Renata Scotto

On the occasion of her 80th birthday, I'd like to pay tribute to one of the greatest soprano voices of the latter half of the 20th Century, Renata Scotto.  Forever associated with the roles of Violetta and Madama Butterfly in particular, I wanted to show just how amazing she was as Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, a role she was renowned for in the 50's and 60's.

We are fortunate to have many of her roles preserved on disc and film and since she retired from the stage in 2002 has been renowned as a teacher and opera director, her first of course being Madama Butterfly.

I have long been a great admirer of hers, particularly her earlier studio recordins when her voice was at it's peak.  Her recorded Butterfly, Gilda and Violetta are indispensible to my collection, as is her Francesa da Rimini on DVD.

But check this video out below, it's the Mad Scene from Lucia, captured in Tokyo in 1967, it's a real treat.