Ponselle Rosa, actually R. Melba Ponzillo, *22 January 1897 Meriden (Connecticut), †25 May 1981 Green Spring Valley (near Baltimore), Italian-born singer (soprano) based in the USA, sister of Carmela. She trained her voice in New York under E. Rosati, then under the supervision of R. Romani. In 1918, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House alongside E. Caruso, singing the part of Leonora in La forza del destino by Verdi. She was associated with this stage until 1937 (14 March). Rosa Ponselle’s greatest roles presented at the Metropolitan Opera House included the title roles in Norma by V. Bellini and Gioconda by A. Ponchielli, as well as Juliet in La vestale by G. Spontini, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart and the main roles in operas by G. Verdi (Ernani, Don Carlos, La traviata, Luiza Miller, La forza del destino). In 1929–31, Ponselle sang at Covent Garden (Norma, Gioconda, Fiora in I. Montemezzi’s L’amore dei tre), in 1933, she appeared at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Julia in La vestale). She also performed in Chicago and San Francisco. In 1937, she gave up stage performances, and in 1939, she stopped performing at all; she settled in Baltimore, where she educated young singers (her students included B. Sills and S. Milnes). In 1954, she became the artistic director of the Civic Opera. Due to her extraordinarily beautiful, rich voice, phenomenal vocal technique and ability to give dramatic expression to bel canto parts, Rosa Ponselle is considered one of the most outstanding singers in the history of opera. Her recordings from 1919–54 include La Traviata (Pearl 1935) and numerous arias and operatic fragments, including those with Sister Carmela (Columbia 1919–23, RCA 1926–29).
Literature: Ponselle. A Singer’s Life, ed. J.A. Drake, Garden City (New York) 1982 (autobiography).
