Fiorenza Cossotto

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Fiorenza Cossotto

Fiorenza Cossotto is an Italian mezzo soprano. She is considered by many to be one of the great mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century, a natural successor to Giulietta Simionato

Giulietta Simionato

Giulietta Simionato is an Italy mezzo-soprano and one of the great singers of the post-war operatic stage. Her career spanned from the 1930s until her retirement in 1966....
.

on April 22, 1935 in Crescentino di Vercelli

Vercelli

Vercelli is a city of about 44,500 inhabitants in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around the year 600 BC....
, Italy, Cossotto attended the Turin

Turín

Tur?n is a municipality in the Ahuachap?n Department Departments of El Salvador of El Salvador....
Academy of Music and graduated top of her class. After her studies with Mercedes Llopart

Mercedes Llopart

Mercedes Llopart was a popular Spain soprano who later became a successful teacher of singing in Milan. Among her most illustrious pupils were Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caball?, Fiorenza Cossotto, Ivo Vinco, Alfredo Kraus, Francisco Kraus, Anna Moffo, Renata Scotto and Elena Souliotis....
, she made her operatic debut as Sister Matilde in the world premiere of Poulenc

Francis Poulenc

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a France composer and a member of the French group Les Six. He composed music in all major genres, including art song, chamber music, oratorio, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music....
's Dialogues of the Carmelites
Dialogues of the Carmelites

Dialogues of the Carmelites , is an opera in three acts by Francis Poulenc. In 1953, M. Valcarenghi approached Poulenc to commission a ballet for La Scala in Milan; when Poulenc found the proposed subject uninspiring, Valcarenghi suggested instead the screenplay by Georges Bernanos, based on the novella Die Letzte am Schafott , by Ge...
in 1957 at La Scala

La Scala

The Teatro alla Scala , in Milan, Italy, is one of the world's most famous opera houses. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778, under the name Nuovo Regio Ducal Teatro alla Scala with Antonio Salieri Europa riconosciuta....
in Milan

Milan

Milan is the second largest city of Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. It is the capital in the Province of Milan, as well as the Regions of Italy capital of Lombardy....
.

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Fiorenza Cossotto is an Italian mezzo soprano. She is considered by many to be one of the great mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century, a natural successor to Giulietta Simionato

Giulietta Simionato

Giulietta Simionato is an Italy mezzo-soprano and one of the great singers of the post-war operatic stage. Her career spanned from the 1930s until her retirement in 1966....
.

Life and career

Born on April 22, 1935 in Crescentino di Vercelli

Vercelli

Turín

Tur?n is a municipality in the Ahuachap?n Department Departments of El Salvador of El Salvador....
Academy of Music and graduated top of her class. After her studies with Mercedes Llopart

Mercedes Llopart

Francis Poulenc

La Scala

Milan

Milan is the second largest city of Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. It is the capital in the Province of Milan, as well as the Regions of Italy capital of Lombardy....
. Her international debut was at the 1958 Wexford Festival

Wexford Festival Opera

The Wexford Festival Opera is an opera festival that takes place in the town of Wexford in South-Eastern Ireland during the months of October and November....
as Giovanna Seymour in Donizetti's Anna Bolena
Anna Bolena

Anna Bolena is a tragedia lirica, or opera, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian language libretto after Ippolito Pindemonte's Enrico VIII ossia Anna Bolena and Alessandro Pepoli's Anna Bolena, both tellings of the life of Anne Boleyn....
. Her Covent Garden

Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in the London district of Covent Garden. The large building, often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", is the home of Royal Opera, London , Royal Ballet, London and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House....
debut was in 1959 as Neris in Cherubini's Médée
Médée (Cherubini)

M?d?e , or Medea , is an op?ra-comique by Luigi Cherubini.The libretto by Fran?ois-Beno?t Hoffmann was based on Euripides' tragedy of Medea and Pierre Corneille's play M?d?e....
, with Maria Callas

Maria Callas

Maria Callas was an American-born Greeks soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique with great dramatic gifts....
in the title role. A 1962 performance of the lead in La favorita at La Scala led to wider fame and she made her American debut in the same role in 1964 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1952, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicol? Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria Callas's American debut in Norma ....
and as Amneris

Aida

Aida an Arabic female name meaning "visitor" or "returning") is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette ....
at the Metropolitan Opera

Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager and James Levine is music director....
in 1968.

