{{short description|Italian operatic soprano (born 1948)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Mariella Devia | image = Mariella Devia.jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|04|12}} | birth_place = Chiusavecchia, Italy | alma_mater = Milan Conservatory<br/>Santa Cecilia Conservatory | occupation = Operatic soprano | years_active = 1973 - present }} '''Mariella Devia''' (born 12 April 1948) is an Italian operatic soprano. After beginning her career as a lyric coloratura soprano, in the finale part of it she also enjoyed considerable success with some of the most dramatic roles in the bel canto repertoire.

==Biography== Born in Chiusavecchia, Devia began her studies at the Milan Conservatory with Iolanda Magnoni, but she later followed her teacher to the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome where she graduated.<ref>[http://www.liricamente.it/showdocument.asp?iddocumento=714 Interview with Mariella Devia], "Liricamente.it", 21 September 2011.</ref> She made her stage debut at the Teatro Comunale in Treviso in the title role of ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' in 1973<ref name="Carlo Felice">''Biography''.</ref> and quickly sang throughout Italy, making her debut at La Scala in Milan in 1987, as Giulietta in ''I Capuleti e i Montecchi''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/risultato.aspx?lang=it-IT&uid=82f4665a-beea-43fd-8dbe-390b2cb6c32a&objecttype=base&pagesize=9&page=1 |title=Archivio Teatro alla Scala |access-date=25 March 2016 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413052844/https://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/risultato.aspx?lang=it-IT&uid=82f4665a-beea-43fd-8dbe-390b2cb6c32a&objecttype=base&pagesize=9&page=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On the international scene, she appeared at the Metropolitan Opera from 1979 to 1994 as Lucia, Gilda, Nannetta, Despina and Konstanze,<ref>[http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/frame.htm Mariella Devia (Metropolitan Opera Archives)].</ref> and at Carnegie Hall as Lakmé, in 1979, and later as Teresa in ''Benvenuto Cellini'', Giulietta, Elvira in ''I puritani'' and ''Adelia''.<ref name="Carlo Felice" /> She made her debut at the Paris Opera (''I puritani'' - Salle Favart)<ref>[http://www.memopera.fr/FicheSpect.cfm?SpeCode=PUR&SpeNum=8687 MémOpéra].</ref> and the Aix-en-Provence Festival (as Konstanze)<ref>Karl-Josef Kutsch and Leo Riemens (editors), ''Großes Sängerlexikon'', Munich, Saur 2003, {{ISBN|3-598-11598-9}}, Band 2, p. 1142.</ref> in 1987, and at the Royal Opera House in London in 1988 (again as Konstanze).<ref>[http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=16468&row=6 ROH Collections Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124324/http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=16468&row=6 |date=9 February 2019 }}.</ref>

She was a regular at the Pesaro Festival and at the Festival della Valle d'Itria in Martina Franca, where she collaborated in the resurrection of long neglected operas by Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and other bel canto composers. She is also admired for her Mozart performances in ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', ''The Magic Flute'', ''Così fan tutte'', ''Le nozze di Figaro'', ''Don Giovanni'' and ''Idomeneo''.<ref name="Carlo Felice" />

