author
Luisa Tetrazzini
1871–1940
A dazzling Italian coloratura soprano, she was one of opera’s great stars in the early 20th century and became so famous that the dish tetrazzini was named after her. Her voice, celebrated for its brilliance and agility, still survives in early recordings.
2 Audiobooks
Caruso and Tetrazzini on the Art of Singing
by Luisa Tetrazzini, Enrico Caruso
How to Sing
by Luisa Tetrazzini
About the author
Born in Florence on June 29, 1871, Luisa Tetrazzini studied singing with her sister Eva and at the city conservatory. She made her stage debut in 1895 as Inez in Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine, and the success of that performance quickly led to appearances in major opera houses across Europe and the Americas.
Tetrazzini became especially admired for the sparkling ease of her high notes and the flexibility of her voice, qualities that made her one of the leading coloratura sopranos of her time. She won huge audiences in cities including San Francisco and London, and her popularity was strong enough that her name entered popular culture through the famous pasta dish created in her honor.
She also left behind an important recorded legacy from the early recording era, giving later listeners a rare chance to hear the artistry that made her such an international sensation. Tetrazzini died in Milan on April 28, 1940.