Altogether between the seasons of 1967–68 and 1988–89 she gave one hundred forty-eight performances at the Met (exclusively leading roles). Expert in the heavy Italian roles of the middle 19. century - Favorita, Amneris, Azucena, Eboli, Preziosilla, Maddalena, Ulrica, Laura - but also essayed Carmen, Mozart's Cherubino, Urbain in Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots, Bellini's Romeo and Marfa in Khovantschina.

She kept on singing, and in 2005 she celebrated her 70th birthday with a performance of Suor Angelica
Suor Angelica

Suor Angelica is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an original Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is the second opera of the trio of operas known as Il trittico....
at the Théâtre Royal in Liège

Liège (city)

Li?ge is a major Walloon Region city and Municipalities in Belgium in Belgium located in the Provinces of Belgium of Li?ge , of which it is the administrative capital....
, Belgium.

She was married to the Italian bass Ivo Vinco for over 40 years, and had a son, Roberto. The marriage ended in divorce.

Cossotto and Callas

Fiorenza sang with Maria Callas

Maria Callas

Maria Callas was an American-born Greeks soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique with great dramatic gifts....
as early as 1957 in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride
Iphigénie en Tauride

Iphig?nie en Tauride is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. The French language libretto was written by Nicolas-Fran?ois Guillard....
, and many times later, until Callas' last Norma in Paris. However, at one performance in Paris, right after their duet, Callas has canceled the rest of the performance. Some claim that Cossotto intentionally sabotaged Callas by over-singing her and holding high notes longer when the latter's voice (by that time - 1965) was in poor form. Others claim in favor of Cossotto that she encouraged Callas to do the best that she could, and otherwise was quite cautious with her and tried to back her up. Private recordings made at the time (and issued subsequently) are interpreted in both ways. Both Cossotto (in an interview, 2006) and Ivo Vinco (1982) said that Callas was a great friend of Cossotto, and it was she who invited her to sing Adalgisa. On the other hand, Zeffirelli and Simionato were both on the accusers' side. This occasion is under a debate still, mainly because the main figure who could tell the truth died in 1977.

Cossotto on the subject:

"But look, it's a disgrace! It's been forty years, and books still come out speaking ill of me. The first year, we did our rehearsals, and everything went well. Callas was in good voice. There was no reason for her not to do Norma, which was her war-horse. During the last two performances [in 1965], she was not well — she had a cold, which passed down [into the chest]. The last performance, poor thing, she couldn't say no, because all of Onassis's elite was in the theater. But logically, she couldn't [sing], because she had already sung two performances on the cold. You don't play with Norma! In the [first] duet, it goes up to an A for the mezzo-soprano, and Callas must do the C. And the C didn't come out. When we got to the end of the duet, she could no longer do [here Cossotto sings the four ascending notes to the C]. But I couldn't hear this. I didn't know if she sang or didn't sing. I thought, it was better I sing my A calmly, so people won't notice, just in case. Instead, they started to say, 'Look, she sings when the other one doesn't sing anymore!' But, the other one didn't make a sound because she was ill — the voice didn't come out.

"Later, Callas, at the end of the second act, said to me, 'Fiorenza, stay tonight until the end, because I am not well, and we will all go out [to bow] together.' We'll make a bit of a good impression is what she wanted to say. 'Look,' I said, 'I can't, because I have to pack, since tomorrow morning I have to leave really early, but let's see.' My hotel was right next to the Opéra. I said, 'I'll manage. I'll go and come back right away.' If she had been angry with me, she wouldn't have said this. Is it true or not? But no one has ever published this! They have never said, 'Callas insisted that Cossotto be present at the end of the third act, that she go and thank the audience.' So, how does one explain this? If I had sung an extra note — something only idiots can assert — she wouldn't have said to me, 'Stay.' She would have been angry. From there it started. Even now, at a distance of forty years, they still speak ill of me. She wanted me the second year, wanted my presence. So, what is all this fantasy? They do it to enrich the books and the articles, and so they damage a person. I tried to help her onstage in every way. I have always been a serious colleague, not a colleague who does harm to people."

