Virginia Ferni Germano

Virginia Ferni Germano, from an 1885 publication.

Virginia Ferni Germano (16 December 1849 – 4 February 1934) was an Italian lyric soprano opera singer.

Early life

Virginia Ferni Germano

Ferni was born in Turin to actress Francesca and cellist Antonio Ferni. Her siblings Angelo and Teresa were musicians, too. She studied violin and voice as a girl.[1][2]

Career

Loreley libretto cover, 1890

Ferni debuted on the opera stage in 1876, in Charles Gounod's Faust, at Madrid's Teatro Reale.[3] She was the first to play Bizet's Carmen in Italian, at Milan's La Scala in 1885.[4] She created the title role of Alfredo Catalani's Edmea when it premiered in 1896, and of Catalani's Loreley, when it was first performed in 1890.[5]

Arturo Toscanini made his professional conducting debut in Italy for an 1886 performance of Edmea starring Ferni.[6] Her 1886 appearance as Mignon in Milan prompted a London newspaper correspondent to comment that "her appearance is, to say the least, hardly suited for portraying a very youthful gipsy girl" and concede that "her matured artistic abilities and fine voice sustain the part in a manner highly acceptable to her auditors".[7]

After retiring from the stage, Ferni taught voice in Turin. Among her students were Alba Anzelotti, Bianca Lenzi and Marisa Morel.[2][8]

Personal life

Ferni married Carlo Germano, a violinist. Their son Carlo (1880–1916) was also a violinist.[1][2] She died in 1934 in Turin, aged 84.[9]

Legacy

Ferni Germano's autographed photos of other performers are archived in the Fondazione Giorgio Cini art collections.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Elizabeth Forbes, "Virginia Ferni-Germano" Grove Music Online (2002).
  2. ^ a b c Karl-Josef Kutsch, Leo Riemens, eds., Großes Sängerlexikon (Walter De Gruyter 2012): 1436. ISBN 9783598440885
  3. ^ Virginia Ferni Germano chronology, La voce antica.
  4. ^ Victoria Etnier Villamil, "O ma Carmen": Bizet's Fateful Gypsy in Portrayals from 1875 to the Present (McFarland 2017): 175. ISBN 9781476663241
  5. ^ Program, Loreley Teatro Regio (Torino 1890): 4; in the U.S. RISM Libretto Project, Albert Schatz collection, Library of Congress.
  6. ^ Harvey Sachs, Toscanini: Musician of Conscience (Liveright Publishing 2017). ISBN 9781631492723
  7. ^ "Amusements in Italy" The Era (May 15, 1886): 13. via Newspapers.comOpen access icon
  8. ^ Virginia Ferni-Germano, ESDF Opera.
  9. ^ "Virginia Ferni Germano, Once Noted Soprano, Dies" Chicago Tribune (February 6, 1934): 16. via Newspapers.comOpen access icon
  10. ^ Virginia Ferni Germano, Fondazione Giorgio Cini.
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