Hina Spani
Encyclopedia
Hina Spani was an Argentine soprano
. Her real name was Higinia Tuñón and she enjoyed a major opera
career centred on Italy during the 1920s and '30s.
s of Argentina. When it was discovered that she had a clear, pleasing voice, a landowner from the vicinity of her home town agreed to help her to meet the costs of studying voice, first in Buenos Aires
with Amalia Campodonico and later in Milan with Vittorio Moratti.
She made her operatic début at La Scala
, Milan, in 1915, in the secondary rôle of Anna in Alfredo Catalani
's La Wally
. She sang regularly at La Scala—Italy's most important theatre—and in all the leading Italian theaters until 1934. She also toured Australia with a first-rate troupe composed of some of La Scala's leading singers.
At the Teatro Colón she was heard between 1915 and 1940, creating the title part in the world première of Respighi
's Maria Egiziaca
in 1934, as well as several operas by Argentine composers. She sang over 70 rôles ranging from Ottavia in Monteverdi
's 17th century opera L'incoronazione di Poppea
to works by then living composers.
After retiring from the operatic stage, she taught at the Escuela de Arte Escénico del Teatro Colón, which she directed. Spani died in Buenos Aires on 11 July 1969.
and HMV
recording companies. Reissues of her best 78-rpm records can be heard on excellent CDs produced by the Preiser and Pearl labels.
with a constant appreciation of the expressive limits of the music that she sang; as a result, she invested her operatic interpretations with a unique combination of intensity and restraint.
Inter-war opera-goers spoke admiringly of the "grand", expansive quality that her voice possessed when it was experienced in the acoustics of a theatre as opposed to a boxy recording studio. She also had a vast concert repertory which she had been encouraged to acquire by her first teacher in Buenos Aires. Very little of this is documented on record (although she did leave a handful of lovely song
recordings), but those who saw her in recital remembered the joy that she communicated. In this respect, she was a real cosmopolitan artist.
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
. Her real name was Higinia Tuñón and she enjoyed a major opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
career centred on Italy during the 1920s and '30s.
Overview
Spani was born in Puán, Province of Buenos Aires, an old town located in the pampaPampa
The Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul...
s of Argentina. When it was discovered that she had a clear, pleasing voice, a landowner from the vicinity of her home town agreed to help her to meet the costs of studying voice, first in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
with Amalia Campodonico and later in Milan with Vittorio Moratti.
She made her operatic début at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, Milan, in 1915, in the secondary rôle of Anna in Alfredo Catalani
Alfredo Catalani
Alfredo Catalani was an Italian operatic composer. He is best remembered for his operas Loreley and La Wally...
's La Wally
La Wally
La Wally is a four-act opera by Alfredo Catalani, composed on a libretto by Luigi Illica, and first performed at La Scala, Milan on 20 January 1892....
. She sang regularly at La Scala—Italy's most important theatre—and in all the leading Italian theaters until 1934. She also toured Australia with a first-rate troupe composed of some of La Scala's leading singers.
At the Teatro Colón she was heard between 1915 and 1940, creating the title part in the world première of Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...
's Maria Egiziaca
Maria egiziaca
Maria egiziaca is an opera "in three episodes" by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. The libretto, by Claudio Guastallo, is based on a Medieval life of Saint Mary of Egypt by Domenico Cavalca. The work was originally intended as a concert piece although it has been fully staged in some revivals...
in 1934, as well as several operas by Argentine composers. She sang over 70 rôles ranging from Ottavia in Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
's 17th century opera L'incoronazione di Poppea
L'incoronazione di Poppea
L'incoronazione di Poppea is an Italian baroque opera comprising a prologue and three acts, first performed in Venice during the 1642–43 carnival season. The music, attributed to Claudio Monteverdi, is a setting of a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello...
to works by then living composers.
After retiring from the operatic stage, she taught at the Escuela de Arte Escénico del Teatro Colón, which she directed. Spani died in Buenos Aires on 11 July 1969.
Recordings
Spani made some 40 sides for the Italian ColumbiaColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
recording companies. Reissues of her best 78-rpm records can be heard on excellent CDs produced by the Preiser and Pearl labels.
Appreciation
Spani's style and technique were typical of a Latin soprano of the 1920-1945 period, but her rich tone was much smoother and her musicianship more subtle than that of most of her contemporaries. She was an outstanding spintoSpinto
Spinto is a vocal term used to characterize a soprano or tenor voice of a weight between lyric and dramatic that is capable of handling large musical climaxes in opera at moderate intervals...
with a constant appreciation of the expressive limits of the music that she sang; as a result, she invested her operatic interpretations with a unique combination of intensity and restraint.
Inter-war opera-goers spoke admiringly of the "grand", expansive quality that her voice possessed when it was experienced in the acoustics of a theatre as opposed to a boxy recording studio. She also had a vast concert repertory which she had been encouraged to acquire by her first teacher in Buenos Aires. Very little of this is documented on record (although she did leave a handful of lovely song
Art song
An art song is a vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano or orchestral accompaniment. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the genre of such songs....
recordings), but those who saw her in recital remembered the joy that she communicated. In this respect, she was a real cosmopolitan artist.