Simionato's claim:

"...she [Callas] asked me to sing with her in two of her final performances of Norma [in Paris], for her other partner [Fiorenza Cossotto] had been behaving inconsiderately."

Spectrum of roles

According to the book "Opera" published by Koenemann, "She [Cossotto] and Giulietta Simionato were the leading Italian mezzo-sopranos of the 1960s and 1970's. She [Cossotto] won plaudits in the annals of operatic history for her wonderful vocal timbre, her perfect singing technique, and the ease with which she could master different registers. Besides singing the great mezzo roles, she also took the outstanding alto parts of the Italian operatic repertoire." But she was not alone - this was the age of Shirley Verrett and Grace Bumbry, Rita Gorr, Christa Ludwig, Teresa Berganza, Huguette Tourangeau, Marilyn Horne, Tatiana Troyanos. Tough competition indeed.

It should be noted that apart from mezzo and alto roles she also sang soprano roles which are traditionally sung by mezzos, such as Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana

Cavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story....
) and Adalgisa (Norma
Norma (opera)

Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet....
).

She sang Adalgisa next to the Normas of Callas, Joan Sutherland

Joan Sutherland

Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, Order of Merit, Order of Australia, Order of the British Empire is an Australian voice type soprano noted for her contribution in the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s....
, Caballé, Gencer and Elena Souliotis

Elena Souliotis

Elena Souliotis was an operatic soprano initially hailed as "the next Maria Callas." Although her opera recordings were best sellers and she quickly achieved a glamorous and busy career, unwisely, she took on certain demanding roles too early, and damaged her voice by denying it the time it needed to develop and strengthen by natural stages...
. Full live documents (except for Callas which is partial) of these performances are commercially released in either audio or video.

She also tried her luck in soprano roles (alas in studio only) of Lady Macbeth and Marchesa del Poggio (Un giorno di regno
Un giorno di regno

Un giorno di regno, ossia il finto Stanislao is an operatic melodramma giocoso in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on the Play Le faux Stanislas by Alexandre Vincent Pineu-Duval....
), and made a commercial recording of soprano arias by Verdi.

Her repertory at the Met included Amneris, Eboli, Adalgisa, Santuzza, Azucena, Dalila, Carmen (only on tour and in the park concerts), Principessa (Adriana Lecouvreur
Adriana Lecouvreur

Adriana Lecouvreur is an opera in four acts by Francesco Cilea to an Italian libretto by Arturo Colautti, based on the Play by Eug?ne Scribe and Ernest Legouv?....
) and Mistress Quickly (which she added in 1985 next to Taddei as Falstaff (opera)
Falstaff (opera)

Falstaff is an operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from William Shakespeare's plays The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV, Part 1....
).

