Ebe Stignani - Recordings

Recordings

Stignani recorded a range of operatic arias in the late 1930s and early 1940s reflecting the variety of roles in her repertoire, and these have been variously reissued on CD.

Among her recordings of complete operas/oratorios are:

• Ponchielli: La gioconda, (conducted by Lorenzo Molajoli), recorded 1931, Italian Columbia (role of Laura), with Giannina Arangi-Lombardi.
• Verdi: Requiem, (conducted by Tullio Serafin), recorded 1939, with Maria Caniglia, Beniamino Gigli and Ezio Pinza.
• Verdi: La forza del destino, (conducted by Gino Marinuzzi), recorded 1941, (role of Preziosilla) with Maria Caniglia.
• Verdi: Aïda, (conducted by Tullio Serafin), recorded 1946, (role of Amneris) with Maria Caniglia and Beniamino Gigli.
• Bizet: Carmen, (conducted by Vincenzo Bellezza), recorded live 1949, (role of Carmen); with Beniamino Gigli.
• Verdi: Aïda (conducted by Alberto Erede), recorded 1951 for English Decca, with Renata Tebaldi and Mario Del Monaco (role of Amneris).
• Verdi: Il Trovatore, (conducted by Antonino Votto), recorded live 1953, Teatro alla Scala, Milan, (role of Azucena), with Maria Callas, Gino Penno.
• Spontini: La Vestale, (conducted by Antonino Votto), recorded live 1954, in Italian, at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, (role of La Gran Vestale), with Maria Callas, Franco Corelli.
• Bellini: Norma, (conducted by Tullio Serafin), recorded 1954, (role of Adalgisa). This was the first of Maria Callas's two studio recordings of Norma; at this stage of her career Stignani may sound unduly mature as the young priestess, but the voice is still rich and resolute. There is also a live recording of the celebrated 1952 Covent Garden production of Norma, conducted by Vittorio Gui, again with Callas, and rated by some reviewers more highly than the studio recording.