Elena Doskova-Ricardi remains in history as the first Bulgarian opera singer to perform at La Scala

We are used to "news stories" on our social profiles about the seven huge oil portraits of Bulgarian opera singers at La Scala or about the first Bulgarian concertmaster at the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's concert. But sometimes we leave important achievements of notable Bulgarians forgotten. Among them, we will discover the dramatic fate of the so-called "Bulgarian Rose" - the first Bulgarian opera diva to sing in the world-famous Milan opera house.

Elena Doskova - Ricardi charmed the chief conductor of La Scala, Arturo Toscanini, with her magical dramatic soprano, fiery temperament and pure tone, which elevated her to a first-rate opera singer. Under his baton in 1929 the Bulgarian soprano made her debut on the world opera stage in the role of Liu from Giacomo Puccini's Turandot.

"I was born in Sofia in 1898 and have been performing as a singer since I was a child. That is why my acceptance into the Music School seemed quite natural to me. I started singing with Ivan Vulpe, who patiently opened up new horizons for me. In 1920, I was about to graduate and we were preparing a big concert. There were many guests, including Alexander Stamboliyski (the country's prime minister at the time - ed.). He was delighted with my performance and wanted to talk to my parents. He explained to them that he could arrange a scholarship for me to study abroad and, laughing, set a condition that I return to Bulgaria afterwards. Thanks to him, I went to Italy."

This account of Elena Doskova is preserved in the book "I Walked on Golden Ashes" by Maria Semerdzhieva. In Rome and Milan, the future opera star found distinguished vocal pedagogues in the person of Alfredo Martini and Giuseppe Fatua, and at one of the meetings organized by the Palagi music company for aspiring actors, fate brought her together with the great Giacomo Puccini. ‎

"He personally played the piano accompaniment for me, he was extremely kind and attentive", ‎‎Magdalena Gigova recalls her words in the column "Addresses of Love" on the program "Radio Sofia" of the Bulgarian National Radio. "He told me that he was leaving for Paris, but as soon as he returned, I would be under his protection. For me, the unknown Bulgarian, it sounded very encouraging - because it was an assessment and a promise of cooperation from the genius Puccini. This made me believe in my abilities, I was already working harder and it was as if I had grown wings. The maestro really liked me for the premiere of ‎‎the Madama Butterfly at La Scala. I was looking forward to his return with great impatience, but on a cold November morning, the newspapermen were shouting at the top of their lungs on the streets of Milan from early in the morning – La morte di Puccini! E’ morto il Maestro Puccini! ‎‎(Maestro Puccini has died Puccini-ed.)"‎

In 1924, at the Roman Teatro "Eliseo" she took on the role of Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni's opera Cavalleria rusticana. This was followed by appearances on the stage in the city of Trani, where she was Maddalena in Andréa Chénier by Umberto Giordano and at the Neapolitan Teatro "San Carlo" as Mimi in La bohème and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. At La Scala, in addition to Turandot, she appeared in Cavalleria rusticana and La bohème in partnership with the great tenors Aureliano Pertile, Beniamino Gigli and Giovanni Manurita. ‎

Unfortunately, not long after, she was struck by the greatest misfortune, which took her forever out of the glamorous life of opera stars. ‎

‎"Before the end of the opera (the premiere of André Chénier in Genoa - ed.) Elena Doskova - Riccardi suddenly experienced severe stomach pains", Magdalena Gigova tells. "With incredible efforts she managed to finish her performance, because she is a professional, and after the last curtain she fell to the floor. A little later she was on the operating table, and the diagnosis was acute peritonitis - something that could not be postponed. Unfortunately, the operation was performed unprofessionally and after that she suffered an umbilical hernia, which, according to the surgical science of the time, was not amenable to a second operation and she could no longer sing."‎

One of the memories сhe cherishes until the end of his days is related to Arturo Toscanini. She also shared with her student – tenor Bozhidar Nikolov.

"The conductor was extremely strict at rehearsals", recounts the story Magdalena Gigova. "At a performance of "André Chénier" she got the text wrong and entered too late. Afraid that the maestro would be very harsh, she ran to his room during the intermission to apologize to him. In the corridors of La Scala she pushed the sliding doors and who did she hit? Maestro Toscanini! She began to apologize to him for the awkward situation and especially for having confused the text and the introduction. But he called her "Bulgarian Rose" and told her: "You have to be 120% ready for rehearsals, and during a performance anything can happen. We are living people, nothing has happened, you have not made a mistake."

Elena Doskova-Ricardi in the role of Carmen in the opera of the same name by Georges Bizet

While Elena Doskova was at the peak of her fame, the admirer of opera and a frequent visitor to La Scala, Commander Francesco Ricardi, captured her heart. Not long after, they got married, and when her career came to a dramatic end, he accompanied her to Bulgaria. The merchant and the former singer settled in the Sofia neighborhood of Knyazhevo at the foot of Mount Vitosha. A few years later, an amnesty was declared in Italy for Mussolini's opponents, and the former enemy of the regime returned to his homeland, only to die in a mysterious accident a month later.

The blows of fate followed one after another - as if the inability to sing, the loss of her great love seemed to be insufficient for Elena Doskova-Ricardi. Thus, after the communist coup in 1944, the new government spared her nothing in its methods of dealing with the so-called "political enemies".

"The third blow came after September 9, when the government confiscated all the properties she had bought with the money she earned from the opera, with the exception of the house in Knyazhevo, for the benefit of the state," adds Magdalena Gigova. "A new disaster came - she had never been involved in politics, but she was sent to a forced labour camp. A few months later she was released, but the horror and humiliation remained in her mind for a very long time. Added to all this was the lack of funds, because she had neither a salary nor a pension."

She devoted herself to teaching and until her last moment remained an elegant lady who did not lack a dose of artistic coquetry. "She had numerous students, she shared her knowledge with full hands and they truly had a wonderful opera and operetta career," says Magdalena Gigova.

Elena Doskova-Ricardi passed away at the age of 88 - until the last moment surrounded in her home by the portraits of the great opera singers with whom she had the privilege of sharing a stage.

Read also:

Opera diva Elena Nicolai: 105th birth anniversary

Photos: State archives in Gabrovo, BNR archive

Text: Diana Tsankova (Based on a material of Magdalena Gigova, broadcast on Radio Sofia of the Bulgarian National Radio)

English publication: Rositsa Petkova

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Elena Doskova-Ricardi remains in history as the first Bulgarian opera singer to perform at La Scala

Acute peritonitis ends her brilliant career, and later Communist regime in Bulgaria sends her to a labour camp

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