Studio Discography

Year	Work Role	Conductor Cast members	Label
1957	La Sonnambula (opera) La sonnambula *La sonnambula* is an opera semiseria in two acts, music by Vincenzo Bellini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a ballet-pantomime by Eug?ne Scribe.... , Teresa	Antonino Votto Antonino Votto Antonino Votto was an Italian operatic conductor. Votto developed an extensive discography with the La Scala in Milan during the 1950s, when EMI produced the bulk of its studio recordings featuring Maria Callas.... Maria Callas Maria Callas Maria Callas was an American-born Greeks soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique with great dramatic gifts.... Nicola Monti Nicola Monti Nicola Monti is an Italian opera singer, one of the leading tenore di grazia of the 1950s.Born in Milan, Italy, Monti studied voice from an early age, and made his debut in concert in Florence in 1941, and that same year sang his first major role, the Rigoletto, in Cagliari....	EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed european classical music releases....
1957	Andrea Chénier Andrea Chénier *Andrea Ch?nier* is an opera in four acts by the verismo composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, Andr? Ch?nier , who was executed during the French Revolution.... , Bersi	Gianandrea Gavazzeni Gianandrea Gavazzeni Gianandrea Gavazzeni was an Italy pianist, conducting , composer and musicology.Gavazzeni was born in Bergamo. For almost 50 years, starting from 1948, he was principal conductor at La Scala, Milan, in 1966-68 being its music and artistic director.... Renata Tebaldi Renata Tebaldi Renata Tebaldi was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano, popular in the post-World War II period. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved opera singers of all time, she primarily focused on the verismo roles of the lyric and dramatic repertoires.... Mario del Monaco Mario del Monaco Mario Del Monaco was an Italian tenor and is regarded by his admirers as being one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th Century.Del Monaco was born Florence to a musical upper-class family....	Decca Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
1958	Madama Butterfly Madama Butterfly *Madama Butterfly* is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.... , Suzuki	Tullio Serafin Tullio Serafin Tullio Serafin was an Italy Conducting.... Renata Tebaldi Renata Tebaldi Renata Tebaldi was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano, popular in the post-World War II period. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved opera singers of all time, she primarily focused on the verismo roles of the lyric and dramatic repertoires.... Carlo Bergonzi Carlo Bergonzi Carlo Bergonzi is an Italian operatic tenor. Although he performed and recorded some bel canto and verismo roles, he is above all associated with the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, including a large number of the composer's lesser-known works that he helped revive....	Decca Records
1959	La Gioconda (opera) La Gioconda (opera) *La Gioconda* is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835.... , Laura	Antonino Votto Antonino Votto Antonino Votto was an Italian operatic conductor. Votto developed an extensive discography with the La Scala in Milan during the 1950s, when EMI produced the bulk of its studio recordings featuring Maria Callas.... Maria Callas Maria Callas Maria Callas was an American-born Greeks soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique with great dramatic gifts.... Piero Cappuccilli Piero Cappuccilli Piero Cappuccilli was an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with Giuseppe Verdi roles, especiallyMacbeth and Simon Boccanegra, he was renowned for his extraordinary breath control and smooth legato....	EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed european classical music releases....
1959	Le nozze di Figaro, Cherubino	Carlo Maria Giulini Carlo Maria Giulini Carlo Maria Giulini was an Italy conducting, and viola.... Giuseppe Taddei Giuseppe Taddei Giuseppe Taddei is an Italian baritone who enjoyed a long and distinguished career, particularly in operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Giuseppe Verdi.... Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Order of the British Empire was a German-born Austrian/British opera singer and recitalist. She was amongst the most renowned opera singers of the 20th Century, much admired for her performances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Strauss and Hugo Wolf....	EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed european classical music releases....
1959	Requiem (Verdi) Requiem (Verdi) The *Messa da Requiem* by Giuseppe Verdi is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic Church funeralMass . It was first performed on 22 May 1874 in music to mark the first anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni, an Italy poet and novelist much admired by Verdi.... , Mezzo-Soprano	Tullio Serafin Tullio Serafin Tullio Serafin was an Italy Conducting.... Boris Christoff Boris Christoff Boris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer, one of the greatest bassoes of the 20th century.... Eugenio Fernandi Eugenio Fernandi Eugenio Fernandi was an Italian tenor born in Pisa in 1922 and raised in the countryside outside of Turin. He studied at La Scala in Milan and made his operatic debut in Lisbon during 1954 singing the role of the Duke in Rigoletto....	Testament Records Testament Records Testament Records was a Philadelphia, later Chicago, then Pasadena, California based independent record label founded in 1963 in music by Down Beat editor and writer Pete Welding specializing in American roots music, releasing some thirty mainly blues, but also gospel music, country and jazz albums until 1977 in music....
