Pia Ravenna (Soprano) (Helsinki 1894 - Helsinki 1964)

                                             Rosina in  ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’

She studied for five years with Elin Tallqvist in Helsinki, then for two years with Alma Fohstrom in St. Petersburg, and later in Sweden and Milan. She gave her first concert in 1913. In 1917 she became a member of the Finnish Opera, where she sang intermittently until 1940. She sang with the Monte Carlo Opera in 1921, with the Egyptian Stazione group from 1921 to 1923, in Sardinia from 1923 to 1924, in Central Europe from 1924 to 1928, and was a guest at the Helsinki Swedish Theater in 1929 and 1933. Among her main roles were those of Rosina in ‘’Il barbiere di Siviglia’’, Mimi in ‘’La Boheme’’, Gilda in ‘’Rigoletto’’, Margaretha in ‘’Faust’’, the Queen of the Night in ‘’Magic Flue’’, and the title roles in ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’, ‘’Madama Butterfly’’, ‘’Lakme’’ and ‘’Manon’’. She established a voice studio in Helsinki in 1929 with her husband, Alessio Costa, called the Studio Ravenna-Costa and taught at the Helsinki Conservatory (Sibelius Academy) from 1936 to 1939. Her italian coloratura was rare in Finland, and her stylistic interpretations received international recognition. Her brother, Arnold Tilgmann, was a tenor.

Chronology of some appearances

1921 Alessandria d'Egitto Teatro Alhambra Barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina)
1922 Porto Said Teatro Eldorado Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)
1923 Roma Teatro Adriano Barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina)
1924 Como Teatro Sociale Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 

Fonotipia, Berlin 1928-01-05
Rigoletto (Verdi): Ah! Solo per me with Fausto Ricci 120122 XXPh6079
Rigoletto (Verdi): No, vecchio, t'inganni with Fausto Ricci 120122  XXPh6080
Traviata (Verdi): Dite alla giovine with Fausto Ricci 120126 XXPh6083
Traviata (Verdi): Morro, morro la mia memoria with Fausto Ricci 120126 XXPh6084   

Vox
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Una voce poco fa... Io sono docile 02139 1626A 

Rigoletto (Verdi): Caro nome  02163  1628A

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Spargi d'amaro pianto  02163  1629½A
Mireille (Gounod):  O legere hirondelle 02172  1630A