Autograph letter signed, addressed "Carissimo Maestro," most likely the distinguished conductor Arturo Toscanini, principal conductor at La Scala from 1921-1929
- SIGNED
3 pp. of a bifolium. Octavo. Dated 19 October 1920. On letterhead of the Hotel Ritz in Barcelona. In Italian (with translation).
Supervia is flattered by her correspondent's wish to include her in his concerts; she will be in Rome for only three or four days and then must return to Paris; she hopes, however, to be available for performances at La Scala at a slightly later date:
"If, by any chance, I have to go to Milan, of course I will be in touch with you as usual. It is always a pleasure to see you and to discuss interesting aspects of old and modern Spanish music."
Together with a reproduction of a photograph of Supervia, ca. 8" x 5"
Provenance
The collection of distinguished American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne (b. 1934).
Very slightly worn and soiled; creased at folds. "Supervia possessed exceptional gifts of musicianship and temperament. Her rich and vibrant mezzo attained a high degree of flexibility. Few singers conveyed so keen a pleasure in the sheer act of singing; and her enunciation, in several languages, was extremely vivid. These virtues, combined with a mischievous sense of humour and a delightful stage and platform personality, made her a superb interpreter of Rossini and Bizet, as of Falla, Granados and Spanish folksong." Desmond Shawe-Taylor in Grove Music Online.
"Horne had a voice of extraordinary range, rich and tangy in timbre, with a stentorian chest register and an exciting top ... In concert she once achieved the feat of singing in a single programme Rossini arias and Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene, proof of her exceptional versatility. Throughout her lengthy career she was an admired recitalist, singing lieder, mélodies, Spanish and American songs with equal aplomb." Alan Blyth in Grove Music Online.
Supervia is flattered by her correspondent's wish to include her in his concerts; she will be in Rome for only three or four days and then must return to Paris; she hopes, however, to be available for performances at La Scala at a slightly later date:
"If, by any chance, I have to go to Milan, of course I will be in touch with you as usual. It is always a pleasure to see you and to discuss interesting aspects of old and modern Spanish music."
Together with a reproduction of a photograph of Supervia, ca. 8" x 5"
Provenance
The collection of distinguished American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne (b. 1934).
Very slightly worn and soiled; creased at folds. "Supervia possessed exceptional gifts of musicianship and temperament. Her rich and vibrant mezzo attained a high degree of flexibility. Few singers conveyed so keen a pleasure in the sheer act of singing; and her enunciation, in several languages, was extremely vivid. These virtues, combined with a mischievous sense of humour and a delightful stage and platform personality, made her a superb interpreter of Rossini and Bizet, as of Falla, Granados and Spanish folksong." Desmond Shawe-Taylor in Grove Music Online.
"Horne had a voice of extraordinary range, rich and tangy in timbre, with a stentorian chest register and an exciting top ... In concert she once achieved the feat of singing in a single programme Rossini arias and Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene, proof of her exceptional versatility. Throughout her lengthy career she was an admired recitalist, singing lieder, mélodies, Spanish and American songs with equal aplomb." Alan Blyth in Grove Music Online.