
Il mio delitto è orribil tanto
Che cancellar mai nol potrò
Ti maledico, ti maledico, o mia beltà,
Ah! ti maledico, o mia beltà.
O mia Regina, io t’immolai
Al folle error di questo cor,
Solo in un chiostro al mondo omai
Dovrò celar il mio dolor!
Ohimè! Ohimè! O mia Regina,
Solo in un chiostro al mondo omai
Dovrò celar il mio dolore!
Solo in un chiostro al mondo omai
Dovrò celar il mio dolore! Ah!
Solo in un chiostro al mondo omai
Dovrò celar il mio dolor!
O ciel! E Carlo? a morte dommani . .
Gran Dio! a morte andar vedrò
Ah! un dì mi resta,
La speme m’arride,
Sia benedetto il ciel! Lo salverò!
Verdi, Don Carlo, “O fatal gift”
Oh, dole of darkness,
Oh, boon of Hell,
That in his fury
Has fashioned a demon!
You wrought my beauty
To cast your spell!
Vainly I curse you,
Vainly I curse your gift from Hell!
My bitter tears, my desolation,
My tortured mind, my heart distraught
All my repentance, my desperation
Cannot undo what I have wrought!
Favor from Satan, vainly I curse you!
Beauty of mine, ah!
Vainly I curse you, you beauty from Hell!
Lonely and regal, oh see my crying,
You whom my madness sought to destroy
Pride, once so haughty, sinful, and
lying,
Now turned to shame, to gloom my joy!
Farewell, farewell, my Queen forever!
Silent, the cloister
Witness my torment.
Hear my repentance,
Endless, undying, ah!
Only the cloister
Shall know my despair,
And God alone shall hear me cry!
Oh God! And Carlos? He . . .perish . .
Tomorrow, and I myself
Shall be to blame?
Ah, I still can save him!
One ray of hope is shining;
Heaven, oh help me now!
He must be free! He shall not die!
Fedora Barbieri
June 4, 1920 – March 4, 2003
Barbieri was born in Trieste, and studied there and in Florence. She where she made her stage debut, as Fidalma in Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto, in 1940. At the Maggio musicale festival in Florence. The following year, she sang in Monteverdi. Once established at La Scala, her career took wing on most of opera’s international stages.
She was also active in the studio, twice recording Azucena (Il Trovatore), another of her favorite parts, with Callas as her Leonora. On record, she creates a properly tense impression through her imaginative use of words. With the same soprano as Aida, Barbieri’s Amneris is a formidable antagonist.
Ulrica (Un ballo in maschera) was another Verdi part that Barbieri recorded, and she is an imposing mezzo soloist in Toscanini’s 1951 account of Verdi’s Requiem. Elsewhere, she recorded roles as diverse as Gluck’s Orfeo, Rossini’s Rosina, Donizetti’s Leonora (La Favorita) and the Old Princess in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, all disclosing her innate artistry.
She often sang Adalgisa in Norma with Maria Callas in the starring role, and Mario Del Monaco was frequently her partner in Carmen.
Although officially retired, she appeared on occasion as Mamma Lucia in Mascgani’s Cavalleria Rusticana, most notably in Zeffirelli’s 1982 film of the opera. In November 2000, to mark the 60th anniversary of her debut, she sang the role once more in Florence.