Giannini, Ferruccio
Giannini Dusolina, *19 December 1900 Philadelphia, †26 June 1986 Zurich, Ferruccio’s daughter, an American singer (soprano) of Italian descent. Initially, she learned singing from her father and piano from her mother, making her debut at the age of 9; then she took lessons with M. Sembrich-Kochańska at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She achieved her first great success in 1923 at a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. In 1925, she made her debut on the opera stage in Hamburg in the role of Aida, then she performed in Berlin and Vienna. In 1928, she sang in Covent Garden in London, and in 1934–36 in Salzburg, where she created the character of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni conducted by B. Walter; she performed in Falstaff under the direction of A. Toscanini. In 1936–41, she performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. After the war, living in Monte Carlo, she gave concerts in Europe and America. In 1961, she retired from the stage, and from 1962 she conducted vocal master classes in Zurich.
Dusolina Giannini was gifted with a dramatic soprano, a strong artistic temperament and impeccable musicality. Her repertoire included lyrical, dramatic-lyrical parts, and veristic parts from Italian and French operas. She gained worldwide recognition in the roles of Aida and Carmen. She was criticised for the attitude of an independent prima donna, not associated with any opera theatre for any length of time, but developing her career as an opera “star” through guest appearances. She was also an accomplished concert singer. Her independent artistic attitude foreshadowed the careers of contemporary singers debuting after World War II.
Literature: W.R. Moran Dusolina Giannini and her Recordings, “Record Collector” September 1954.