Maria Waldmann

Maria Waldmann studied with Lamperti in Milan and gave her career to the Italian mezzo-soprano repertory. She sang Amneris in the European premiere of Aida at La Scala in 1872 and created Éboli in the Italian Don Carlo at Naples that December. Although Verdi had resisted engaging her for Aida she became his favourite in the part; he valued her dark lower register and wrote the Liber scriptus of his Requiem for her in 1874. She retired at 31 on marrying Duke Galeazzo Massari, and lived at the Palazzo Massari in Ferrara, corresponding with Verdi almost until his death.