Free Essay on Musical Legacy of Giannina Russ: A Vocal Marvel in Casta Diva

Introduction

Giannina Russ was an Italian Soprano singer who indulged in the Italian repertory. She was born in Lodi on March 27, 1873, and died in Milan on February 28, 1958. Russ began her music career by attending voice and piano lessons at Milan Music Conservancy. She then made her debut performance as ‘Mimi’ in Bologna in 1903. After that, Russ began making other public appearances including one as ‘La Scala’ in 1905 and Florence as Norma. The singer also began performing on international platforms with their first international appearances at the Monte Carlo Opera and the Royal Opera House in London a year after her debut performance in Bologna. In 1907, Russ also made international appearances at the Manhattan Opera Company in New York and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

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Furthermore, Russ indulged herself in a broad range of roles ranging from Verismo to bel canto. Salgado cites that her repertory included Santuzza, Amelia, Abigail, and Paolina among others. In addition, Russ possesses a grand and beautiful; voice. The author further describes her voice as somehow uneven yet dramatic. However, regardless of the Italian origin, Russ enjoyed more fame and success in Latin countries compared to Anglo-Saxon nations. After her retirement, she became a renowned voice teacher. Some of her students are Clara Petrella and Margherita Grandi.

About Giannina Russ - Casta diva

Norma Casta Diva, as it is famously known, is one of Russ’ famous recordings. The piece has attracted significant attention in the global media for its uniqueness and from Russ’ voice. The record was taped at Societa Italiana Di Fonotipia Milano on May 9 1906. The song is among the most famous pieces of Giannina Russ including Aida: Ritorna vincitor! La Traviata: Addio del passato and Norma: O, rimembranza!. Additionally, Casta Diva was recorded in Italy during the Romanticism period, which lasted through the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Salgado states that the period was also filled with compositions that resembled those of the sixteenth century hence the name romanticism, which was initially used to mean the old romantic feeling. This situation explains why Cast Diva has an ancient feeling to it.

One fascinating fact about Giannina Ross was that she did not write most of her songs. Different songwriters used to compose for her so that she could perform and record in the studio. For instance, Vincenzo Bellini wrote Casta Diva for Russ. The songwriters along with Arrigo Boito, Giacomo Puccini, and Giuseppe Verdi are some of the composers who commonly worked with the opera singer. The piece was written and composed in Italian during vinyl technology. Today’s Casta Diva can mostly be found on entertainment platforms such as YouTube and SoundCloud in digital formats, or they can still be purchased in Vinyl formats sold for approximately $112 on platforms such as eBay and Amazon.

Giannina Russ’ Voice

One element of Russ’ pieces that makes them stand out is her strong dramatic voice. In the record, her voice has a silvery shimmer that makes them very attractive to the listener. Russ gives a skilled and outstanding performance of the song by executing the low scales effectively. The low scales that the performer hits while singing is what creates the anticipation and finally, the dramatic feeling of her voice. Salgado elaborates on this movement as the florid technique. Russ is also portrayed as a poised vocal line in Casta Diva that complements the silvery timber is a unique voice. Russ' voice in the record is also heartfelt, which takes it to a higher niche. Besides, transitions have also been executed effectively in a way that her presence is still felt in front of the piano as the two instruments complement one another beautifully.

Giannina Russ had a great voice in Casta Diva. In my view, one of the things that makes Russ's voice stand out from other artists of her time in the record is the resonance and homogeneity in every register. Russ' performance portrays lightness and fluidity in both the lower and higher registers. Salgado evens cites that from the record, Russ proved that she was the first opera performance to utterly express the ‘soprano drammatico d’agilità’, which is known as the old formula, in the first quarter of the twentieth century. This splendid performance is what makes Russ one of the most fantastic opera performers of all time.

Conclusion

In summary, Giannina had a musical background by attending the Milan Music Conservancy to learn the piano and vocals. This knowledge was later put into practice after she began performing in public places. Russ's debut performance was in 1903 in Bologna while their first international performance was in the Royal Opera House in London in 1904. Casta Diva is one of Russ’ famous records. The piece was recorded on May 9, 1960, in Italy at Societa Italiana Di Fonotipia Milano. In the song, the performer expresses a bright silvery vocal that is perfectly executed. The vocals also have some lightness and fluidity that comes from the homogeneity and strong resonance in every register making the piece marvelous in all aspects.

Bibliography

Salgado, Susana. The Teatro Solis: 150 Years of Opera, Concert, and Ballet in Montevideo. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2003.

Sevoflurane. 2013. Giannina Russ - Casta Diva... Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna.. Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auk5EO7_6n4Tuggle, Robert, and Herman Mishkin. The Golden Age of Opera. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1983.