DESCRIPTION:
from Verdi's Trovatore. What a wonderful performance! - distinguished by fluid execution and masterly rhythmic accentuation.

Recorded for U. S. Zonophone at the time Eugenia Mantelli toured America with her "Mantelli Operatic Company" giving opera in English, offering scenes from Carmen and Faust and a complete Trovatore (at least, this is what she offered Denver, Colorado on the 9th, 10th and 11th of February 1905).
In 1906, having renamed her outfit the "Mantelli English Grand Opera Company" she toured again, appearing in Il Trovatore, La Favorita and Faust. She does not seem to have spared herself: for example, on the 15th April 1906 Denver was offered a matinée of scenes from Faust and La Favorita, with a complete Trovatore in the evening...

Of all the many singers that have been compared to Adelina Patti, mezzo-soprano Eugenia Mantelli (1860 - 1926) is perhaps the only one whose voice, for beauty and virtuosismo, actually can compare; the timbre has a sure ressemblance as well.
Mantelli's recordings might be considered master-classes in belcanto. The emission of the voice may be described as perfectly natural and apparently spontaneous: it is free of the throat in all three registers, and the registers are well blended. The tone is warm, limpid and velvety, round and fresh, and truly 'forward'; the primitive but frequently close recordings enable us to hear her clear attack. This is the basis for Mantelli's impeccable legato. She declaims with clear Florentine diction. Her voice always floats on the breath. However, on records, at least, she does not offer much variation in dynamics or tone color, and shows little emotional involvement in her singing...
In "Stride la vaaa _ a _ a _ a _ am _ pa" Mantelli omits the short trills, substituting triplets - a well-known tradition: Tamagno does it in "Deserto sulla terra" and Melba in "Caro nome". Her long trills are excellent: al cieeeeeeeel... When she does need to summon a forte on the upper F or G (as at the climax: s'al _ za al ciel) the full, loud mixed tones are available.

-------------------------------------

"Eugenia Mantelli was an Italian opera singer who had a prolific career in Europe, the United States, and South America from the 1880s through the early part of the twentieth century. She possessed a flexible warm voice with a wide vocal range that, while focusing mostly within the mezzo-soprano repertoire, enabled her to sing roles normally associated with contraltos and sopranos.
Mantelli was born in Florence, Italy. Her parents were both singing teachers and her earliest musical training was received from them. She entered the Milan Conservatory, graduating from there in 1877 with diplomas in both voice and piano. She made her professional opera debut at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon as Urbain in Giacomo Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots in 1883 ( ... ) This was followed by a highly successful concert tour throughout Italy, Argentina, and Brazil with tenor Julian Gayarre.
In November 1887 she sang the role of Adalgisa in Vincenzo Bellini's Norma at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. This was followed by several appearances at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, including the role of Eboli in Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlo with Adalgisa Gabbi, José Oxilia, Giuseppe Kaschmann, and Auguste Boudouresque. In 1889 she joined the opera company that inaugurated the Teatro Argentino de La Plata in Buenos Aires. She sang with the company both in that city and at the Teatro Solis in Montevideo, notably sharing the stage with Mattia Battistini in performances of La favorita, Amleto, La forza del destino, and Gli Ugonotti.
In 1894 Mantelli joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, making her first appearance there as Amneris in Verdi's Aida on 23 November.* She remained a member of the company until the end of the 1899-1900 season ( ... ) She left the Met in 1900 just before she married her husband. Although she returned to the Met briefly in 1903 and appeared in a few vaudeville productions during the early 1900s, she spent most of her remaining career performing at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. After retiring from the stage, she remained in Lisbon where she taught singing for many years."
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenia_Mantelli

* She also sang with Tamagno in the Met. performances of Il Trovatore.

-------------------------------------

AZUCENA
(Canta: gli Zingari le si fanno allato)

Stride la vampa! - la folla indomita
Corre a quel fuoco - lieta in sembianza;
Urli di gioia - intorno echeggiano:
Cinta di sgherri - donna s'avanza!
Sinistra splende - sui volti orribili
La tetra fiamma - che s'alza al ciel!

Stride la vampa! - giunge la vittima
Nerovestita, - discinta e scalza!
Grido feroce - di morte levasi;
L'eco il ripete - di balza in balza!
Sinistra splende - sui volti orribili
La tetra fiamma - che s'alza al ciel!

ZINGARI
Mesta è la tua canzon!..

-------------------------------------