Carolina Bassi
Carolina Bassi was an Italian contralto.Life
Bassi was born in Naples to a musician family. Her brother Nicola, was a famous buffo bass; and another brother, Adolfo, who was a composer, operatic tenor and also an impresario of the Teatro Nuovo in Trieste.
She retired in 1828, devoting herself to teaching opera singing. She died in Cremona in 1862.Family
Bassi was married to Cremona's nobleman, Pietro Manna. They had a son, Ruggero Manna, a composer and Chapel Master of the Cathedral of Cremona from 1835 to 1864.Musical career
Bassi was known as "La Napoletana", one of the noted singers of her era. She was the first interpreter of many works of her repertoire. The roles that gave her a particular success were Semiramide riconosciuta, Margherita d'Anjou, L'esule di Granata by Giacomo Meyerbeer; Bianca e Falliero by Gioachino Rossini; including some works by Giovanni Pacini and Saverio Mercadante. She has sung in the many noted Italian and foreign theaters, some of which: Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Teatro Regio in Turin, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and many other.
She sung in premiere performances of the following opera:
