# Magda Olivero: Queen of Verismo



## Tietjens Stolz (Jun 2, 2015)

On another thread I mentioned that Maria Callas had listened to Magda Olivero's recording of Violetta's Act 1 scene from La Traviata (made in 1940 for Cetra) when learning Violetta. It is worthwhile to create a thread devoted to this extraordinary singer.

Olivero (1910-2014) enjoyed an astonishingly long life and lengthy career lasting more than 50 years (with a ten year break in between from 1940 - 1950 due to marriage).

I have always cherished her as an extraordinary artist and singing actress with an amazing technique, a wide tonal palette.

Comparison with Callas is inevitable but the fact is their stage repertoires overlap only in very few roles: Violetta, Cio Cio San (which Callas sang only three times on stage), Tosca, Medea.

Personally I prefer Callas' Violetta (for Callas' stronger mezza voce, which she used to great effect to illuminate the inner joy/torment of the character, though I acknowledge Olivero's use of her _fil de voce _ is also effective) and in Medea Callas is _hors concours_ (Olivero doesn't have the demi-goddess, demonic quality that Medea needs). But in Tosca and Madama Butterfly, Olivero could give Callas a run of her money. In the Verismo repertoire (where Callas' gifts admittedly shine less brightly and she seldom venture into, except for Tosca), Olivero stands supreme (thus she has been known as "Queen of Verismo").

Here are some of my favourite recordings of Olivero:

Adriana Lecouvreur (Amsterdam, 1965) - Olivero's signature role; she is the composer Francesco Cilea's favourite and ideal interpreter of the role:





La Traviata - Violetta's Act 1 scene (Cetra studio recording, 1940):





Tosca (soundtrack recording made for a RAI film, 1960):





Madama Butterfly (Naples, 1961):











What's your opinion of her?


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## Tietjens Stolz (Jun 2, 2015)

Note: Realized I made a typo in the thread title - should be "Queen of Verismo" (corrected).


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Beautiful voice!
She use to be the sweetheart of the Dutch back in the days, I've spoken people who saw her perform in the so called : Saturday matinee, which by the way are available on CD. ( if you search enough.)


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## Tietjens Stolz (Jun 2, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Beautiful voice!
> She use to be the sweetheart of the Dutch back in the days, I've spoken people who saw her perform in the so called : Saturday matinee, which by the way are available on CD. ( if you search enough.)












I have this set on the Bella Voce label. It can still be bought from third-party sellers on amazon.com.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Panorama said:


> I have this set on the Bella Voce label. It can still be bought from third-party sellers on amazon.com.


You've just beat me to it, so credits where's credits due :cheers:


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Great singer she also sung Iris:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Such a great artist!.

My favorite performance of an aria:


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## Tietjens Stolz (Jun 2, 2015)

Here is a rare concert recording of Olivero singing "Addio del passato" from La Traviata (1959) in very good sound:


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Isn't it interesting that 2 sopranos that are lauded by a certain group of distinguished opera people both are sopranos that share voices that are not among the most beautiful yet they seem to have the capacity of bringing goosebumps and shivers with their stellar performances to audiences every time.
And to these two there now comes another who is starting to set the same kinds of records. Sondra Radvanovsky's voice lacks that beautiful sound but she too is far above that with her incredible ability to also get inside the character and bring audiences to their knees.
Of course there are others who also touch us, but somehow or other these particualr ladies stand out in the opera world and are constantly spoken of or written about.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Isn't it interesting that 2 sopranos that are lauded by a certain group of distinguished opera people both are sopranos that share voices that are not among the most beautiful yet they seem to have the capacity of bringing goosebumps and shivers with their stellar performances to audiences every time.
> And to these two there now comes another who is starting to set the same kinds of records. Sondra Radvanovsky's voice lacks that beautiful sound but she too is far above that with her incredible ability to also get inside the character and bring audiences to their knees.
> Of course there are others who also touch us, but somehow or other these particualr ladies stand out in the opera world and are constantly spoken of or written about.


Well to their devoted fans certainly, but to the rest of us not so much. Perhaps it more addresses the benefits of a well-oiled PR machine.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Isn't it interesting that 2 sopranos that are lauded by a certain group of distinguished opera people both are sopranos that share voices that are not among the most beautiful yet they seem to have the capacity of bringing goosebumps and shivers with their stellar performances to audiences every time.
> And to these two there now comes another who is starting to set the same kinds of records. Sondra Radvanovsky's voice lacks that beautiful sound but she too is far above that with her incredible ability to also get inside the character and bring audiences to their knees.
> Of course there are others who also touch us, but somehow or other these particualr ladies stand out in the opera world and are constantly spoken of or written about.


Subtle and very true :tiphat:


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## Bardamu (Dec 12, 2011)

Sloe said:


> Great singer she also sung Iris


She is (was) my ideal Iris.

She also sung the role of the mother in Malipiero's L'Orfeide.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Isn't it interesting that 2 sopranos that are lauded by a certain group of distinguished opera people both are sopranos that share voices that are not among the most beautiful yet they seem to have the capacity of bringing goosebumps and shivers with their stellar performances to audiences every time.
> And to these two there now comes another who is starting to set the same kinds of records. Sondra Radvanovsky's voice lacks that beautiful sound but she too is far above that with her incredible ability to also get inside the character and bring audiences to their knees.
> Of course there are others who also touch us, but somehow or other these particualr ladies stand out in the opera world and are constantly spoken of or written about.


I'm not sure I see the comparison between Radvanovsky and the other two. Callas and Olivero regularly sang ALL the notes the composer wrote and had matchless legato.

N.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

The Conte said:


> I'm not sure I see the comparison between Radvanovsky and the other two. Callas and Olivero regularly sang ALL the notes the composer wrote and had matchless legato.
> 
> N.


Are you basing that opinion after having seen her in _Roberto Devereux_? I'll bet not. If your answer however is yes, I have nothing more to add except that you certainly have every right to your opinion and it is to be respected.
On the other hand, would you not agree that at some point certain singers suddenly come into their own after several years of serviceable singing?
Sondra Radvanovsky, (IMO) , has come into her own. To me she now deserves to be in the above company.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I'm debating doing a speech on Olivero. The most astonishing quality about her to me was her incredible longevity. She DEBUTED at the Met at 65!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She also had a good size voice and was always model thin.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I'm debating doing a speech on Olivero. The most astonishing quality about her to me was her incredible longevity. She DEBUTED at the Met at 65!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She also had a good size voice and was always model thin.


I know this story for as far as I can remember, but still give me the goosebumps. in a good way that is.
Try it at 65 in front of a great crowd :tiphat:


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Are you basing that opinion after having seen her in _Roberto Devereux_? I'll bet not. If your answer however is yes, I have nothing more to add except that you certainly have every right to your opinion and it is to be respected.
> On the other hand, would you not agree that at some point certain singers suddenly come into their own after several years of serviceable singing?
> Sondra Radvanovsky, (IMO) , has come into her own. To me she now deserves to be in the above company.


I will look out for her in that case. I have heard her only a few times and not for a couple of years.

Is the Deveraux available to watch/listen to?

N.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The Conte said:


> I will look out for her in that case. I have heard her only a few times and not for a couple of years.
> 
> Is the Deveraux available to watch/listen to?
> 
> N.


It was in Cinemas a few weeks back, all over the world.
Live transmission live from the Met 





( clip)


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Around 10 years ago we had a chance to travel to Italy and Arena di Verona in the summer and thought we'd would ask Magda Olivero, with whom we'd been having a pleasant on-going correspondence, particularly on her birthday (March 25) and Christmas cards), if she would entertain a sideline visit from us to her.
She responded with regret that she would be on vacation in Lausanne as she does every year around that time and sincerely hoped we'd try again.
Though disappointed, we surely understood.
Our trip was wonderful and upon return home there was a beloved postcard waiting for us from Lausanne once again expressing regrets to having missed us and hopes that we would try again in the future.
That postcard remains one of our very special memoirs.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

The Conte said:


> I will look out for her in that case. I have heard her only a few times and not for a couple of years.
> 
> Is the Deveraux available to watch/listen to?
> 
> N.


Thinking about it, I must agree with you that Sondra Radvanovsky does not yet belong along side the other two who are legends, and have an entire lifetime of proven superiority. But speaking just of a veritable "newcomer" next to them, I believe she is likely to be the first to claim the 3rd place as she already has an incredible start when it comes to the performance side of her talents.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> Thinking about it, I must agree with you that Sondra Radvanovsky does not yet belong along side the other two who are legends, and have an entire lifetime of proven superiority. But speaking just of a veritable "newcomer" next to them, I believe she is likely to be the first to claim the 3rd place as she already has an incredible start when it comes to the performance side of her talents.


Radvanovsky is a great for today. She is a beautiful, exciting singer, no doubt. Against Sutherland, Callas, Caballe',Milanov: that is another matter entirely. I am prejudiced I am sure.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Amazing..at 62!!!


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Radvanovsky is a great for today. She is a beautiful, exciting singer, no doubt. Against Sutherland, Callas, Caballe',Milanov: that is another matter entirely. I am prejudiced I am sure.


Since you wrote this, have you been reading about her superior Norma which is compared equally to that of Callas'?
As I said before, she's getting there -- and very fast. 
If I could only choose my top 10, including singers of today's crop: Olivero/Callas/Sutherland/Caballe/Steber/Freni/Sills/Fleming/Radvanovsky/Netrebko (also ran: Gheorghiu)


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> Amazing..at 62!!!


All the ( vocal) technique is still intact .:tiphat:


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

I heard her sing Fedora at the Dallas Opera around 1973 and she was phenomenal. Not to me a gorgeous voice, but a real singing actress as was Callas, quite musical and absolutely committed to the text and the drama. She would have been around 69 at the time. An unforgettable performance and still a gorgeous woman.

I know I harp on about Dallas Opera a lot but it was my hometown. I heard La Boheme there when I was 12 in a student performance (I have tried ever since without success to figure out if that could possibly have been Callas -- this would have been 1961 -- but I don't think they would have asked her to do a student matinee). And later on I sang in the chorus there for two years and had a small featured role in Baby Doe. I heard everybody there, Ruth Welting, Horne, Sutherland, Richard Tucker (who would launch himself into the air for the high notes), Lucine Amara, Richard Stillwell, James McCracken, Gilda Cruz-Romo, I saw Bubbles there shopping for sets for Pearl Fishers, Giangiacomo Guelfi, Richard Price, Frances Bible as Augusta Tabor, Renata Scotto, Renato Bruson, Frederika von Stade, Paolo Montarsolo, Rockwell Blake, Alfredo Kraus, so many others. I was privileged to sing many performances under Maestro Nicola Rescigno, who gave La Callas her start in America and conducted many, many recording sessions of hers. And Maestro Roberto Benaglio, the chorus master both in Dallas and at La Scala at the time, was unforgettable. He was well into his 80s at the time and would often come out onstage during performances to give the chorus extra cues, usually dressed as an old woman with a shawl. You had to ignore the white goatee. 

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

You are right. Not a characteristically beautiful voice but she had a set of throat muscles that were so strong that she was able to sing way past her prime and even into her 90's. She sang in churches and could still hold a high note with no wobble.
The lady was a phenomenon with a strong, feisty personality which kept her alive so long.


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