Herva Nelli
USA- Biography of Erva Nelli
- Operatic Debut and Early Career
- New York City Opera and Arturo Toscanini
- Continued Success and Performances
- Later Years and Legacy
Biography of Erva Nelli
Erva Nelli was an American opera soprano of Italian descent known for her powerful and wide-ranging dramatic soprano voice. She was born on January 9, 1909, in Florence, where she later attended a convent school. She was named after the French socialist Gustave Hervé. At the age of 12, Nelli's family immigrated to the United States and settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She studied at the Pittsburgh Music Institute.
Operatic Debut and Early Career
In 1937, Nelli made her operatic debut as Santuzza in Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana" at the Salmaggi Opera in Brooklyn. Over the next few years, she gained experience with this opera company and built her repertoire, including the roles of Leonora in Verdi's "La forza del destino" and "Il Trovatore," as well as the lead roles in "Norma," "Aida," and "La Gioconda."
New York City Opera and Arturo Toscanini
In 1947, Nelli made her debut at the New York City Opera, once again performing as Santuzza. In the same year, she successfully auditioned for conductor Arturo Toscanini, recommended by Licia Albanese. She also performed as Desdemona in a concert performance of Verdi's "Otello" accompanied by the NBC Symphony Orchestra. This performance led to a famous series of recordings of other Verdi works, including "Aida" in 1949, which was televised, "Falstaff" in 1950, where she sang the role of Mrs. Alice Ford, "Requiem" in 1951, and Amelia in "Un ballo in maschera" in 1954. These were Toscanini's last opera recordings, and he bequeathed his baton to Nelli upon his death three years later.
Continued Success and Performances
In 1948, Nelli performed the role of Gioconda in Genoa under the baton of Tullio Serafin and appeared at Teatro alla Scala, singing Aida eight times. From 1949, she frequently performed with the New Orleans Opera Association, starring in productions of "Aida," "Otello," and "Il Trovatore." She also made regular appearances in Philadelphia, singing in productions of "Aida," "Il Trovatore," "Norma," "Otello," "La Forza del Destino," "Tosca," and "La Gioconda." In 1951, she returned to the New York City Opera, performing lead roles in "Cavalleria rusticana," "Aida," and as Maddalena de Coigny in "Andrea Chénier."
Throughout the 1950s, Nelli performed in various opera houses across the United States, including the San Francisco Opera, Baltimore Civic Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Lyric Theater of Chicago, Tulsa Opera, and many others. In 1956, she sang the role of Bathsheba in the American premiere of Darius Milhaud's "David."
Later Years and Legacy
Nelli's farewell performance was in 1962, singing the role of Norma with the Brooklyn Opera Company at the Academy of Music. After retiring from the stage, Nelli unexpectedly gained a reputation as a talented chef. She passed away on May 31, 1994, at the age of 85, in Connecticut, following a battle with leukemia.
