Anna Moffo - "Vissi d´arte" - Tosca - and interview

[Imadirtycommedian]

I LOVE Anna Moffo, but a little too many portamentos for my taste in this recording. Her diction is spot on though!

[kasha1932]

Her voice may have been going...even I as a non-vocalist can hear a difference as I listen to everything I can find. Check out her voice in the early sixties and I think that sadly, we can hear her voice going. I wish she had stopped right here and either took a big rest or sought out help. It's just too, too sad for me to hear this most AMAZING woman. She did have it all, but someone who had control of her just wore her out! ANNA...I love your voice and your wonderful, charm. BRAVA!

[babbybob]

who was the lady he was talking about in the end?

[RoOodOoOloOmeg]

Exactly, what's the problem with her voice?

[gayoperadude63]

this is so poppy? weird

[512gontran]

I was wondering when began her vocal problems. Surely by the 70s there are some but, oddly enough, in my opinion it's not so much the voice itself than the way she uses it that has gone wrong. What happened ?..

[adia216]

i have to say...i was just listening to a bunch of earlier moffo, and this is just too sad to listen to all the way through. Unbelievable that her voice suffered to this extent when she should've been in her prime. Gheroghiu's recording is nice, but for me, Montserrat Caballe blows her out of the water. There's a great live video on here from 1975. She maneuvers beautifully with power and her signature pianissimi (which she somehow still has!) =)

[disneydon07]

I dont believe she efer sang this rokw onstage-I saw her twice at the L A Music Center during the 70s and she was supurb in person-seductive, slim and lovely-she tended to be glurpy and swoopy in style so she was brilliant with Franco Corelli-t saw her do something with him at the met and it was magical-they were both so beautiful

[TheUgreenagreen]

Angela Gheorghi's version is the best, in my opinion.

[Kivimusic]

its wonderful but check out ANGELA GHEORGHIUs version - she is the diva of this beautiful aria

[raigekimaru]

@Kivimusic

she's good, but Callas IS Tosca. not only does she sing it the best, she was basically Tosca in real life =P

[tazkorinthos]

και απο φωνη κουπα....

[vivlingdarling]

i believe she just became my hero :)

[minkoss]

you know what? Me too.... I just knew about her like most of people our generation, and was kind of prevented because of her beauty... But wow, what a class and dedication in her approach of opera. I love her

[sethmalkin]

She pulls it out. Impressive.

[geomusic]

The voice was starting to go. But her high notes and stage presence were still brilliant. How wonderful to have things like this to enjoy! Thanks for posting.

[JDOopera76]

Makes me sad to hear her like this, not her best :(

[kgarmaker123]

She was very ill during this.. she had a very bad cold/laryngitis... and was not even singing some of it.. finally during that week, she consented to do some singing.

[thnurd]

Despite the shades of Thais we can hear in this performance it's still masterful and quite courageous of Ms. Moffo that she would get out there and perform the aria on the Mike Douglas show.

[DiomedesDioscuro]

¿No supo elegir su repertorio? Depende de cómo se considere... Sí, evidentemente su repertorio ilimitado contribuyó a la temprana pérdida de sus capacidades vocales, y en ese sentido se puede decir que no lo cuidó. Pero por otra parte, todo lo que cantó lo cantó estupendamente, y en ese sentido tendríamos que admitir que lo elegió acertadamente. Eligió prácticamente todo el repertorio... y lo dominó todo. ¿O no?

[pasfresh123]

how tall was she?

[dngrbunny]

5'8"

[adolfoa1961]

@dngrbunny Are you sure ? I think Anna Moffo was around 5' 9'' or even 5' 10''

Can you confirm it to me ?

[dngrbunny]

@adolfoa1961 No, I can't confirm that. I read that somewhere and now I can't even tell you where. I can tell you this, I met her and she was a little shorter than I am at 5'11".

[Miauriceful]

@adolfoa1961

174 cm, so 5' 8½"

[marknsa]

love her

[dougbalt]

Anna looks like Joan Crawford in that wig. Beautiful singing...but yikes.

[moghedien13]

She sounds quite good considering the shape her voice was in then.

[godsmuzic]

@moghedien13 I agree...its this is later in her career when her vocal issues appeared. Considering, her high notes are still beautiful!

[eligezTUBE]

italy history!

[Rapicienta]

Era joven aun, a esa edad la Sutherland aun cantaba perfectamentamente bien, claro todo basado en una excelente téncnica que igual la Moffo tuvo.

Sobre su italiano si lo noto de tal forma, es que ya le costaba cantar y la voz se escucha un tanto tragada y carente de brillo.

Pero recordare siempre a la Moffo por lo que fue en su repertorio una Diosa.

[fabrizietto1980]

dicen ke se le deteriorò por el repertorio, otros dicen por problemas de salud. hay cantates a las que la voz nunca las abandonò (Magda Olivero, o Devia ke tiene 60a y todavìa canta de puta madre) y otras que no. La voz de la Divina Callas tambièn nos abandonò demasiado pronto... Asì va el mundo :)

[Rapicienta]

Gracias por el video, ya era la época en que la Moffo no era la Moffo,hasta el italiano muy aporreado, lástima, se quemo muy rápido.

Tosca nunca para ella.

[fabrizietto1980]

no queiro hablar de su voz o su técnica, cada uno tiene su opiniòn, pero yo soy italiano, y te aseguro que su italiano era perfecto :)

[Rapicienta]

Claro que era perfecto, eso no lo voy a discutir, si no que me refiero que con el paso del tiempo, la voz se torno de otra manera, porque todos sabemos su carrera no duró tanto y porque muchas veces no supo elegir su repertorio, con la edad y la madures vocal, el cantante deja de cantar por facultades y solamente lo hace por tecnica, el caso es que Moffo fue una de las sopranos que no cuido su repertorio del todo y lo podemos ver aquí.

[fabrizietto1980]

pues entonces lo del italiano "muy aporreado"??? :)

[mrrk]

What a great video. thank you.

[winter43]

Marvellous, beautiful Anna! She was a very Goddess !

[patjan92]

I don't know how you find these things; it was great to watch. Thanks, as usual, for your terrific videos.