Tadolini, Eugenia (née Savonari)

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Tadolini, Eugenia (née Savonari)

Tadolini, Eugenia (née Savonari) noted Italian soprano; b. Forli, 1809; d. Naples, after 1851. She received vocal training from her husband, Giovanni Tadolini. After making her operatic debut in Florence in 1828, she made her first appearance outside her homeland at the Paris Théâtre-Italien in Rossini’s Ricciardo e Zoraide on Oct. 23, 1830; continued to sing in Paris until 1833. On Oct. 1, 1833, she made her debut at Milan’s La Scala in Donizetti’s Jl furioso all’isola di San Domingo, and in 1834 she sang as his Adina in Vienna, returning there as his Antonina in 1836. Donizetti chose her to sing in the premiere of his Linda di Chamounix there on May 19, 1842, and she returned to create the title role in his Maria di Rohan on June 5, 1843. She was an early champion of Verdi, creating the title role in his Alzira in Naples (Aug. 12, 1845); returned there to sing Lady Macbeth in 1848. Verdi found her voice beautiful but was dubious about her dramatic talent. On May 20, 1848, she made her London debut in Linda di Chamounix at Her Majesty’s Theatre. She retired from the operatic stage in 1851.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire