Interval Adventures: Firenze!

As Gianni Schicchi reminds us, Florence is a beautiful city. I was delighted to have the opportunity to revisit it, with an academic conference to attend, and time set aside for exploring. I also made time to attend a concert, on which more later. On my exploratory ventures, I discovered a curiosity: a plaster model for a monumental memorial to soprano Virginia de Blasis. (The original is in the cemetery of Santa Croce.) She died young in 1838, but enjoyed a glittering career as a bel canto soprano.



Her renown as a Rossini singer is highlighted in her biography now, but for De Blasis' memorial, Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda was chosen. Not only that, but the very specific choice was made to portray her singing the aria "Deh! se un'urna m'è concessa, senza fior non la lasciate." Admirably topical, if slightly morbid. Admittedly cursory research on my part failed to turn up information on trends in funerary statuary for opera singers, so I place this here as a question, as well as find. Does anyone else know of similar monuments? And does the portrayal here say more about performance practice ("If you see a kneeling woman veiled and beatifically, mournfully smiling--Beatrice di Tenda!") or about trends in idealized portraiture on grave monuments? Whatever the underlying realities, here's Virginia: