Prima donna

This article is about the female opera singer. For other uses, see Prima Donna (disambiguation).

"Prima donnas" redirects here. For the Philippine television drama series, see Prima Donnas.

In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (Italian: [ˈpriːma ˈdɔnna]; Italian for 'first lady'; pl.: prime donne) is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given.

Prima donna clipper ship card

Prime donne often had grand off-stage personalities and were seen as demanding of their colleagues. Because of this, the term has spread in contemporary usage, from its original usage in opera to referring to anyone behaving in a demanding or temperamental fashion or having an inflated view of oneself.

The prima donna in opera was normally, but not necessarily, a soprano. The corresponding term for the male lead (usually a castrato in the 17th and 18th centuries, later a tenor) is primo uomo.^[1]

Opera

Nita Carritte, prima donna, Carl Rosa Opera Company, 1895

In 19th century Italy, the leading woman in an opera or commedia dell'arte company was known as the prima donna, literally the "first lady". This woman, usually the principal soprano of the company, would typically perform leading roles and generally sing more music than other women in the company.^[1] Famous opera prime donne have often caused opera enthusiasts to divide into opposing "clubs", supporting one singer over another. The rivalry between the fans of Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, for example, was one of the most famous, despite the friendship of the two singers.^[2]

The designation prima donna assoluta (lit. 'absolute first lady') is occasionally applied to a prima donna of outstanding excellence.^[3] It has also been used to describe the creators of heroic coloratura roles in the first half of the 19th century.^[4]

The woman who sang the second major part in an opera was, correspondingly, referred to as the seconda donna; by the late 18th century, this role was sometimes called the altra prima donna.^[5]

Personality

At times, these prime donne had grand off-stage personalities and strict demands of fellow troupe members, musicians, set and wardrobe designers, producers, and other staff. However, they were deferentially tolerated because of their consummate talent and their draw at the box office. From this experience, the term prima donna has come into common usage in any field, denoting someone who behaves in a demanding, often temperamental fashion, revealing an inflated view of themselves, their talent, and their importance.^[6] Due to this association, the contemporary meaning of the word has taken on the negative connotation of a vain, undisciplined, egotistical, obnoxious, or temperamental person who finds it difficult to work under direction or as part of a team but whose contributions are essential to the success of the team.^[7][8]

See also

The dictionary definition of prima donna at Wiktionary

• Convenienze
• Diva
• Entitlement

References

1. H. Rosenthal, H. and J. Warrack, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, 1979. p. 398. ISBN 0-19-311321-X
2. See for example, George Jellinek, Callas: Portrait of a Prima Donna, Dover, 1986, p. 96 and passim. ISBN 0486250474.
3. Oxford English Dictionary (Draft revision 2009).
4. Riggs, Geoffrey (2003). The Assoluta Voice in Opera, 1797–1847, p. 1. McFarland. ISBN 0786414014.
5. Seconda donna. Oxford Music Online, 2002.
6. Susan Rutherford, The Prima Donna and Opera, 1815–1930, Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-521-85167-X.
7. The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English (2009). "prima donna". Encyclopedia.com. 12 Sep. 2010.
8. Merriam-Webster. "prima donna". Merriam-Webster.com.

Further reading

• Rupert Christiansen. Prima Donna: A History, London: The Bodley Head, 1984. ISBN 0-370-30550-7; New York: Viking, 1985. ISBN 0-670-80482-7.
• Richard Somerset-Ward. Angels and Monsters: Male and Female Sopranos in the Story of Opera, 1600-1900, Yale University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-300-09968-1.