1961	Don Carlo, Eboli	Gabriele Santini Gabriele Santini Gabriele Santini was an Italian Conductor , particularly associated with the Italian opera repertory.He studied in Perugia and Bologna, and made his debut in 1906, as assistant conductor to Gino Marinuzzi and Arturo Toscanini, appearing with them throughout Italy.... Boris Christoff Boris Christoff Boris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer, one of the greatest bassoes of the 20th century.... Antonietta Stella Antonietta Stella Antonietta Stella is an Italian operatic soprano, one of the finest Italian spinto sopranos of the 1950s and 1960s, possessing a beautiful and ample voice, and particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini roles....	Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a Germany classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. The company has long been known for its high standards of high fidelity....
1963	Il Trovatore Il trovatore *Il trovatore* is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Leone Emanuele Bardare and Salvatore Cammarano, based on the Play El Trovador by Antonio Garc?a Guti?rrez.... , Azucena	Tullio Serafin Tullio Serafin Tullio Serafin was an Italy Conducting.... Carlo Bergonzi Antonietta Stella Antonietta Stella Antonietta Stella is an Italian operatic soprano, one of the finest Italian spinto sopranos of the 1950s and 1960s, possessing a beautiful and ample voice, and particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini roles....	Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a Germany classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. The company has long been known for its high standards of high fidelity....
1964	Rigoletto Rigoletto *Rigoletto* is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian language libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo.... , Maddalena	Rafael Kubelík Rafael Kubelík Rafael Jeron?m Kubel?k was a Czechs conducting and composer.... Renata Scotto Renata Scotto Renata Scotto is an Italy soprano. Since retiring from the stage as a singer in 2002, she has turned to directing opera as well as teaching at her own opera academy in Italy and New York.... Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau The German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a German singer and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous lieder singers of his generation....	Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a Germany classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. The company has long been known for its high standards of high fidelity....
1965	Cavalleria Rusticana Cavalleria rusticana *Cavalleria rusticana* is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story.... , Santuzza	Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conducting, one of the most renowned 20th-century conductors. His obituary in The New York Times described him as "probably the world's best-known conductor and one of the most powerful figures in classical music." Karajan conducted the Berlin Philharmonic for thirty-five years.... Carlo Bergonzi Giangiacomo Guelfi Giangiacomo Guelfi Giangiacomo Guelfi is an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini roles.Born in Rome, Italy, Guelfi studied law before turning to vocal studies in Florence with the great baritone Titta Ruffo....	Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a Germany classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. The company has long been known for its high standards of high fidelity....
1967	Medea (opera), Neris	Lamberto Gardelli Lamberto Gardelli Lamberto Gardelli was an Italian conductor, particularly associated with the Italian opera repertory, especially the works of Giuseppe Verdi.... Gwyneth Jones Gwyneth Jones Gwyneth Jones may refer to:Gwyneth Jones Gwyneth Jones See alsoGwyn Jones ... Bruno Prevedi Bruno Prevedi Bruno Prevedi* was an Italian tenor, particularly associated with the Italian repertory....	Decca Records Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
1967	Requiem (Verdi) Requiem (Verdi) The *Messa da Requiem* by Giuseppe Verdi is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic Church funeralMass . It was first performed on 22 May 1874 in music to mark the first anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni, an Italy poet and novelist much admired by Verdi.... , Mezzo-Soprano	Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conducting, one of the most renowned 20th-century conductors. His obituary in The New York Times described him as "probably the world's best-known conductor and one of the most powerful figures in classical music." Karajan conducted the Berlin Philharmonic for thirty-five years.... Leontyne Price Leontyne Price Mary Violet Leontyne Price in Laurel, Mississippi in the United States is one of America's most beloved and widely recorded operatic sopranos.... Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti Italian orders of merit was an Italian opera tenor, who also crossed over into popular music. He was the most commercially successful tenor of all....	Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a Germany classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. The company has long been known for its high standards of high fidelity.... (audio and video)