In 2013, the day after her 65th birthday, she sang for the first time the role of Norma at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna with great success.<ref>Jack Buckley, [http://www.seenandheard-international.com/2013/04/18/mariella-devias-norma/ "Mariella Devia's Norma"], ''Seen and Heard International'', 16 April 2013<br />Gabriele Cesaretti, {{in lang|it}} [http://www.operaclick.com/recensioni/teatrale/bologna-teatro-comunale-norma-0 "Bologna – Teatro Comunale: ''Norma''"], ''OperaClick'', undated</ref> From then on she included the role of Norma in her usual repertoire along with the "Three Donizetti Queens", Maria Stuarda, Anna Bolena and Elisabetta from ''Roberto Devereux'', which she had debuted between 2006 and 2011,<ref>Precisely: 2006 at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, ''Maria Stuarda'' (David Toschi, [http://operaclick.com/recensioni/teatrale/roma-teatro-dellopera-maria-stuarda "''Roma - Teatro dell'Opera: MARIA STUARDA'' - review"], ''OperaClick'', undated); 2007 at the Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, ''Anna Bolena'' (Ilaria Bellini, [http://www.teatro.it/spettacoli/recensioni/anna_bolena_6485 "''Anna Bolena'' - review"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313025743/http://www.teatro.it/spettacoli/recensioni/anna_bolena_6485 |date=13 March 2016 }}, ''Teatro.it'', undated); 2011 at the Opéra de Marseille, ''Roberto Devereux'' (Maurice Salles, [http://www.forumopera.com/spectacle/honneur-a-devia "''Honneur à Devia'' - review"], ''Forumopera.com Le magazine du monde lyrique'', 22 November 2011).</ref> and with ''Lucrezia Borgia'', first performed in 2001.<ref>Teatro Comunale di Bologna, 1 Mars 2001 (cf: Marina Amaduzzi, ''[http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2001/02/28/devia-cantero-lucrezia-borgia-madre-impura.html Devia: Canterò Lucrezia Borgia madre impura]'', "La Repubblica", 28 February 2001; Lola Galán, ''[http://elpais.com/diario/2001/03/04/espectaculos/983660401_850215.html La soprano Mariella Devia triunfa en Bolonia con 'Lucrecia Borgia']'', "El País", 4 Mars 2001).</ref>

On 5 June 2014, after a 15-year absence from the United States, she returned for a performance of ''Roberto Devereux'' at New York's Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of New York to great audience and critical acclaim.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/arts/music/mariella-devia-returns-to-new-york-in-roberto-devereux.html?_r=0 "From a Wistful Queen, Longing and Regret"] by Zachary Woolfe, ''The New York Times'', 6 June 2014</ref>

Devia bid farewell to the opera stage in May 2018 with three performances of ''Norma'' at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.teatrolafenice.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/3oyqs15245764601.doc | title=A Mariella Devia il premio una vita nella musica 2018 | publisher=Teatro La Fenice | accessdate=24 January 2021}}</ref> where she was also awarded the 'Premio Una vita nella musica 2018', so joining "such prestigious figures as Daniel Barenboim, Ruggero Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Karl Böhm, Carlo Maria Giulini, Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Carlo Bergonzi, among others to have received the prestigious award". Thenceforth she has only dedicated her career to singing concerts and teaching.<ref>Francisco Salazar, ''[http://operawire.com/mariella-devia-to-say-goodbye-to-opera-stage-with-major-prize/ Mariella Devia To Say Goodbye To Opera Stage With Major Prize]'' and ''[http://operawire.com/artist-of-week-legendary-soprano-mariella-devia-says-goodbye-to-staged-opera/ Artist Of Week: Legendary Soprano Mariella Devia Says Goodbye To Staged Opera]'', "Opera Wire", 18 April and 7 May 2018.</ref>

==Repertory== *Auber: ''Manon Lescaut'' – Manon *Bellini: ''Beatrice di Tenda'' – Beatrice; ''I Capuleti e i Montecchi'' – Giulietta; ''Il pirata'' – Imogene; ''I puritani'' – Elvira; ''La sonnambula'' – Amina; ''Norma'' – Norma *Berlioz: ''Benvenuto Cellini'' – Teresa *Bizet: ''Carmen'' - Micaela; ''Les pêcheurs de perles'' – Leila *Cherubini: ''L'hôtellerie portugaise'' - Gabriella; ''Lodoïska'' – Lodo��ska *Cimarosa: ''Il matrimonio segreto'' – Elisabetta *Donizetti: ''Adelia'' – Adelia; ''Anna Bolena'' – Anna; ''Don Pasquale'' – Norina; ''Il castello di Kenilworth'' – Elisabetta; ''L'elisir d'amore'' – Adina; ''La fille du régiment'' – Marie; ''Linda di Chamounix'' – Linda; ''Lucrezia Borgia'' – Lucrezia; ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' – Lucia; ''Maria Stuarda'' – Maria; ''Marino Faliero'' – Elena; ''Parisina'' – Parisina; Roberto Devereux – Elisabetta *Duni: ''La fée Urgèle'' - The fairy/Marton *Delibes: ''Lakmé'' – Lakmé *Gluck: ''Orfeo ed Euridice'' - Euridice *Gounod: ''Faust'' – Marguerite; ''Roméo et Juliette'' – Juliette *Mozart: ''Così fan tutte'' – Despina and Fiordiligi; ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' – Konstanze; ''Don Giovanni'' – Donna Anna; ''Idomeneo'' – Ilia and Elettra; ''The Marriage of Figaro'' – Contessa; ''The Magic Flute'' – Pamina and Queen of the Night *Offenbach: ''Les contes d'Hoffmann'' - Antonia *Pergolesi: ''Adriano in Siria'' - Farnaspe (breeches role)<ref>According to Devia herself it was her only breeches role (Mario Merigo, ''[https://www.connessiallopera.it/interviste/2016/mariella-devia-lintervista/ Mariella Devia - L'intervista]'', «Connessi all'Opera», 25 August 2016). To be precise, however, in 1975, at Sassari, she had also performed the role of page Oscar in Verdi's ''Un ballo in maschera'' ([http://www.marialisadecarolis.it/opera-lirica.aspx?id=237 Ente Concerti Marialisa De Carolis Website]; Gabriele Verdinelli, ''[http://www.gbopera.it/2016/11/un-ballo-in-maschera-al-teatro-comunale-di-sassari/ "Un ballo in maschera" al Teatro Comunale di Sassari]'' (review of the 2016 performances), «GBOpera magazine», s.d.)</ref> *Petrassi: ''Il cordovano'' - Cristina *Puccini: ''Gianni Schicchi'' – Lauretta; Turandot – Liù *Rossini: ''Adelaide di Borgogna'' – Adelaide; ''The Barber of Seville'' – Rosina; ''Le comte Ory'' – Adèle; ''Mosè in Egitto'' – Elcia; ''Otello'' – Desdemona; ''Semiramide'' – Semiramide; ''Il signor Bruschino'' – Sofia; ''Tancredi'' – Amenaide; ''Il turco in Italia'' – Fiorilla; ''Zelmira'' – Zelmira; ''La donna del lago'' - Elena; *Rota: ''Il cappello di paglia di Firenze'' – Elena; ''Napoli milionaria'' - Maria Rosaria *Satie: ''Geneviève de Brabant'' – Geneviève *Spontini: ''Milton'' - Emma *Stravinsky: ''Mavra'' - Parasha; ''Le rossignol'' - The nightingale *Verdi: ''Falstaff'' – Nannetta; ''Giovanna d'Arco'' – Giovanna; ''Rigoletto'' – Gilda; ''La traviata'' – Violetta; ''Un ballo in maschera'' - Oscar (breeches role)

==References== '''Notes''' {{Reflist}} '''Sources''' * ''{{Lang|fr|Le guide de l'opéra, les indispensables de la musique}}'', R. Mancini & J-J. Rouveroux (Fayard, 1986) {{ISBN|2-213-01563-5}} * ''{{Lang|it|Biography}}'' of Mariella Devia, in the theatre programme for the performances of ''Roberto Devereux'' at the Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa, 2016, p.&nbsp;98

==External links== *[https://www.villamedici-giulini.it/en/masterclass-mariella-devia/ Profile] at Villa Medici Giulini, Milan *[http://www.bruceduffie.com/devia.html Interview with Mariella Devia], 20 October 1997

{{Portal bar|Opera}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devia, Mariella}} Category:1948 births Category:Italian operatic sopranos Category:Conservatorio Santa Cecilia alumni Category:People from the Province of Imperia Category:Living people Category:Milan Conservatory alumni