Bruna Castagna was a renowned Italian contralto whose career illuminated the golden era of opera. Born in the early twentieth century, she rapidly rose to prominence as a leading interpreter of dramatic mezzo roles. Her performances captivated audiences through the profound depth and warmth of her voice, complemented by a compelling stage presence.
Castagna had a remarkable voice with no tension in the throat or the jaw. It might even sound a little bright to listeners today, but that brightness only indicated that it was a free voice. Castagna had a large voice, and she used it beautifully. I hope that enjoy this posting.
Verdi, Il trovatore, “Deh! rallentate, o barbari”
CONTE
Di Manrico genitrice!
FERRANDO
Trema!
CONTE
Oh, sorte!
AZUCENA
Ah!
Deh! rallentate, o barbari,
le acerbe mie ritorte.
Questo crudel martirio
è prolungata morte!
D’iniquo genitore
empio figliuol peggiore,
trema! V’è Dio pei miseri
e Dio ti punirà!
CONTE
Tua prole, o turpe zingara,
colui, quel seduttore?
Potrò col tuo supplizio
ferirlo in mezzo al cor!
AZUCENA
Deh! rallentate, o barbari,
le acerbe mie ritorte.
Questo crudel supplizio
è prolungata morte!
D’iniquo genitore
empio figliuol peggiore,
trema! V’è Dio pei miseri,
v’è Dio pei miseri,
trema! V’è Dio,
e Dio ti punirà, ah, sì, ah, sì, ecc.
Verdi, The troubadour, “pray, loosen, barbarians”
COUNT
Manrico’s mother!
FERRANDO
Tremble!
COUNT
Oh luck!
AZUCENA
Ah!
Pray, loosen, barbarians,
the chains that bite me so.
This cruel torture
is like a drawn-out death!
Oh wicked son, worse
than your wicked father,
beware! God protects the helpless,
and God will punish you!
COUNT
Your brood, foul gypsy,
he? That seducer?
With your torture then
I can wound his heart!
AZUCENA
Pray loosen, barbarians,
the chains that bite me so.
This cruel torture
is like a drawn-out death!
O wicked son, worse
than your wicked father,
beware! God protects the helpless,
God protects the helpless,
beware! There is a God,
and God will punish you, ah yes, ah yes, etc.
Saint-Saëns, Samson et Dalilah, “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix”
Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix comme s’ouvrent les fleurs
Aux baisers de l’aurore
Mais, ô mon bien-aimé, pour mieux sécher mes pleurs
Que ta voix parle encore
Dis-moi qu’à Dalila tu reviens pour jamais
Redis à ma tendresse
Les serments d’autrefois, ces serments que j’aimais
Ah, réponds à ma tendresse
Et verse-moi, verse-moi l’ivresse
Réponds à ma tendresse
Réponds à ma tendresse
Ah, verse-moi, verse-moi l’ivresse
Ainsi qu’on voit des blés les épis onduler
Sous la brise légère
Ainsi frémit mon cœur, prêt à se consoler
À ta voix qui m’est chère
La flèche est moins rapide à porter le trépas
Que ne l’est ton amante, à voler dans tes bras
À voler dans tes bras
Ah, réponds à ma tendresse
Et verse-moi, verse-moi l’ivresse
Réponds à ma tendresse
Réponds à ma tendresse
Ah, verse-moi, verse-moi l’ivresse
Saint-Saëns, Samson and Delilah, “My heart opens to your voice”
My heart opens to your voice like the flowers open
to dawn’s kisses!
But, oh my beloved, to better dry my tears,
Let your voice speak again!
Tell me that you are returning to Delilah forever!
Repeat to my affection
The promises of old times, those promises that I loved!
Ah! respond to my tenderness!
Fill me with ecstasy!
Repeat to my affection
Repeat to my affection
Ah, fill me , fill me with ecstasy
Like one sees the blades of wheat that moves
In the light wind,
So trembles my heart, ready to be consoled,
By your voice that is so dear to me!
The arrow is less rapid in bringing death,
Than is your lover, to fly into your arms!
To fly into your arms
Ah! respond to my affection!
Fill me with ecstasy!
Respond to my affection
Respond to my affection
Ah, fill me, fill me with ecstacy
Verdi, Don Carlo ,”O don fatale!”
O don fatale! O don crudel
che in suo furor mi fece il ciel!
Tu che ci fai sì vane, altere,
ti maledico… 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!
O mia Regina, io t’immolai
al folle error di questo cor.
Solo in un chiostro al mondo ormai
dovrò celar il mio dolor!
Ohimè! Ohimè! O mia Regina…
O ciel! E Carlo! a morte domani…
Gran Dio! A morte andar vedrò!
Ah, un dì mi resta!
La speme mi arride, ah…!
Sia benedetto il ciel! Lo salverò!
Un dì mi resta!
Ah, sia benedetto il ciel! Ah! lo salverò!
Verdi, Don Carlo, “Oh, Fatal Gift!”
Oh, fatal gift! O terrible gift
That Heaven gave to me in its rage!
You, that make me so vain and arrogant;
I curse you… I curse you, oh my beauty!
I can only shed tears upon tears,
I have no hope, I shall suffer so!
My crime is so very horrible
That I won’t ever be able to wash it away!
