Graciela Silvain
Graciela Silvain, also known by her married name Graciela Cappelli, (August 31, 1914 - March 10, 2006) was an Argentine-born American soprano and voice teacher. Trained as a singer at the school associated with the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Silvain began her career performing at that theatre in 1943. After working there as a leading soprano for three years, she moved to the United States where she continued studies at the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia. She sang leading roles with several American opera companies, including the New York City Opera, Central City Opera, and Connecticut Opera Association. With her husband, baritone Frank Cappelli, she toured widely in operas with the Charles L. Wagner Opera Company from 1949 to 1951.
Silvain's final opera appearances were with the Pacific Opera Company in San Francisco in 1952. After this she devoted her time to teaching voice on the faculty of the AVA, but remained active as recitalist in the Philadelphia region in performances with her husband. With Frank she co-founded the Cappelli-Silvain Opera Singers in 1975.
Early life and career in Argentina
[edit]Graciela M. Silvain was born in Argentina on August 31,[1] 1914.[2] She was trained as a singer at the Escuela de Canto y Arte Escénico (English: School of Singing and Performing Arts) at the Teatro Colón (TC) in Buenos Aires.[3] She made her professional opera debut at the TC in 1943, and was a resident principal artist there for three years.[4] Roles she performed at the TC included Adina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Blonde in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto, Norina in Don Pasquale, and the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute.[5][6]
In 1944 Silvain sang the title role in Emilio Arrieta's Marina at the Teatro Municipal de Viña del Mar in Valparaíso, Chile.[3] The conductor Fritz Busch attended a performance of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at the TC in which Silvain portrayed the title role. Impressed, he sought out the soprano and advised her to try for an opera career in New York which led her to leave the TC and move to the United States.[5]
Opera career in the United States
[edit]Silvain moved to America and pursued further vocal training at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.[5] In February 1947 she married American operatic baritone Frank Cappelli.[7] She made her American opera debut in March 1947 with the New York City Opera (NYCO) as Gilda in Rigoletto at New York City Center.[8] She appeared with NYCO again the following season as Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann with The New York Times praising her for her "rich-voiced and accurate coloratura".[9] She also performed in Colorado with the Central City Opera as Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville (1948)[10] and Musetta in Puccini's La bohème (1949).[5]
Graciela reprised the role of Rosina on tour with the Charles L. Wagner Opera Company (CWOC) which included performances at the Trenton War Memorial (1949),[11] the Oklahoma College for Women (1949),[12] Liberty Hall in El Paso, Texas,[13] Louisiana Tech University (1949),[14] the University of Arizona (1949)[15] Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (1949),[16] Mary Washington College (1950),[17] Winthrop University (1950),[18] the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum (1950),[19] the Philharmonic Auditorium in Los Angeles (1951),[20] the Seattle Civic Auditorium (1951),[21] and the Pasadena Civic Auditorium (1951) among other venues.[22] In this cast was Emile Renan as Dr. Bartolo, Jon Crain as Count Almaviva, and Graciela's husband, Frank Cappelli, as Figaro.[23]
In 1950 Silvain performed the role of Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera with the Connecticut Opera Association with Zinka Milanov as Amelia, Marie Powers as Ulrica, and Frederick Jagel as Riccardo.[24] That same year she sang the role of Musetta in on tour with CWOC for performances at Columbia Township Auditorium,[25] McNeese State College,[26] Houston Music Hall,[27] Saenger Theatre in Pensacola,[28] Welsh Auditorium,[29] Hershey Theatre,[30] Klein Memorial Auditorium,[31] and the Academy of Music, Philadelphia.[32] Others in the cast included Davis Cunningham as Rodolfo, Laurel Hurley as Mimi, Richard Torigi as Marcello, and her husband Frank as Schaunard.[5]
In the summer of 1950 Silvain and her husband gave a concert tour of Latin America.[33] In 1952 she was committed to the Pacific Opera Company in San Francisco where her roles included Gilda and Lucia.[34] In the summer of 1952 she starred in a production of Victor Herbert's Sweethearts in Atlantic City with her husband.[35]
Later life and teaching career
[edit]After 1952, Silvain devoted her time to teaching voice both privately and on the faculty of the Academy of Vocal Arts. She was also active as a recitalist in the Philadelphia region in performances with her husband.[36] In 1957 she gave a concert with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company at Longwood Gardens (LG).[37] In 1975 she and her husband co-founded the Cappelli-Silvain Opera Singers which performed operas in concert form or chamber operas at places like Saint Joseph's University, Rose Tree Park, and LG.[38]
Graciela Capelli died on March 10, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[36]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ↑ Graciela M Cappelli in the U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
- ↑ Page 2014.
