Search - Charles Gounod, Giacomo Puccini, Giacomo Meyerbeer :: Arias

Anna Moffo Now Sings In Heaven: From A Fan

Maureen | 03/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Opera fans may have already received the news (New York Times, LA Times, Opera News, etc) that soprano Anna Moffo died Thursday in a NY Presbyterian Hospital at the age of 73 after her battle with cancer. She was a supermodel-type beautiful, striking Italian-American who graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera and world opera houses for many years throughout the 50's, 60's and 70's. She was never a prima donna/diva in the ugly sense of the word and she even hosted her own talk show, was married to an NBC network executive. Anna Moffo left us a number or great recordings, including full-length operas and solo albums like this one, one of her earliest albums.



Primarily a lyric-coloratura soprano, Miss Moffo was critically acclaimed for her performances of Violetta in Verdi's Traviata (her Met debut in the 50's), Mimi in La Boheme (which she recorded with Richard Tucker,Robert Merrill and Mary Costa), Lucia Di Lammermoor (she made a film and a recording of it opposite Carlo Bergonzi) Susannah in Le Nozze Di Figaro (which she recorded under Giulini which also starred Elisabeth Schwartzkopff) and she appeared in a film version of Madame Butterfly and made a terrific La Sonnambula. For audiences whose ears were fed the more powerful voices of Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi and Birgit Nilsson, Anna Moffo was a refreshing, more lyrical change. Her sweet and well-placed voice is handsomely capturesd in this solo album which features the following arias:



Marguerite's Jewel Song From Gounod's Faust

Mimi's Aria from Puccini's La Boheme

Shadow Song from Meyerbeer's Dinorah

Micaela's Aria from Bizet's Carmen

Bel Raggio Lusinger from Rossini's Semiramide

Liu's Arias - Signore Ascolta and Death Scene from Turandot

Bell Song From Lakme



Each of these arias are magically spun in her vocal chords. She has a rich, powerful voice, but it never steps up to the plane of lyrico-spinto. She was the Renee Fleming of her day, a voice that was bright, angelic, beautiful, feminine, alluring, siren-like. Best of all, she was one of those rare sopranos who looked like the heroines they enacted (unlike for example the heavy-set Montserrat Caballe who couldn't physically appeare like the dying courtesan Violetta in Traviata or the fragile Lucia). Now that Miss Moffo has passed on, recordings of hers will definately sell like crazy. This album captures her in her prime and there is no flaw in any of her stylings but I agree with another critic that the Rossini aria "Bel Raggio" is out of her league vocally. She had fine coloratura but it was not at the razzle-dazzle bel canto level of Joan Sutherland or Beverly Sills. Anna Moffo...thanks for the beautiful voice and memories you gave to us. Rest in peace and the applause she will get in Heaven are well-deserved!!"

A fine singer

J. Anderson | Monterey, CA USA | 04/14/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Moffo was a fine singer but perhaps not a great one, and in most of the repertory on this disc it unfortunately becomes a critical distinction. Lakme's Bell Song is so pale and lacking in fire it feels almost doused. You cant help but hear Sutherland's defining version from beginning to end, ruining whatever Moffo may have to offer us, which apparently isnt much. Micaela's aria fares better. Other reviews here already speak knowledgably of a number of definite vocal deficiencies in this program, her debut recital disc (1960). The best thing about Moffo's singing is a wide open sound of tremendous ease and technical mastery, at least in the lyric repertory. Hers is an instrument of special cool colors that ravish but rarely electrify (her Traviata is an exception to that), suggesting care is critical in choosing successful roles. Not surprisingly, her later recording of Rachmaninov's ubiquitous 'Vocalise' is one of the finest ever recorded, supple and pure and free, and I think her Violetta ranks among the top five recorded versions - beside Caballe, Sutherland and Cotrubas, surely. I've always thought Moffo a somewhat neglected artist, and that's probably true, but this disc doesnt do much to invigorate new admirers. Tullio Serafin conducts a sumptuous sounding Rome Opera Orchestra with characteristic elan, what an opera man he was! On the whole, this recording probably deserves four stars, but the Bell Song that closes the program is a REALLY dismal experience."

Absolutely delightful!

Maureen | St. Paul, MN USA | 03/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not a music specialist as some other reviewers seem to be, but to my ears, this entire collection by Anna Moffo is an absolute delight. Her voice is clear and rich, never strained. I owned this collection on a 33-1/3 RPM many years ago and was excited to see it available again on a CD. If you are one who enjoys well sung opera arias you will treasure these by Anna Moffo."