Virginia Ferni Germano

Virginia Ferni Germano (16 December 1849 – 4 February 1934) was an Italian soprano opera singer.

Virginia Ferni Germano, from an 1885 publication.

Early life
Virginia Ferni Germano

Virginia Ferni was born in Turin. Her mother was an actress, Francesca Ferni; her father was a cellist, Antonio Ferni; her siblings Angelo and Teresa were both musicians too. Virginia Ferni studied both violin and voice as a girl.[1][2]

Career
Loreley libretto cover, 1890

Virginia Ferni debuted on the opera stage in 1876, in Charles Gounod's Faust, at Madrid's Teatro Reale.[3] She was the first to play Bizet's Carmen in Italian, at Milan's La Scala in 1885.[4] She created the title role of Alfredo Catalani's Edmea when it premiered in 1896, and of Catalani's Loreley, when it was first performed in 1890.[5] Arturo Toscanini made his professional conducting debut in Italy at an 1886 performance of Edmea starring Virginia Ferni Germano.[6] Her 1886 appearance as Mignon in Milan prompted a London newspaper correspondent to comment that "her appearance is, to say the least, hardly suited for portraying a very youthful gipsy girl," but to concede that "her matured artistic abilities and fine voice sustain the part in a manner highly acceptable to her auditors."[7]

After retiring from the stage she taught voice in Turin. Among her students were Alba Anzelotti, Bianca Lenzi, and Marisa Morel.[2][8]

Personal life

Virginia Ferni married Carlo Germano, a violinist. Their son Carlo (1880–1916) was also a violinist.[1][2] Virginia Ferni Germano died in 1934, aged 84 years, in Turin.[9] Her collection of autographed photos of other performers is archived in the Fondazione Giorgio Cini art collections.[10]

References
  1. Elizabeth Forbes, "Virginia Ferni-Germano" Grove Music Online (2002).
  2. Karl-Josef Kutsch, Leo Riemens, eds., Großes Sängerlexikon (Walter De Gruyter 2012): 1436. ISBN 9783598440885
  3. Virginia Ferni Germano chronology, La voce antica.
  4. Victoria Etnier Villamil, "O ma Carmen": Bizet's Fateful Gypsy in Portrayals from 1875 to the Present (McFarland 2017): 175. ISBN 9781476663241
  5. Program, Loreley Teatro Regio (Torino 1890): 4; in the U.S. RISM Libretto Project, Albert Schatz collection, Library of Congress.
  6. Harvey Sachs, Toscanini: Musician of Conscience (Liveright Publishing 2017). ISBN 9781631492723
  7. "Amusements in Italy" The Era (May 15, 1886): 13. via Newspapers.comopen access
  8. Virginia Ferni-Germano, ESDF Opera.
  9. "Virginia Ferni Germano, Once Noted Soprano, Dies" Chicago Tribune (February 6, 1934): 16. via Newspapers.comopen access
  10. Virginia Ferni Germano, Fondazione Giorgio Cini.
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