Anna Moffo (Wayne 1932 - New York 2006)

Born of Italian parents (Nicholas Moffo and Queen Cinti ...

Anna Moffo (Wayne 1932 - New York 2006)

Born of Italian parents (Nicholas Moffo and Queen Cinti, emigrated from Ascoli Piceno), she attended the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In 1955 he won a Fulbright scholarship and could go to study first in Venice and then to the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, making his debut in the same year in Spoleto in Don Pasquale, following the victory of the competition Experimental Theater Adriano Belli lyrical. Later he was selected by RAI for the role of Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly edition of the television broadcast January 24, 1956 with the production and directed by Mario Lanfranchi, who became her husband in 1957. The '57 was also the 'year of the debut at La Scala, the Salzburg Festival and the Vienna State Opera (in all three cases as Nannetta in Falstaff under Herbert von Karajan) and, again for television, La sonnambula. He continued to perform in Vienna until the Seventies, interpreting Rigoletto, Manon, Faust, Micaela in Carmen, Mimi in La bohème, La traviata. Particular success was in La Sonnambula. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York in 1959 as Violetta and returned there in the 1960-1961 season to play Gilda, Adina and Liù. He appeared regularly at the Met until 1976, including tours of the theater in other cities, for a total of more than 200 performances. Thanks all'avvenenza, won several film scripts including film than music, such as The Battle of Austerlitz (1960) with Rossano Brazzi, Menage Italian Style (1965) with Ugo Tognazzi, Divorce (1970) starring Vittorio Gassman. In 1969 a scene in the movie A Love Story, which seemed to appear naked, provoked a scandal, but Moffo then declared that in that scene was not entirely without clothes. In 1970, however, he offered a half-naked in yellow Italian The Weekend Murders. At the Italian television also appeared as a guest on variety shows for two seasons and led the "Anna Moffo Show" broadcast in 1964 and 1967. At the German television in 1971 appeared in a filmed version of The Princess Ciarda. In the late 70s he faced the most dramatic Verdi titles such as Il trovatore and StifFelio, but the singing career, even though he was just over forty, could be considered complete, partly because of intense activity (at the height of popularity had come to sing in a very new roles 12 years) who had caused a progressive deterioration of speech: in 1976 her portrayal of Violetta at the Met was received rather coldly. Portrait photo autographed.Excellent condition