Renata Scotto, a soprano of uncommon intensity who became a successful director after her singing career, has died in her home town of Savona, Italy, aged 89.
Scotto’s New York-based manager, Robert Lombardo, said he was called by her family and informed of her death.
“I had spoken to her several weeks ago and I didn’t get any indication that anything was going on,” he said.
Scotto maintained homes in Italy and Armonk, New York.
“Renata Scotto is a true artist and profound connoisseur of voice and repertoire, gifted with technique, musicality, a personality of a rare power, always at the service of the composer, and able to emotionally stir the public in all the world in every phase of her long career,” soprano Cecilia Gasdia, superintendent of the Fondazione Arena in Verona, said in a statement.
Scotto made 314 appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, from her debut in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly on October 13 1965 to her finale, also as Cio-Cio-San, on January 18 1987.
She also directed during her final run, and that became her new profession.
“I like to live in the present,” she said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press (AP).
“Of course, I watch my DVDs. I enjoyed every second of my career. Now I live with the young singers. I love them so much.”
Born on February 24 1934 in Savona, Scotto debuted there in 1952 as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata and sang the role the next day at Milan’s Teatro Nuovo.
She debuted at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala on December 7 1957, the opening night of the season, in the title role of Catalani’s La Wally alongside Mario Del Monaco, with Carlo Maria Giulini conducting.
When Scotto made her Met debut, The New York Times headlined her as a new star.
“She is short, on the plump side, with a round face that is remarkably expressive,” Raymond Ericson wrote.
“She is a lyric coloratura, with a relatively small voice that carries in a big auditorium by virtue of its concentrated tone. And she is a complete actress, in voice and movement.”
When Scotto sang the title role in Bellini’s Norma on the opening night of the Met’s 1981-82 season, she was booed by Maria Callas fans who were opposed to anyone else singing the role.
She starred alongside Luciano Pavarotti in the first Live From The Met telecast in 1977, of Puccini’s La Boheme.
As the end of her singing career approached, she turned to directing.
“I love it. It’s completely different, of course,” she told the AP.
“There’s more responsibility – you have responsibility for everybody – the stage, the scenery. It’s another perspective. You see the show differently.”
When Deborah Voigt took on the title role of Puccini’s Tosca for the first time, at the Florida Grand Opera in 2001, Scotto was her director.
“The thing that was really most impressive is that she didn’t try to put her stamp on it,” Voigt said.
“She led me through it and helped me find my way through the role and my Tosca, which is different from Renata Scotto’s.”
Scotto is survived by daughter Laura Anselmi Miller, son Filippo Anselmi and two grandchildren.
Her husband, Lorenzo, died in 2021.
