Eugenia Ratti Italian singer Date of Birth: 05.04.1933 Country: Italy

1. Biography of Eugenia Ratti
2. Early Life and Education
3. Career Beginnings
4. Notable Performances
5. International Recognition
6. Discography

Biography of Eugenia Ratti

Eugenia Ratti, an Italian singer, is primarily associated with the Italian opera repertoire. With her lyrical coloratura soprano and irresistible charm, she excelled in the roles of soubrettes in works by Mozart and Cimarosa, portraying characters such as Susanna, Zerlina, and Despina. Additionally, her performances as Adina and Norina in Donizetti's operas, as well as Oscar and Nanetta in Verdi's works, gained significant popularity.

Early Life and Education

Eugenia Ratti was born on April 5, 1933, in Genoa, Italy. Her mother initially taught her to sing, and later she received private lessons from Tito Schipa, one of the most renowned Italian tenors of the first half of the 20th century.

Career Beginnings

Ratti made her opera debut in 1954 at the theater in Sestri Levante, a small town in Italy. In January 1955, she performed for the first time at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, taking part in the premiere of Darius Milhaud's "David." She later portrayed the role of Lisa, the innkeeper, in "La sonnambula," sharing the stage with Maria Callas and Cesare Valletti in the famous production by Luchino Visconti and Leonard Bernstein.

Notable Performances

In 1957, Ratti sang the role of Nedda in "Pagliacci," with Franco Corelli as Canio, becoming the first performer of the character Sister Constance in the Italian premiere of Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues des Carmélites." She performed at the Holland Festival in 1955 as Elvira in "L'italiana in Algeri" and the following year as Rosina in "Il barbiere di Siviglia" at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. In 1957, she appeared as Lisetta in "Il matrimonio segreto" at the Edinburgh Festival. Additionally, Ratti received invitations to perform at the Paris Opéra, Bayerische Staatsoper, Vienna State Opera, and the Glyndebourne Festival.

International Recognition

In 1965, Ratti performed the role of Countess Olga Sukarev in "Fedora" alongside Magda Olivero and Mario del Monaco in Naples, Italy. She also made appearances in the United States, singing at the San Francisco Opera in 1958 as Rosina in "Il barbiere di Siviglia," as Musetta in "La bohème" with Swedish tenor Jussi Björling, and finally as Susanna in "Le nozze di Figaro" with German soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. The following year, Ratti performed in the Dallas Opera as Rosina, replacing Maria Callas in Franco Zeffirelli's production.

Discography

The majority of Ratti's recordings were made in the 1950s when her talent was at its peak.