Righetti-Giorgi, Geltrude

views updated

Righetti-Giorgi, Geltrude

Righetti-Giorgi, Geltrude , outstanding Italian contralto; b. Bologna, 1793; d. there, 1862. She studied in Bologna, making her debut there (1814) under the name Righetti. After her marriage to the lawyer Giorgi (1815), she retired from the stage, only to be convinced of her vocal gifts by Rossini. She subsequently distinguished herself in his operas, creating Rosina in his Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1816) and the title role in his La Cenerentola (1817). She continued to sing regularly until 1822, making her last appearance in 1836.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire