Gigliola Frazzoni was born on February 22, 1927, in Bologna. She studied in Bologna with Marchesi and Secchiaroli, and made her debut at the Teatro Comunale Bologna, as Mimi in La bohème. She quickly enjoyed considerable success at major opera houses throughout Italy, Turin, Venice, Parma, Palermo, Rome and Milan, etc. She was a regular guest at the Verona Arena from 1956 to 1972. On January 26, 1957, she took part in the world premiere of Francis Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites, as Mère Marie, at La Scala in Milan. Beginning in 1954, she also sang outside Italy, notably in Cairo, Munich, Stuttgart, Wiesbaden, Zurich, Vienna, Bordeaux, Dublin, etc. She was
Fooling around as Nedda
admired in dramatic roles, especially by Verdi and Puccini and some other verismo composers such as Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Giordano. She can be heard on a complete recording of Tosca, opposite Ferruccio Tagliavini and Giangiacomo Guelfi and in Jan Schmidt-Garre's film Opera Fanaticand also as Minnie in La Fanciuilla del West by G. Puccini together with Franco Corelli as Ramerrez and Tito Gobbi as Rance –Live Recording, La Scala, Milan April 4,1956. [Source]
Check out the soprano's website for more pictures, a detailed biography and discography.
Gigliola Frazzoni dressed as Minnie playing Giacomo Puccini's piano
"Quello che tacete...Povera gente!" [w/Franco Corelli] La Fanciulla del West (Puccini)
Fanciulla with Del Monaco, backstage with Tebaldi, Tosca with Corelli
