Giuseppina Huguet

Josefina Huguet i Salat, also known by the pseudonyms Giuseppina Huguet and Josephine Huguet, (22 September 1871– 10 November 1950) was a Catalan operatic soprano with a lyrical voice who sang throughout Europe prior to World War I. Although Huguet often sang coloratura soprano parts, such as Rosina in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, she also undertook the verismo roles of Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème and Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Her complete repertoire contained a wide range of roles: from The Queen of Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute to Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.

Life and career Josefina Huguet was born on 22 September 1871 in Barcelona. Her first music teacher was Francisco Bonet in Barcelona. She also studied at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu.

Huguet made her professional opera debut in 1888 at the Liceu in the title role of Léo Delibes's Lakmé. She subsequently toured several countries, including some South American nations. This was followed by performances in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor. In 1898 she went on an extensive North American tour during which she was favorably compared to Adelina Patti by the New York critics while appearing at the Academy of Music.

Recordings

According to Karl-Josef Kutsch and Leo Riemens, Huguet's voices was "abundantly represented" on phonograph records. Her discography consists mainly of arias and ensemble pieces from operas. Her recording of "O luce di quest'anima" is a particular favorite among record collectors.

Huguet sang the role of Nedda in the first complete recording of Pagliacci in 1907 (with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Carlo Sabajno conducting). Her recordings also include excerpts from Wagner's Lohengrin (on which she is accompanied by the famous tenor Fernando De Lucia). Volume One of The Record of Singing by Michael Scott (Duckworth, London, 1977) contains a synopsis of her career and an appraisal of her records, some of which are available on CD transfers.

Along with Rafael Bezares, Huguet was among a small number of Spanish opera singers to be recorded, as the Compagnie Francaise du Gramophone were more focused on native genres, such as zarzuela and flamenco. 17 commercial wax cylinder of her voice survive; she also recorded 23 cylinders privately for the industrialist Ruperto Regordosa. Huguet's coloratura soprano and high register were advantageous to her recording, as these voice types recorded particularly well on wax cylinders.