Ester Mazzoleni
Ester Mazzoleni (12 March 1883 – 17 May 1982) was an Italian soprano active on the opera stage from 1906 until her retirement in 1926. She continued to periodically sing in concerts until 1939. In her later life she had a distinguished career as a voice teacher at the Palermo Conservatory from 1929 through 1953. Her voice is preserved on several recordings made with Fonotipia Records. She died in 1982 at the age of 99. A singing prize named for Mazzoleni is given out annually in Palermo.
According to musicologist Leo Riemens and music biographer Karl-Josef Kutsch, Mazzoleni "possessed a dramatic soprano voice, in which masterful vocal technique and intensity of expression complemented each other." Music critic J. B. Steane stated that Mazzoleni "sang and acted in a highly charged, emotional style, her voice vibrant and her treatment of the vocal line emphatic, so that her many recordings offer some excitement as well as instructive demonstration of the methods of another age." She was highly regarded for her performances in operas of the bel canto era of the early 19th century, and in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi.
Similar Artists