1968	Cavalleria Rusticana Cavalleria rusticana *Cavalleria rusticana* is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story.... , Santuzza	Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conducting, one of the most renowned 20th-century conductors. His obituary in The New York Times described him as "probably the world's best-known conductor and one of the most powerful figures in classical music." Karajan conducted the Berlin Philharmonic for thirty-five years.... Gianfranco Cecchele Giangiacomo Guelfi Giangiacomo Guelfi Giangiacomo Guelfi is an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini roles.Born in Rome, Italy, Guelfi studied law before turning to vocal studies in Florence with the great baritone Titta Ruffo....	Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a Germany classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. The company has long been known for its high standards of high fidelity.... (Film)
1970	Requiem (Verdi) Requiem (Verdi) The *Messa da Requiem* by Giuseppe Verdi is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic Church funeralMass . It was first performed on 22 May 1874 in music to mark the first anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni, an Italy poet and novelist much admired by Verdi.... , Mezzo-Soprano	Sir John Barbirolli Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caball? is a Spain Catalan people operaticsoprano. One of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century,she possesses a voice of remarkable beauty and of great range... Jon Vickers Jon Vickers Jon S. Vickers, Order of Canada is a Canada tenor.Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he was the sixth in a family of eight children. In 1950, he was awarded a scholarship to study opera at Toronto?s Royal Conservatory of Music ....	EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed european classical music releases....
1970	Il Trovatore Il trovatore *Il trovatore* is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Leone Emanuele Bardare and Salvatore Cammarano, based on the Play El Trovador by Antonio Garc?a Guti?rrez.... , Azucena	Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta is an Indian conducting of Western classical music.... Leontyne Price Leontyne Price Mary Violet Leontyne Price in Laurel, Mississippi in the United States is one of America's most beloved and widely recorded operatic sopranos.... Plácido Domingo Plácido Domingo Jos? Pl?cido Domingo Embil Order of the British Empire , better known as Pl?cido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range....	RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986....
1972	Norma (opera) Norma (opera) *Norma* is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet.... , Adalgisa	Carlo Felice Cillario Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caball? is a Spain Catalan people operaticsoprano. One of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century,she possesses a voice of remarkable beauty and of great range... Plácido Domingo Plácido Domingo Jos? Pl?cido Domingo Embil Order of the British Empire , better known as Pl?cido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range....	RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986....
1973	Suor Angelica Suor Angelica *Suor Angelica* is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an original Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is the second opera of the trio of operas known as Il trittico.... , La zia Principessa	Bruno Bartoletti Katia Ricciarelli Katia Ricciarelli Katia Ricciarelli is an Italian soprano.... Maria Grazia Allegri	RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986....
1974	Un giorno di regno Un giorno di regno *Un giorno di regno, ossia il finto Stanislao* is an operatic melodramma giocoso in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on the Play Le faux Stanislas by Alexandre Vincent Pineu-Duval.... , Marchesa del Poggio	Lamberto Gardelli Lamberto Gardelli Lamberto Gardelli was an Italian conductor, particularly associated with the Italian opera repertory, especially the works of Giuseppe Verdi.... Jessye Norman Jessye Norman Jessye Norman is a four-time Grammy Award-winning African American opera singer. Norman is one of the most admired contemporary opera singers and recitalists, and is one of the highest paid performers in classical music.... José Carreras José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as Jos? Carreras, is a Spain Catalonia tenor. One of the most prominent opera singers of his generation, and particularly eminent in the operas of Verdi and Puccini, his career has encompassed over 60 roles on stage and in the recording studio....	Philips Records Philips Records Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics giant Philips. It was started as Philips Phonographische Industries in 1950 in music....
1974	Aida Aida *Aida* an Arabic female name meaning "visitor" or "returning") is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette .... , Amneris	Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti, Italian orders of merit is an Italian conducting. He is the Music Director Designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and will officially start his contract in 2010.... Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caball? is a Spain Catalan people operaticsoprano. One of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century,she possesses a voice of remarkable beauty and of great range... Plácido Domingo Plácido Domingo Jos? Pl?cido Domingo Embil Order of the British Empire , better known as Pl?cido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range....	EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed european classical music releases....
