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The Italian soprano, Lydia Marimpietri, began her career in the 1950’s and in 1958 appeared at the Festival of Spoleto in the premiere of the opera Il giuoco del Barone (in a revised version) by Valentino Bucchi. In 1959 she made her debut at Milan’s La Scala as Nella in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and in 1963 sang there Micaela in Carmen. In the years 1969-1972 she could be heard again at La Scala, now among other things as Adina in Elisir d'amore and again as Micaela. In addition she appeared as guest at the other big Italian houses as the Opera of Rome (already in 1959 as Micaela, in 1962 in the Italian first performance of Paul Hindemith’s opera Das lange Weihnachtsmahl), at the Teatro Fenice in Venice, at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, at the Teatro Comunale in Florence, at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari (1968 as Micaela), at the Teatro Verdi in Triest, at the Teatro Comunale in Genoa, at the Teatro Regio in Parma (1974 as Pamina) and in particular at the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania.
During the 1960’s Lydia Marimpietri appeared frequently as a guest, particularly abroad. Thus became made a fame for herself by her co-operation with the Festivals of Glyndebourne, where in 1962-63 she sang Drusilla in Monteverdi’s Incoronazione di Poppea and in 1965 Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart. During the years 1963-1966 she made guest appeared regularly as a guest at the Opera of Dallas (including as Drusilla and as Butterfly), in 1964 and 1966 at the Opera House of Bilbao, in 1966 at the Opera of Mexico City and at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona (as Marguerite in Faust by Charles Gounod). At the Opera of Chicago she sang in 1968 the role Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff, in 1970 as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, at the Covent Garden Opera in London she sang in 1973 Nedda in Bajazzo, in 1975 Nannetta likewise. At Viennese State Opera she could be heard as Mimi in La Bohème, as Susanna and as Micaela, at with the Festival in the Roman Thermen of Caracalla of 1961 as Liu in Turandot.
In 1967 Lydia Marimpietri appeared at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo in the premiere of the opera Il Gettopardo by A. Musco, in 1968 in Turin 1968 in the first concert performance in Italy of Béatrice et Bénédict by Berlioz as Héro. Her other roles in the opera field were Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Suzel in Mascagni’s Amico Fritz, Manon by Massenet, Elvira in Rossini’s Italiana in Algeri and Leila in Pêcheurs de perles by Georges Bizet. She had one of her last appearances in 1976 as Mimi at the Opera of Rome. She was also concert and Lieder singer.
Recordings: EMI (Incoronazione di Poppea, 1962; Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica, 1958), Decca (selection from Falstaff, La Wally by Catalani, Lieder Recital), Telefunken (Margherita in Mefistofele), RCA (Flora in La Traviata). |
