Here is a real find on YouTube: A short documentary on the soprano Lina Cavalieri, who was regarded as the most beautiful woman of her day. It is in Russian, since she was a particular favorite in Imperial Russia, often appearing opposite the great Anselmi. She made only a few recordings; here, she is heard in the song by di Capua, Maria, Mari (Ah! Mari! Ah! Mari!), from 1910. (The other voices heard here are not that of Mme Cavalieri.) She also made a few Silent Films, including one of Manon Lescaut, with the tenor Lucien Muratore, one of her husbands. All her films are lost, excepting La sposa nella morte (The Bride of Death, 1915), rare excerpts of which are seen here. The singing-actress sang Manon Lescaut at the Metropolitan, opposite Enrico Caruso, where Puccini himself judged her magnificent. She died in an air-raid near the end of World War II, when she apparently ran from a shelter back to her villa to collect her jewels. Gina Lollobrigida portrayed her in the film, The Most Beautiful Woman in the World (1955), excerpts of which are seen here, as well.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 04:19:03 +0000
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