1974	La Favorita La favorite *La favorite* is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Va?z, based on the Play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud.... , Leonora	Richard Bonynge Richard Bonynge Richard Bonynge, Order of the British Empire , is an Australian conductor and pianist.He was born in Sydney, Australia and educated at Sydney Boys High School before studying piano at the Royal College of Music in London.... Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti Italian orders of merit was an Italian opera tenor, who also crossed over into popular music. He was the most commercially successful tenor of all.... Gabriel Bacquier Gabriel Bacquier Gabriel Bacquier is a French operatic baritone. One of the leading baritones of the 20th century and particularly associated with the French and Italian repertories, he is considered a fine singing-actor equally at home in dramatic or comic roles....	Decca Records
1975	Un ballo in maschera Un ballo in maschera 'Un ballo in maschera' , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The opera's first production was at the Teatro Apollo, Rome, February 17, 1859.... , Ulrica	Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti, Italian orders of merit is an Italian conducting. He is the Music Director Designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and will officially start his contract in 2010.... Martina Arroyo Martina Arroyo Martina Arroyo is an American soprano, best known for her performances of the Italian spinto repertoire.... Plácido Domingo Plácido Domingo Jos? Pl?cido Domingo Embil Order of the British Empire , better known as Pl?cido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range....	EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed european classical music releases....
1976	Macbeth (opera) Macbeth (opera) *Macbeth* is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and additions by Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's Macbeth.... , Lady Macbeth	Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti, Italian orders of merit is an Italian conducting. He is the Music Director Designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and will officially start his contract in 2010.... Sherrill Milnes Sherrill Milnes Sherrill Milnes is an United States operatic baritone most famous for his Giuseppe Verdi roles. From 1965 until 1997 he was associated with the Metropolitan Opera.... José Carreras José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as Jos? Carreras, is a Spain Catalonia tenor. One of the most prominent opera singers of his generation, and particularly eminent in the operas of Verdi and Puccini, his career has encompassed over 60 roles on stage and in the recording studio....	EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed european classical music releases....
1976	La forza del destino La forza del destino *La forza del destino* is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, Don ?lvaro, o La fuerza del sino , by ?ngel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas, with a scene adapted from Friedrich Schiller's Wallensteins Lager.... , Perziosilla	James Levine James Levine James Lawrence Levine is an United States orchestral conducting and piano. He is currently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.... Leontyne Price Leontyne Price Mary Violet Leontyne Price in Laurel, Mississippi in the United States is one of America's most beloved and widely recorded operatic sopranos.... Plácido Domingo Plácido Domingo Jos? Pl?cido Domingo Embil Order of the British Empire , better known as Pl?cido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range....	RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986....
1978	Tancredi Tancredi *Tancredi* is an opera in two acts by composer Gioachino Rossini and librettist Gaetano Rossi, based on Voltaire's play Tancr?de . Though Rossini first composed his opera with a happy ending in mind, he eventually had the poet Luigi Lechi rework the libretto to emulate the original tragic ending by Voltaire.... , Tancredi	Gabriele Ferro Lella Cuberli Lella Cuberli Lella Cuberli is an American soprano, particularly associated with the Belcanto repertory.Born Lella Terell in Austin, Texas, she studied in Dallas and later in Milan.... Nicolai Ghiuselev Nicolai Ghiuselev Nicolai Ghiuselev is a Bulgarian operatic bass , particularly associated with the Italian and Russian repertories.He studied first painting at the Academy of Arts in Sofia, and later voice at the school of the National Opera and Ballet Sofia of Sofia, with Christo Brambarov....	Warner Fonit Cetra Cetra Records was an Italian record company which produced opera recordings with artists such as Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Carlo Bergonzi , Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe Taddei and many more famous artists....
1978	Arie di Verdi, Abigaille (Nabucco Nabucco *Nabucco* is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the biblical story and the Play by Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornu.... ) Elvira (Ernani Ernani *Ernani* is an operatic dramma lirico in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play Hernani by Victor Hugo.... ) Medora(Il Corsaro Il corsaro *Il corsaro* is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, from a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron's poem The Corsair.... ) Eboli (Don Carlo) Amelia (Un ballo in maschera Un ballo in maschera 'Un ballo in maschera' , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The opera's first production was at the Teatro Apollo, Rome, February 17, 1859.... )	Nello Santi Nello Santi Nello Santi is an Italian Conductor . He is often called "Papa Santi" by his fellow musicians to show their high respect for his work.... Ivo Vinco	Warner Fonit Cetra Cetra Records was an Italian record company which produced opera recordings with artists such as Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Carlo Bergonzi , Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe Taddei and many more famous artists....

Fiorenza Cossotto

Life and career

Cossotto and Callas

Spectrum of roles

Studio Discography

External links