Mezzo-soprano Bruna Baglioni (above) is Amneris in this concert performance of the Judgement Scene from Verdi’s AIDA given at Brescia, date unknown. Nicola Martinucci is Radames, and Bonaldo Giaiotti sings Ramfis.
Watch and listen here.
Ms. Baglioni, a native of Frascati, Italy, made her operatic debut at Bologna in 1974 as Leonora in LA FAVORITA. She sang at opera houses throughout Italy, and at Vienna, London, Barcelona, and The Bolshoi. Her roles were many: Verdi’s Fenena, Ulrica, Azucena, Eboli, Amneris; Olga in EUGEN ONEGIN, Adalgisa, both Laura and La Cieca in LA GIOCONDA, Charlotte in WERTHER, Carmen, the Princesse de Bouillon in ADRIANA LECOUVREUR, Dalila, the title-role in Giordano’s FEDORA, and the Gran Vestale in the Spontini opera.
In 1978, I saw Bruna Baglioni in the role of Azucena at The Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut. The production, sets and costumes, conducting, and the other principal singers were all at a rather provincial level, but Ms. Baglioni was superb: “…she rose above the many flaws of the performance to create a truly potent Azucena…the role is a gift really, and the singer seized upon it with power and subtlety in both her singing and acting. She won the evening’s biggest applause for her Act II monologue in which her strong tops and impressive chest voice were put forth to fine dramatic effect. Her duets with Manrico, and her scene with di Luna, were the highlights of the evening, and she successfully captured both the terror and repose of the old gypsy in the opera’s final scene, ending the evening strongly with fine high B-flat. Had her colleagues attained a similar level, this would have been an exciting performance indeed.”
In that same year, Ms. Baglioni made her debut at The Met as Laura in LA GIOCONDA. Her other Met roles were Santuzza, Eboli, Dalila, and Leonora in LA FAVORITA. In 1982, she sang Laura again in a GIOCONDA series; I saw her in the role twice. At the first, she more than held her own in a powerhouse cast led by Eva Marton and Placido Domingo. A couple weeks later, she sang Laura opposite Galina Savova and Domingo, and it was again a very exhilarating performance.
Oberon's Glade 