Background

Galli-Curci was born on November 18, 1882 in Milan, Italy, the daughter of Enrico Galli, a well-to-do businessman and banker, and Enrichetta Bellisoni. The family was musical: her paternal grandfather had been an opera conductor, and her paternal grandmother, a well-known opera singer.

Education

Amelita showed talent at an early age. She began the study of piano at five, receiving her general education at the International Institute (1895-1901) and the Liceo Alessandro Manzoni (1901-1905). She became proficient in German, French, Spanish, and English. At sixteen Galli-Curci graduated from the Milan Conservatory, winning a gold medal in piano. But the composer Pietro Mascagni, a family friend, advised her to cultivate her voice. Not satisfied with any teacher she knew, she undertook to teach herself. After reading many books, Galli-Curci based her technique on the writings of Manuel Vicente Garcia and Lilli Lehmann.

Career

In 1906 Galli-Curci auditioned for Vogherd, an impresario in southern Italy who was looking for an inexpensive prima donna to sing Gilda, and made her debut in Rigoletto at Trani on December 26 of that year. Her success was encouraging. Galli-Curci's official debut took place in Rome, at the Teatro Costanzi, on April 20, 1908, in Bizet's Don Procopio. In 1910 she went to Buenos Aires for a season directed by Leopoldo Mugnone. Another soprano sang the leads, but one day when she was indisposed, Galli-Curci stepped in as Gilda, winning a real success. Engagements followed in various Italian cities, in South America again, in Spain, and in Russia. In 1915 she was back in Buenos Aires, this time singing with Enrico Caruso. An engagement in Havana and a tour of Central America followed. In 1916, stopping over in New York, Galli-Curci met the vocal teacher William Thorner, who had heard her in Italy. He introduced her to Cleofonte Campanini, director of the Chicago Opera Association. Campanini engaged her for two performances at $300 each, but after hearing the dress rehearsal he extended her contract through the season at $1, 000 a performance. After her debut this was increased to $1, 500. Galli-Curci's sensational debut in Chicago as Gilda on November 18, 1916, made operatic history. Critics with long memories looked back to Adelina Patti and Jenny Lind for comparable performances. This single performance established her as the reigning coloratura singer of her time, and she triumphantly met the test in subsequent performances. Even before her American debut Galli-Curci was making records for the Victor Talking Machine Company, and the first of them established her, along with Caruso, on the best-seller lists. She did not perform in New York until January 28, 1918, when she sang the title role in Dinorah with the Chicago Opera Association. Not surprisingly the critics were guarded in their praise. In 1921, she became an American citizen. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut, as Violetta in La Traviata, on November 14, 1921. Although that performance was disappointing, she remained a popular member of the company for nine seasons. For the first two she was also a member of the Chicago company, but she left it in a dispute over which opera was to open the 1924 season; her last performance was on January 4, 1924. In 1930 she canceled her contract with the Metropolitan, declaring that opera was dead, its audiences diminishing because it was out of date. That same year she embarked on a tour of Europe, but soon broke it off because of illness. For several years she had been suffering from a goiter that interfered with her breath support. After a tour of South America, South Africa, and India (1934-1935), she underwent surgery in 1936 and tried a comeback as a lyric soprano, making her new debut at Chicago as Mimi in La Bohème, on November 24, 1936. Although her audience welcomed her back warmly, critics were frank; after a few more appearances she retired to California. In her California years Galli-Curci read a great deal, notably the works of Emanuel Swedenborg, and became interested in Indian philosophies. After her husband's death in 1956, she spent much of her time painting. She died at La Jolla, California, on November 26, 1963.

Achievements

• Early on, Galli-Curci developed an interest in American songs, although her recital programs, like those of other prima donnas, were a mixture of styles and languages, from coloratura arias to simple ballads. She spoke of the song repertory as musically superior to opera, but rarely ventured into the field of lieder. She sang only four times on the radio, the first two occasions on behalf of Victor Records. Galli-Curci professed never to read reviews of her singing, declaring that she knew when it was good or bad. Her voice was notable for one of its type, being perfectly even over a range of two and a half octaves, from B-flat to F in alt. The ease with which she tossed off pyrotechnics, especially high staccato arpeggios, was unique, as was her fluid legato in the lower register. These talents can still be heard on her numerous recordings, but she owed part of her appeal to personal attractiveness and a gracious manner. Although she could move audiences to tears by singing "Home, Sweet Home, " she never sentimentalized. The effects she achieved were purely vocal.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Amelita Galli-Curci: The Early Recordings

    (The earliest recordings of soprano Amelita Galli-Curci (1...)

  • Amelita Galli-Curci (Vocal Series)

    (1963,22 songs)

  • Golden Age Coloratura
  • Amelita Galli-Curci: The Victor Recordings (1925-28)
  • The Art Of Galli-Curci
  • Amelita Galli-Curci: The Complete Acoustic Recordings, Vol. 2 (1920-24)

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• Richard Aldrich of the New York Times hailed "the completest and most beautiful voice of any woman singer at the present time, " but other reviewers noted that other singers had displayed more dazzling coloratura. One critic declared that she sang flat, but Gennaro Curci, who claimed to have been her coach, insisted that it was a matter of tone production: "Galli-Curci has a true ear; she knows when she flats. "

Connections

At Trani Amelita met the Curci brothers - Luigi, a painter, and Gennaro, an operatic basso and pianist. She married Luigi, who had become the Marchese di Simeri, on February 24, 1908; they had no children. In 1918, Galli-Curci separated from her husband, and was divorced on January 6, 1920. On January 15, she married Homer Samuels, her accompanist. They had no children.

Father:

Enrico Galli

Mother:

Enrichetta Bellisoni

Spouse:

Luigi Curci

Spouse:

Homer Samuels

References

• Galli-Curci's life of song,
• Seeing Stars