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Stoyanka Savova Nikolova (Bulgarian: Стоянка Савова Николова), best known by her stage name Elena Nicolai (Bulgarian: Елена Николай) (24 January 1905 – 24 October 1993), was a Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano.[1]
Elena Nicolai | |
|---|---|
 Elena Nicolai as Ortruda in Lohengrin, Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 1939 (photo with dedication) | |
| Born | Stoyanka Savova Nikolova |
| Occupation | operatic mezzo-soprano |
Early life and training
edit
Nicolai was born in the village of Tzerovo, Pazardzhik, Bulgaria. She spent her childhood in another Bulgarian town, Panagurishte. At the age of 19, she moved to Milan to study opera, first with Vincenzo Pintorno and later with Ettore Pozzoli.[2]
Roles sung
edit- Annina, Der Rosenkavalier
- Laura, La Gioconda (opera)
- La Cieca, La Gioconda (opera)
- Nefte, Il figliuol prodigo (List of operas by Ponchielli)
- Principessa di Bouillon, Adriana Lecouvreur
- Rubria, Nerone (Boito)
- Ortrud, Lohengrin (opera)
- Dalila, Samson and Delilah (opera)
- Brunnhilde, Die Walkure
- Amneris, Aida
- Eboli, Don Carlo
- Azucena, Il Trovatore
- Adalgisa, Norma
- Leonora, La Favorita
- Carmen, Carmen
- Brangaene, Tristan und Isolde
- Santuzza, Cavalleria Rusticana
- Fedora, Fedora
- Klytaemnestra, Elektra
Recordings
edit- Monteverdi - L'Orfeo (Silvia, 1939) conducted by Ferrucio Calusio, Italian HMV
- Cilea - Adriana Lecouvreur (Principessa di Bouillon, 1949) conducted by Federico Del Cupolo, Colosseum
- Mascagni - Cavalleria rusticana (Santuzza, 1953) conducted by Franco Ghione, Decca
- Verdi - Don Carlo (Principessa d'Eboli, 1954) conducted by Gabriele Santini, HMV/EMI
- Verdi - La forza del destino (Preziosilla, 1954) conducted by Tullio Serafin, Columbia/EMI
Films
edit- Il Boom, directed by Vittorio De Sica (1963)
- My Wife (episode "I miei cari," directed by Mauro Bolognini) (1964)
- Sedotti e bidonati, directed by Giorgio Bianchi (1964)
- Latin Lovers (episode "L'irreparabile," directed by Mario Costa) (1965)
- Our Husbands (episode "Il marito di Roberta," directed by Luigi Filippo D'Amico) (1966)
- Quando dico che ti amo, directed by Giorgio Bianchi (1967)
- Be Sick... It's Free, directed by Luigi Zampa (1968)
Honours
editNicolai Peak in Antarctica is named after Elena Nicolai.
Bibliography
edit- Nicolai, Elena (1993). La mia vita fra i grandi del melodramma. Parma: Azzali. p. 200.
References
edit- ↑ "Elena Nicolai - Library of Congress". id.loc.gov. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ↑ Rasponi, Lanfranco (1982). The Last Prima Donnas. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 44. ISBN 0-394-52153-6.
External links
edit- Her page on the Stars of Bulgarian Opera site with mp3 audio clips of selected arias Archived 2021-01-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Elena Nicolai at IMDb
- Elena Nicolai discography at Discogs
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