# Fausta Labia

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**Fausta Labia** (3 April 1870 – 6 October 1935) was an Italian [operatic soprano](/source/Operatic_soprano) who was active mainly from 1892 to 1908. She made her debut in Naples in April 1892 as Valentine in Meyerbeer's *[Les Huguenots](/source/Les_Huguenots)*. After engagements at the [Royal Swedish Opera](/source/Royal_Swedish_Opera) in Stockholm (1893–95) and Lisbon (1896), she returned to Italy where she performed first in Turin, Rome and Bologna. Thereafter notable performances included the title role in Mascagni's *[Iris](/source/Iris_(opera))* at [La Fenice](/source/La_Fenice) in Venice (1900) and Sieglinde in Wagner's *[Die Walküre](/source/Die_Walk%C3%BCre)* at Milan's [La Scala](/source/La_Scala) (1901).

## Early life, education and family

Born in [Verona](/source/Verona) on 3 April 1870, Fausta Labia was the daughter of the Venetian count Gianfrancesco Labia and his wife Cecilia née Dabalà who was a singer and voice teacher. Her younger sister [Maria](/source/Maria_Labia) became a celebrated opera singer. She was trained by her mother and by the soprano [Maria Spezia-Aldighieri](/source/Maria_Spezia-Aldighieri).[1] In 1907 she married the tenor Emilio Perea with whom she had a daughter, Gianna Perea-Labia (1908–1994), also an operatic soprano. The marriage was dissolved in 1911.[2]

## Career

Labia made her debut at the [Teatro di San Carlo](/source/Teatro_di_San_Carlo) in Naples on 10 April 1892 as Valentine in Meyerbeer's *[Les Huguenots](/source/Les_Huguenots)*.[3] She performed at Verona's [Teatro Filarmonico](/source/Teatro_Filarmonico) during the 1892–93 season, appearing as Isabelle in Meyerbeer's *[Robert le diable](/source/Robert_le_diable)* and as Margherita in Boito's *[Mefistofele](/source/Mefistofele)*.[2]

The director of the [Royal Swedish Opera](/source/Royal_Swedish_Opera), Axel Rundberg, engaged Labia for the 1893–94 season as a substitute for Carolina Östberg who was to tour the United States. She first appeared in September 1893 as both Margherita and Elena in *Mefistofele*, receiving acclaim from the audience. That November she appeared in the title role of Ponchielli's *[La Gioconda](/source/La_Gioconda_(opera))*, followed by Santuzza in Mascagni's *[Cavalleria rusticana](/source/Cavalleria_rusticana)*, Elisabeth in Wagner's *[Tannhäuser](/source/Tannh%C3%A4user_(opera))*, Valentine, Leonora in Verdi's *[Il trovatore](/source/Il_trovatore)* and the title role in his *[Aida](/source/Aida)*. She also gave recitals, in particular in December 1893 when she enchanted the audience with Mendelssohn's aria "Infelice" accompanied by the [Oslo Philharmonic](/source/Oslo_Philharmonic).[3] In the 1894–95 season, new roles included Adalgisa in Bellini's *[Norma](/source/Norma_(opera))*, Donna Anna in Mozart's *[Don Giovanni](/source/Don_Giovanni)* and, in her final Stockholm appearance on 30 May 1895, Nedda in Leoncavallo's *[Pagliacci](/source/Pagliacci)*. In Sweden, she gained appreciation for her artistic delivery and her pleasant stagecraft.[4]

Thereafter Labia spent a year at the [Teatro São Carlos](/source/Teatro_Nacional_de_S%C3%A3o_Carlos) in Lisbon before returning to Italy to sing in Turin. In 1897, she appeared at the [Neues Deutsches Theater](/source/Neues_Deutsches_Theater) in Prague, after which she sang in Trieste and Bologna.[1] In 1898, Labia appeared at the Turin Italian Exhibition, contributing to the world premiere of Verdi's *[Quattro pezzi sacri](/source/Quattro_pezzi_sacri)*, conducted by [Arturo Toscanini](/source/Arturo_Toscanini) in the presence of the composer. Among her most notable performances were the title role in Mascagni's *[Iris](/source/Iris_(opera))* at [La Fenice](/source/La_Fenice) in Venice (1900) and Sieglinde in Wagner's *[Die Walküre](/source/Die_Walk%C3%BCre)* at Milan's [La Scala](/source/La_Scala) (1901).[2][4] She spent much of her remaining career at the [Teatro Costanzi](/source/Teatro_dell'Opera_di_Roma) in Rome where she specialized in Wagner roles. In 1902 she appeared as Brünnhilde in Wagner's *[Siegfried](/source/Siegfried_(opera))*.[1] After marrying Emilio Perea in 1907, she retired from the stage, but after her divorce in 1911 she appeared one last time in Buenos Aires as Eva in Wagner's *[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg](/source/Die_Meistersinger_von_N%C3%BCrnberg)*. She then became a voice teacher in Rome.[1]

Fausta Labia died in Rome on 6 October 1935.[2]

## References

1. Kutsch, K. J. & Riemens, Leo (2012). ["Labia, Fausta"](https://books.google.com/books?id=dsfq_5dFeL0C&pg=PA2563) (in German). *[Großes Sängerlexikon](/source/Gro%C3%9Fes_S%C3%A4ngerlexikon)*. 4th ed. [De Gruyter](/source/De_Gruyter). ISBN 978-3-598-44088-5.

1. Rostagno, Antonio (2004). ["Labia"](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/labia_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/) (in Italian). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani – Volume 62. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

1. ["Fausta Labia"](https://carkiv.musikverk.se/www/epublikationer/Svensk_Musiktidning_1894_no_12.pdf) (in Swedish). Svensk Musiktidning. 15 June 1894. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

1. ["Fausta Labia"](https://runeberg.org/svmusiktid/1911/0076.html) (in Swedish). Svensk Musiktidning / Årg. 31. 1911. p. 74. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

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