I curse you! I curse you, oh my beauty!
Oh, my Queen, I have sacrificed you
For the sake of my heart’s crazed error!
Now, from the world, only in a convent
Will I be able to hide my pain!
Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Oh, my Queen…
Oh, Heaven! And Carlos! Being taken to his death tomorrow…
Oh dear Lord! I will see him being taken to his death!
Ah, I have one day left!
Yet hope is smiling at me, ah…!
Heaven be blessed, I shall save him!
I have one day left!
Ah, Heaven be blessed, I shall save him!
Ponchielli, La gioconda, “Voce di donna o d’angelo”
La Cieca
liberata da Laura che l’allontana dagli Sgherri
Voce di donna o d’angelo
le mie catene ha sciolto;
mi vietan le mie tenebre
di quella santa il volto,
pure da me non partasi
senza un pietoso don!
A te questo rosario
che le preghiere aduna;
io te lo porgo, accettalo,
ti porterà fortuna;
sulla tua testa vigili
la mia benedizion.
Ponchielli, The happy woman, “Voice of woman or angel?”
La Cieca
O voice of woman or angel?
that has freed me from my chains;
I’m unable, in my darkness,
to see your holy face,
surely you won’t leave me
without a compassionate gift.
To you, I give this rosary
that counts prayers;
I offer it to you, accept it,
it will bring good fortune;
upon your head,
my blessing will guard you.
Verdi, Il Trovatore, “Stride la 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
nero vestita,
discinta e scalza!
Grido feroce
di mortr levasi;
l’ eco il ripete
di balza in balza!
Sinistra splende
sui volti orribili
la tetra fiamma
che s’alza al ciel!
ZINGARI
Mesta è la tua canzon!
AZUCENA
Del pari mesta
che la storia funesta
da cui tragge argomento!
Mi vendica! Mi vendica!
MANRICO
(L’arcana parola ognor!)
UNO ZINGARO
Compagni, avanza il giorno;
a procacciarci un pan,
su! su! scendiamo
per le propinque ville.
ZINGARI
Andiamo! Andiamo!
Chi del gitano i giorni abbella? ecc.
(Se ne vanno, cantando.)
Verdi, The troubadour, “The fire roars!”
AZUCENA
The fire roars!
The restless mob
runs to the fire
with happy faces;
shouts of joy
echo around;
surrounded by killers
a woman is brought forth!
Evil shines
upon horrible faces
beside the gloomy flame
that rises to the sky!
The fire roars!
The victim arrives
dressed in black,
disheveled, barefoot!
A fierce shout
of death arises;
the echo repeats
from hill to hill!
Evil shines
upon horrible faces
beside the gloomy flame
that rises to the sky!
GYPSIES
Your song’s a sad one!
AZUCENA
Equally sad
as the terrible story
that inspired it!
Avenge me! Avenge me!
MANRICO
(That mysterious phrase again!)
A GYPSY
Companions, day is approaching;
to forage for our daily bread,
come, come, let’s go down
to the nearby villages.
GYPSIES
Let’s go! Let’s go!
Who brightens the gypsy man’s days? etc.
(They go off, singing.)
Bruna Castagna
October 15, 1905 – July 10, 1983
Castagna was born in Bari on October 15, 1905 to Luigi and Maria Catacchio. She began studying piano in Milan at the age of seven, appearing in public as a pianist at fourteen. She later devoted herself to singing, in the mezzo-soprano register, becoming a pupil of Tina Scognamiglio, and in 1925 she made her debut at the Teatro Comunale in Mantua in the role of Marina in M. Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov alongside Ezio Pinza. In the same year, she was hired by La Scala and, until 1928, appeared in supporting roles in particularly demanding operas.
In 1936, she sang for the first time at the Metropolitan in the role of Amneris with Elisabeth Rethberg as Aida; since then she has played the role of the Egyptian princess several times in New York, specifically in 1937, 1940, 1941, and 1943 alongside artists such as Ginag Cigna, Zinka Milanov, Stella Roman, Giovanni Martinelli, Beniamino Gigli, Leonard Warren, Ezio Pinza, and Carlo Tagliabue.
Castagna sang at the Metropolitan until 1945 in a wide variety of roles: in 1940 she was Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera with Jussi Bjôrling and Zinka Milanov, and at the end of the same year she sang under Toscanini’s baton in Beethoven’s Missa solemnis and Verdi’s Requiem alongside Björling and Milanov.
In 1941, she performed Azucena in Il Trovatore with great success, again with Björling, Norina Greco, and Frank Valentino.
In addition her repertoire included: Adalgisa (Norma by V. Bellini), Leonora (La favorita by G. Donizetti), Preziosilla (La forza del destino by G. Verdi), Laura Adorno (La Gioconda), Charlotte (Werther by J. Massenet), the Witch (Hänsel und Gretel by E. Humperdinck), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), Mignon by A. Thomas, Dalila (Samson and Delilah by C. Saint-Saëns), Ortruda (Lohengrin by R. Wagner), characters she performed in the world’s major theaters from 1946, when she embarked on tours in Brazil, Chile, Peru, Australia, Malta, Hungary, Germany, France, and Spain, where she was always admired and applauded.
After retiring from the stage, she settled in Argentina.