OperaDB

Cesira Ferrani

also Cesira Zanazzio

1863Forbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).–1943Forbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026). · Italian · sopranoForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).

Birthplace: Turin, Kingdom of ItalyForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).

An Italian soprano who created two of Puccini's heroines, Manon Lescaut and Mimì, both at Turin's Teatro RegioForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).. She studied in Turin with Antonietta FricciForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026). and made her debut there in 1887 as MicaëlaForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).Kutsch-Riemens gives her debut in 1887 as Gilda at the Teatro Carignano; Grove and Wikipedia give Micaëla, which is followed.. She created Manon in 1893 and Mimì in 1896Forbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)., and took Manon to Buenos Aires and RomeForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.. Her roles ran from Massenet's Charlotte and Sapho to Elsa and EvaForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)., and at La Scala in 1908 she was Mélisande in the first Milan Pelléas et MélisandeForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).. She retired the next yearForbes, E. (1992) 'Ferrani [Zanazzio], Cesira', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Ferrani, Cesira', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 919-920.Wikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)., returning in 1928 to record Kate Pinkerton's lines in a complete Madama ButterflyWikipedia (2026) Cesira Ferrani. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)..

Creations

Written from