Renata Scotto

Renata Scotto (Savona, 24 February 1934 - Savona, 16 August 2023) 

He studied singing in Milan, first with the baritone Emilio Ghirardini and later with Mercedes Llopart. Started as a contralto, after three years of study, he discovered a lyric-light soprano and then dramatic agility. At the age of nineteen he made his debut in 1952 at the Teatro Gabriello Chiabrera in his hometown as the protagonist of La traviata.


In 1953 he was again at the Teatro Nuovo di Milano with La traviata, at the Alfieri di Torino in Margherita da Cortona by Licinio Refice and made his debut at the Teatro alla Scala as Walter in La Wally: it was 7 December, the opening night of the season, and Scotto had a personal statement.


In 1957 the Teatro alla Scala performed La sonnambula, with Maria Callas. Given the great success, it was decided to add other performances, but Callas had other commitments and could not sing; so, with only two days' notice, on 3 September, Renata Scotto replaced her: it was a huge success thanks to which she became an international star. In 1965 she made her debut with Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she appeared in 319 performances until 1987, and at the Royal Opera House in London with La traviata.


In 1976 he sang Zaira by Bellini at the Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini in Catania for the first time of the century, which has a recording. In 1977 she played Mimì at the Metropolitan Opera, opposite Luciano Pavarotti, a show of which there is a video recording. In the following years he added several new roles to his repertoire: La Medium, La voce umana, Il cavaliere della rosa (Marschallin), Erwartung by Schönberg, Parsifal (Kundry), Elektra (Klytämnestra).

From 1986 he also directed opera: the first was Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera, work then landed on the stages of the Arena di Verona, the Miami and Genoa Opera. In 1995, at the New York City Opera, he directed La traviata, filmed live on television, which won the prestigious Emmy Award for best live TV event. In 1997 she became Academician of St. Cecilia and founded the "Accademia Operistica Renata Scotto" in the same year. On February 27, 2011 he received the "Met Legends" award.

After living in the USA, he returned to Italy and lived in Noli. He has collaborated with the Teatro dell'opera giocosa, signing the directors of Madama Butterfly, La traviata, La bohème, Tosca and, again in the summer of 2023, La voce umana.

The widow of violinist Lorenzo Anselmi, already first violin of La Scala, died in Savona at the age of 89.