‘I always preferred temperament and interpretation to voice alone.’^[1]

A child of the nascent twentieth century, Gina Cigna was born on the 6 March 1900 in Angers to parents of Italian descent. Amazingly she saw the entire century out, dying on the 26 June 2001 in Milan. With such a well-timed entrance and exit, she was doubtless destined for the stage and as a great dramatic interpreter!

Cigna was one of the most prominent Turandots of the 1930s.^[2][3] She was in fact the first artist to record the role of Turandot.^[4] It is claimed that she performed Turandot a total of 493 times – truly a remarkable stamina and vocal power was required for this feat.^[5] She was also one of the yardsticks by which all subsequent Normas have been measured. Another notable role was Aida,^[6] in which her Ritorna vincitor was described as a ‘searing experience’.^[7] Further superlatives were lavished upon her performance of Aida at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, a ‘beautiful, clear, pure voice,…a marvellous musician…beautiful vocal control…’^[8] And yet there were critics as well that noted,’The voice is full and has a great range, but the emission is uneven and the agility is heavy.’^[9] What we can be sure of, is that Cigna gave her all to performing the role and her statement in favour of interpretation over vocal perfection is testament to this. How exciting her stage presence must have been.

Initially she studied piano at the Paris Conservatoire but was heard singing by none other than the great Emma Calvé who arranged an audition with Toscanini. Remarkably, Cigna accompanied herself on the piano, playing and singing arias from Rossini and Verdi which resulted in an immediate engagement!^[10] Gina Cigna’s professional stage debut was at La Scala as Freia in Wagner’s Das Rheingold in January 1927.^[11]

Throughout the 1930s Cigna performed in Latin America, North America and Europe the many roles which she had made her own.^[12]

Tragically her career was cut short by a serious car crash in 1947 en-route to perform Tosca in Verona. She completed her performance and collapsed afterwards – she had suffered a heart attack. Cigna never sang again but began an illustrious career as a singing teacher.^[13]