Armide Parsi-Petinnella - Giannina Russ - La Gioconda - Angele Dei - Fonotipia 74001 enregistré le 2 novembre 1905
Armida Parsi-Pettinella (1868–1949) was an Italian mezzo-soprano who is remembered for her performances in Italy, especially from 1895 at La Scala, where she was repeatedly successful in the title role of Samson et Dalila until 1910. She also performed in Paris, Madrid, Buenos Aires and Monte-Carlo
Born in Gallese on 30 August 1868, she debuted in 1895 as Willie in Pietro Mascagni's Guglielmo Ratcliff. The same year, at La Scala, she played Anne Boleyn in Saint-Saëns' Henry VIII, while in 1896 she played Dalila in Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila, Margherita in Ratcliff and Gertrude in Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet at the same theatre.
She made a guest appearance in 1896 at the Academy of Music in New York as Madelon in Giordano's Andrea Chénier. In 1897, she sang in Lisbon at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos where she appeared as Ortuda in Lohengrin and Azucena in Il trovatore. In 1903, she returned to Italy where she married Riccardo Pettinella, a Milan conductor and voice teacher, using the name Parsi-Pettinella for her performances at La Scala. In February 1903, she performed Loretta in Alberto Franchetti's Asrael with Arturo Toscanini conducting. On 11 March, she appeared as Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, also under Toscanini. From 1904 to 1909, she appeared in Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Madrid.
Armida Parsi-Pettinella died in Milan on 9 January 1949 at the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti founded by Giuseppe Verdi for retired opera singers. Recordings are available of a
variety of her operatic contributions
Source : Wikipedia
Giannina Russ (March 27, 1873, Lodi – February 28, 1951, Milan) was an Italian operatic soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory.
Russ studied piano and voice at the Milan Music Conservatory with Leoni. She made her debut in Bologna, as Mimi, in 1903, at La Scala in 1905, as Aida, and in Florence in 1908, as Norma.
She was quickly invited abroad, making debut in 1904 at both the Royal Opera House in London, and the Monte Carlo Opera, also appearing at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Manhattan Opera in New York, in 1907.
Russ performed in a wide range of roles, from bel canto to verismo, her repertory included; Semiramide, Giulia, Amaltea, Paolina, Abigail, Elvira, Leonora, Amelia, Wally, Gioconda, Santuzza, etc.
She possessed a beautiful and grand voice, if somewhat uneven, and a strong dramatic temperament, she enjoyed more success in Latin countries than in Anglo-Saxon countries. After retirement she became a respected voice teacher, amongst her pupils were Margherita Grandi and Clara Petrella.