Alice Cucini (1870-1949), Italian contralto, was among the first generation of singers to be recorded. Debuting in 1891, she had a busy and successful career throughout Italy, and became very popular in South America where she toured frequently between 1901 and 1910. She also journeyed to St. Petersburg in 1898 for a series of performances there.
Cucini passed away in 1949 at Verdi’s Casa di Riposo in Milan.
In this truncated, Italian-language recording of Dalila’s famous aria, the slight catch in Cucini’s voice as she manipulates the chest voice is endearing to my ear.
Oberon's Glade 