Gabriella Besanzoni, “Les tringles des sistres tintaient,“ 1931 (Italian)

The great Italian mezzo-soprano (1890-1962) made her debut in Viterbo in 1911, as Adalgisa in Norma. Soon she was singing at La Scala under Toscanini, doing Amneris, Orfeo, Carmen and other main-line mezzo roles. Her Met debut was in 1919, as Amneris. Her voice was very strong and deep. I have seen her called a contralto, but that is stretching was very good, solid mezzo.