Posted on 03/11/2006 9:18:29 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
Opera star Anna Moffo dies at 73
US Opera singer Anna Moffo, who was a star of New York's Metropolitan Opera for two decades, has died aged 73.
Moffo made her debut in a TV production of Madame Butterfly in 1955, appearing at the Met for the first time in 1959 as Violetta in La Traviata.
She was Grammy-nominated for best classical solo performance by a vocalist in 1962, and appeared in films including Austerlitz in 1960.
Her last regular performance at the Met was in 1976.
Moffo's voice deteriorated relatively early on in her career, but she returned to the venue for its centennial gala in 1983.
'Always alone'
The performer was praised for her elegance and was called "one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the stage of an opera house" by New York Times critic Harold C. Schonberg.
The singer told The Times in 1977 that she was pushed too early in her career and had been forced to take time off to strengthen her vocal technique.
"I was working much too hard and travelling too much. I got mixed up in TV, films and things like that.
"Psychologically I was miserable and always alone. But I don't think I was singing that badly until I reached a point where I was just so tired," she said.
Moffo was married to Robert Sarnoff, head of the NBC television network in the US during the 1950s and 60s, who died in 1997.
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sitetest
Any of you who get the free Classic Arts Showcase channel via cable or satellite will occasionally see clips of her from opera films and concerts.
I'm launching an opera channel on http://1.FM (along with the Baroque and Classical that are already there) in about 6 weeks. We will begin our opera channel broadcasting with a 24 hour tribute to the late Ms. Moffo.
Ping me if you want the exact date.
jas3
Moffo was an absolute meteor on the opera scene. Sadly, her career faded as quickly as a meteor when her voice deteriorated. She was constantly planning comebacks and there are soundclips available at some detestable websites that display her poor vocal estate of more recent years. The opera queens who love to pick apart their betters enjoy displaying these sad testaments to her decline.
Ah Tibaldi was my first operatic recording experience and I fell in love with her voice. There was a recording we had at school in the early 70s of Moffo that was very nice but I can't recall ...oh yes it was La Serva Padrona a little opera by Pergolesi I think. Very lovely.
One of the first opera recordings I ever heard and one of the reasons I fell in love with opera.
An absolutely beautiful lady.
Gorgeous pictures. If Ms. Moffo had been wearing green in the bottom picture, she would have been a perfect Scarlett O'Hara as well! :-)
I think I first really noticed her as Gilda in Rigoletto in the classic recording with Alfredo Krause. I have that Boheme as well. I also like her film of Traviata.
Reminds me of University of North Carolina fans b!tching about Duke.
:-)
She had intended to become a nun, but fate intervened.
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