- 1 2 "Regreso de Chile una Joven Soprano". Diario Crítica. March 22, 1944. p. 8.
- ↑ Valenti Ferro 1983, p. 246.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Petite Latin American Soprano To Play Musetta". The Columbia Record. October 24, 1950. p. 2.
- ↑ "Barber of Sevill Will Introduce Graciela Silvain, Argentine Soprano". Evansville Courier and Press. January 22, 1950. p. 20.
- ↑ "Opera Singers to Wed". Pottstown Mercury. January 28, 1947. p. 7.
- ↑ C.H. "Graciela Silvain Bows; Argentine Soprano Sings Gilda at City Center". The New York Times.
- ↑ Taubman, Howard (August 1, 1948). "FESTIVAL IN WEST; Central City Does Operas By Mozart, Offenbach". The New York Times. p. X5.
- ↑ "Ticket Sale For Opera Has Begun". The Evening Sun. January 11, 1949. pp. 1, 4.
- ↑ "Barber of Seville On Stage". The Trenton Times. February 13, 1949. p. 18.
- ↑ "Barber of Seville to Be Presented at Chickasha". Anadarko Daily News. March 6, 1949. p. 2.
- ↑ "Rossini Opera Sung in English Proves Hit With EP Audience". El Paso Times. March 20, 1949. p. 15.
- ↑ "Opera Comique to Be Presented at Ruston Monday". The Shreveport Journal. March 10, 1949. p. 2.
- ↑ "To Sing Role of Almaviva". Arizona Daily Star. March 20, 1949. p. 25.
- ↑ Dalton, Sydney (April 2, 1949). "Audience Slim, But Seville Good". Nashville Banner. p. 8.
- ↑ "Lyceum Series to Give Barber". The Free Lance-Star. February 13, 1950. p. 5.
- ↑ "Opera to Be Given at Winthrop". The Herald. January 18, 1950. p. 11.
- ↑ "Say Kay! What of Folk, Shows, Animals N'Such". Evansville Courier and Press. January 29, 1950. p. 15B.
- ↑ "Wagner Opera Troupe Coming". Los Angeles Examiner. January 28, 1951. p. 14, section Pictorial Review.
- ↑ "Argentine Girl to Star in Barber Here". The Daily Herald. March 13, 1951. p. 18.
- ↑ "Rossini Opera Here February 22 at the Civic". Pasadena Star-News. February 1, 1951. p. A18.
- ↑ McDonnell, J. G. (March 30, 1949). "So You Are Going to The Barber". The Leaf-Chronicle. p. 7.
- ↑ "Verdi's Ballo Gets Top Rate Performance". Hartford Courant. January 24, 1950. p. 2.
- ↑ "Columbia Music Season Opens Tomorrow With La bohème". The Columbia Record. October 26, 1950. p. 14.
- ↑ "Gifted Laurel Hurley Sings in La Boheme". American Press. October 15, 1950. p. 2.
- ↑ "La Boheme to Be Presented Here on Saturday and Sunday". The Houston Chronicle. October 29, 1950. p. 95.
- ↑ "Talented Soprano Takes Lead in La Boheme at Local Theatre". Pensacola News Journal. October 22, 1950. p. 24.
- ↑ "La Boheme Proves Highly Pleasing Here". The Grand Rapids Press. November 21, 1950. p. 11.
- ↑ "Cast of La Boheme is Widely Acclaimed". Lebanon Daily News. November 27, 1950. p. 9.
- ↑ "To Sing Here". Connecticut Post. November 27, 1950. p. 25.
- ↑ Murdock, Henry T. (December 9, 1950). "La Boheme at Academy". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 8.
- ↑ Mott, Kay (August 5, 1951). "Teamwork in Marriage. In Tune With Each Other". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 13, section Magazine.
- ↑ "Pierre Monteux Ends Tenure as San Francisco Conductor". Musical America. Vol. 72, no. 6. April 15, 1952. p. 4.
- ↑ "Soloists Score Hit But Peir Concert Cut Short By Rain". Press of Atlantic City. July 21, 1952. p. 13.
- 1 2 "Cappelli, Graciela". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 12, 2006. p. B07.
- ↑ "Graciela Silvain". The News Journal. June 6, 1957. p. 22.
- ↑ "Opera at Longwood". The News Journal. August 24, 1978. p. 41.
Bibliography
[edit]- Page, Tim, ed. (2014). Virgil Thomson: Music Chronicles 1940-1954. Library of America. ISBN 978-1-59853-309-5.
- Valenti Ferro, Enzo (1983). Las voces: Teatro Colón, 1908-1982. : Ediciones de Arte Gaglianone. ISBN 9789509004368.