Part II - Your Favorites: FIORENZA COSSOTTO

THIS PART IS FOR YOUR FAVORITES! Please discuss this artist with your comments!

Fiorenza Cossotto, Mezzo-Soprano (born 1935)

Giuseppe Verdi - Il Trovatore
Stride la vampa
Conducted by Tullio Serafin
(Recorded 1962)

My personal opinion: What makes the world of Opera colorful? Certainly not the artist´s singing alone! Most of us need stories behind the stories, all these wonderful (and sometimes even true) anecdotes we could read in countless biographies and we hear in the rumours. Italian born Mezzo-Soprano Fiorenza Cossotto moved to spotlight, when she performed with Maria Callas (as far as I know for the first time in 1957), Ms. Cossotto became (in)famous when she performed 1965s Paris-"Norma", in which she sabotaged an ill Callas "by over-singing her and holding high notes longer when the latter's voice was in poor form" (Wikipedia). "Fiorenza Cossotto exploited the weakness of the famous colleague, who even with the remains of her voice always sung more correct and more expressive than the Mezzo-Soprano during her whole life. Cossotto sang with full power, and she held high notes longer than Maria Callas!" (Kesting in his Callas-monography). Franco Zeffirelli: "What a lack of generosity it was! I went behind the stage and vowed to Cossotto, I never would work with her again - and I never did!" It was Cossotto´s former husband Ivo Vinco, who later insisted that Zeffirelli made up stories. Ms. Cossotto was often considered to be La Scala's Queen Mezzo (after Simionato of course) and in her heydays she was the reigning Dalila, Ulrica, Carmen, Adalgisa, Santuzza, Amneris, Princess Eboli and Lady MacBeth; beloved by maestros like Prêtre, Muti, Levine and Karajan. According to Enzo Bordello, her voice was "ringing, rock-solid and massive." I do agree with this, the exuberance of Cossotto´s voice was extraordinary and the high notes were effortless. But from experience most singers with great big voices are unable to unfold the fine nuances sometimes a rendition requires. Here´s a intelligent quotation from Kesting about subtle fine nuances: "It belongs to all aesthetic experiences that understatement is more effective than exaggeration. The ingenious pencil of Gustave Doré painted the devil as a beautiful Satan, but this beauty was poisoned in little nuances." Those little nuances I hear with Simionato and Barbieri (and most of all with Callas. And may I add: I miss all those nuances with today´s divas! The days of fervor and pathos are over!). For me, Ms. Cossotto lacked the demonic side in the beauty of her singing, the fine inflections in the general view of a blunt vocal performance - no matter how impressive her voice (and her stage-personality) was. But with these words I can´t disguise that Fiorenza Cossotto was one of the most important dramatic italian Mezzo´s the world had, although she wasn´t a coloratura like the young Simionato or a true Belcanto-Heroine. She was at her very best in Verdi-roles - and I choosed her early recording of Azucena´s great aria from "Il Trovatore" (sung in 1962, taken from the complete studio-performance with Antonietta Stella, Carlo Bergonzi and Ettore Bastianini under the baton of maestro Serafin). You gave Ms. Cossotto 62 votings and with this she reached a great position 9 together with Cesare Siepi.

THE COMPLETE OVERVIEW: GO TO ALL SINGERS IN THIS LIST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBsScnQWVlU

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fiorenza
• Cossotto
• La
• Scala
• Milan
• Giulietta
• Simionato
• Maria
• Callas
• Franco
• Zeffirelli
• Giuseppe
• Verdi
• Norma
• Bellini

[Herur22]

I have that video of Trovatore and I was impressed by Cossotto singing this aria.

I am not sure about that anecdote with Norma. If one singer sings badly, why should also the other one give a bad performance?

[100Singers]

From this point of view, you´re right. But later Callas reported, that Cossotto ignored the sign from her to end the line together unisono, when Callas (who held her hand during the phrase) gave her a little squeeze. It´s the usually way to end up in sync - and it seemed, Cossotto simply ignored it. That´s the story how Callas AND Zeffirelli told it.

[Jeanne90275]

I'm not saying you're wrong, but...are you sure

it was Callas & Zeffirelli? I've always heard it

was Giulietta Simionato & Zeffirelli who made

that claim, not Maria Callas.

[100Singers]

Zeffirelli said, Callas told him so - but in public, Callas herself never gave an offical statement. One may found some direct allusions in Kestings "Maria Callas"-monography and in several essays from the Earl of Harewood, John Ardoin and other critics. Callas never spoke bad about colleagues in the public - as far as I know... Mike.

[TheWisemonkey8]

Its a grand, powerful throusbread of a voice. The last great Italian mezzo warm and loving regards my friend in music.

[periodictable47]

I don't think anyone else except Dmitri Hvorostovsky has such a purely beautiful voice.

I do wish people wouldn't judge artists on account of their personalities, appalling or otherwise. The right to judge anyone on personality ought to be limited to those who might have suffered from it personally - say, been the person's spouse, child, or household servant.

[litotomico]

I want this to play in my head forever. xD

[01music01]

UNEXPECTEDLY I FOUND ANOTHER GREAT MEZZO, POSSIBLY THE GREATEST ONE. ORALIA DOMINGUEZ. I AM WORKING ON GETTING AS MANY HER RECORDINGS AS POSSIBLE. WHAT A VOICE!!!

[minnie888444]

Unfortunately, bad choice, not a great rendition. She was young and the role is tremendously difficult. The high G is harsh both times. She was MUUUUCH better in the live performance at the La Scala opening that same year. This aria has its peculiarities, it is very high, the singer has to arrive safely at the G from a very high segment, it requires excellent technique and much work over many years.

Cossotto is a mezzo I admire very much, I heard many great recordings of her.

[andrea585ny]

Where have all the great dramatic Italian mezzos gone? I think Cossotto may have been the last. How depressing.

PS - why only four stars? I think maybe people are judging her by her appalling personality rather than by her wonderful singing

[BGSourgas]

I once thought she didn't exactly sound like an obsessed, desperate mother.. but what do i know

She certainly held a rock-solid technique when others started getting away with all kinds of mischief

class act

[MegaSpana]

Ho visto Cossotto in tutto il mondo cantando Amneris, Santuzza, Azucenna, Seymour, ecc. Era, e rimane, il più grande mezzosoprano drammatico del doppo II Guerra. La potenza e la bellezza della voce erano uniche!

[moghedien13]

as always i agree for the most part with the comments made, but everyone should check the post on here of cossotto singing solo un pianto from medea on here. an outstanding rendition and for her i think more nuanced than usual.

[yesIamKom]

yes, I agree with you. She and Obraztsova were two greatest Verdian Mezzos in 70s, even of all times. I prefer Obraztsova, but Cossotto was great too, so powerful. What a pity that Obraztsova isn't in this list.

[01music01]

I heard her live in Norma with Caballe. They were both great. I think Cossotto is the best mezzo of all times. May be only Obraztsova could be compared to her. Great voices, real dramatic mezzos.