Claudia Muzio
Here are three deservedly legendary recordings from 1935, made less than a year before the early death of this incomparable Italian soprano, who appeared regularly in Chicago after a falling-out with the Metropolitan management in New York. Maria Callas called Muzio her greatest inspiration and, listening to her sing these arias, it’s easy to understand why:
“Addio del passato” from Verdi’s La traviata:
“L’altra notte” from Boito’s Mefistofele:
“Donde lieta uscì” from Puccini’s La bohème:
Artist note by Richard Evidon
From the Schubert Club Archive:

Promotional flyer from Muzio’s 1927 concert
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Signed program from Muzio’s 1927 concert
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Local advertisement for Muzio’s 1927 concert
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Local newspaper announcement of Muzio’s 1927 concert, including her program
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According to this quirky story in the St. Paul Dispatch, Muzio and her team were pretty hard to get ahold of for an interview
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Review of Muzio’s 1927 performance
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