Eugenia Burzio

Eugenia Burzio (20 June 1882 – 16 May 1922) was an Italian operatic dramatic soprano known for her vibrant voice and passionate style of singing. She was particularly prominent in the verismo repertoire, creating the role of Delia Terzaghi in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Goffredo Mameli as well as singing Minnie in the Italian premiere of Giacomo Puccini's La fanciulla del West but was also admired in Verdi and other 19th century repertoire. While many music critics found her interpretations imaginative and exciting, others criticized her for the unevenness of her voice and other technical shortcomings.

Career Burzio was born in Poirino, Piedmont. Initially, she pursued a career as a violinist but decided instead to concentrate on opera singing whilst a teenager, stating she was born in 1879 in order to study voice at the Milan Conservatory with Carolina Ferni who herself had studied with Giuditta Pasta. She made her professional début as Santuzza, in Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, at the Teatro Vittorio Emmanuel, Turin in 1899.

During her career, she performed across her homeland as a lyric-dramatic soprano, although her vocal technique did not appeal to conservative British and American audiences. She also saw success in South America, Egypt and Russia—at St Petersburg's Aquarium Theatre.

Burzio was a magnetic actress and she became particularly associated with the music of the verismo school of composers, exemplified by Mascagni, Catalani, Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano and, to a certain extent, Puccini. She was a star performer with a fanatical following at Italy's pre-eminent opera house, La Scala, Milan, during the first two decades of the 20th century. There Burzio appeared in a wide repertoire, often under the baton of Toscanini, her roles including Gluck’s Armide, Bellini’s Norma, Alfano's Risurrezione, Franchetti's La Figlio di Jorio, Pacini's Saffo, Catalani's La Wally and Loreley, Aida, La Gioconda, and Cavalleria Rusticana.

In addition, Burzio cut a number of frequently gripping 78-rpm gramophone recordings in Milan between 1905 and 1916. Towards the end of her career, however, she suffered from a nervous disorder and general ill-health. She made her final stage appearance in 1919, in Ponchielli’s Marion Delorme. Burzio died at Milan, three years later, aged 40, of kidney failure. She is buried in the family tomb in Chieri, Piedmont.

In a newspaper interview Burzio stated "A verismo role is bound to produce a melodramatic performance and artificial elation, and it's artificial because it isn't always a musical approach and when you are young, you don't know the correct approach. This can lead to strain on the nervous system. Nervous exhaustion is more damaging to the voice than the difficulty or length of the role". (The Levik memoirs, page 117)

Recordings on CD Eugenia Burzio: Verismo Soprano Complete Recorded Operatic Repertoire (Fonotipia, Milano, 1905–1910; Columbia, Pathé and Phonodisc Mondial, Milano, 1912–1916) Label: Marston Records 52020. "Eugenia Burzio:The great dramatic soprano". Renowned producer Keith Hardwick's selection of arias and speeds. Pearl Gemm 9269. "The Harold Wayne Collection, Volume 37, Eugenia Burzio, Emma Carelli, Ester Mazzoleni", Symposium 1244. "Eugenia Burzio": Legendary voices Preiser PR89723. 2009 "Eugenia Burzio": 2-CD set Club 99 CL587/88.