Talk:Balbina Steffenone

Notability

Two other singers (Claudia Florenti and Lorenzo Salvi) are mentioned as singing in in the first performance of Mexicanos, al grito de guerra. Is Steffenone really notable and if so why? -- Kleinzach 06:39, 20 August 2007 (UTC)

I did a bit of a poke round Google. It suggested an "i" instead of an "e" on the end of the surname. Although there are a couple of orders of magnitude fewer references they actually look more believable than the ones I looked at for our spelling (apart from the National Anthem mention). One refers to a premiere of Trovatore with her as Leonora at "nell'Academy of Music (ex-Astor Place) Opera House" in New York. The Academy of Music (Manhattan) seem to be what the Metropolitan Opera was set up to compete with. But I don't know really how important it was. I would suggest finding someone with access to Grove sees what sort of a mention they can find for the singer (each spelling) and the opera house.--Peter cohen 22:00, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

Grove doesn't have articles on Steffenone/i. Moreschi says the online Grove has a passing mention re. Mexico City but there is nothing in the print version. -- Kleinzach 02:53, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

Well, if Grove don't think she's worth an article, I can't see how we can justify one.--Peter cohen 11:48, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

Mexican National Anthem

I've removed a mention of this as the page on the anthem gives different performers and links to official Mexican sites. The Spanish-language wiki lists our woman, but gives no ciration.--Peter cohen 14:20, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

She's credited on the official Mexican government site thus (Google translation, slightly massaged):

The night of the 15 of September of 1854 our National anthem was released in the Teatro Santa Anna, occasion in which pronounced a patriotic speech Mr. González Bocanegra. The orchestra, under the direction of the teacher Giovanni Bottesini, accompanied to the soprano Claudina Fiorentini and the tenor Lorenzo Salvi, who intoned estrofas, participating the choir formed by all the company. On the following day one became to sing in he himself place, now by the Steffenone soprano, attending the president of the Republic, the national authorities and of the city, as much civil as the military. “

So it wasn't the first performance, but it was part of the ceremonial introduction of the anthem. --Dhartung | Talk 21:54, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I had previously suspected that the anthem composer, "Juan" Bottesini, was a son of Giovanni. I am now persuaded that "Juan" is just a Hispanic gloss of "Giovanni", but I can't confirm this, otherwise Juan Bottesini should be redirected to Giovanni Bottesini. In any case this source strongly suggests that it was the Bottesini company (from Havana) who did both the first (public) and second (civil) performances, so it makes sense that he was the composer and that his leading soprano would perform it. --Dhartung | Talk 22:05, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Okay. So, if you can find a good way of putting this, put it back in the article.--Peter cohen 23:23, 27 August 2007 (UTC)