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Vivian Della Chiesa 1914-2009

by | 10:59 am | Jan 23, 2009

Vivian Della Chiesa, “Toscanini’s favorite soprano,” died on Tuesday. She was 94.

Della Chiesa is heard in the Trio from I Lombardi with Jan Peerce and Nicola Moscona, conducted by Arturo Toscanini, in a radio concert from January 31, 1943.

“Qui posa il fianco… Qual volutta trascorrere”

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40 Comments

40 comments

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  • messa di voce says:

    Thackeray:

    Your innocence is charming.

    If by “protegee” you mean “Put in in her mouth and swallowed,” the answer is yes.

    on January 23, 2009 at 4:01 PM
  • wotan_in_inman says:

    The Phlegming resemblance goes a bit further. Circa 1960 — well past her prime, Della Chiesa recorded an LP of crossover numbers which left me wondering what all the shouting was for. Nothing totally offensive, but mostly unnecessary, leaving me with the impression that she was one sad lady attempting a comeback of sorts.

    on January 23, 2009 at 4:16 PM
  • Thackeray Gnomey says:

    Yes, messa, that’s what I meant. Quite interesting, if jejune article about Della Chiesa here:
    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B05E7DC1E3AF930A3575BC0A961958260

    The writer is hardly NYT standard. She has even invented an opera – La traviatta (sic).

    on January 23, 2009 at 4:39 PM
  • kashania says:

    Thackery did put the word “protegee” in quotation marks.

    on January 23, 2009 at 4:40 PM
  • Valzacchi says:

    That recording of the final terzetto from I lombardi is a gem. Toscanini inspired truly committed, idiomatic Verdian singing from della Chiesa, Peerce and Moscona, not to mention the beautiful violin obbligato from Samuel Chotzinoff.
    You don’t hear singing like that any more.

    on January 23, 2009 at 4:59 PM
  • Karnal Jones says:

    There’s always some air headed prick who’ll drag RF into every discussion. Get a life!

    on January 23, 2009 at 5:02 PM
  • Thackeray Gnomey says:

    kashania, thank you for your kind intervention, but I **think** messa got the irony — it’s just so hard to communicate on a messageboard. Is there an emoticon for it other than the too unsubtle ;)

    on January 23, 2009 at 5:20 PM
  • Thackeray Gnomey says:

    ??

    on January 23, 2009 at 5:20 PM
  • messa di voce says:

    Yes, I got the irony, and enjoyed it. Valzacchi says what is important: a Verdi performance like this is a sublime experience.

    on January 23, 2009 at 5:29 PM
  • Sanford says:

    Well, if that isn’t a lesson in ideal Verdi, I don’t know what is. She is wonderful, and I think she sounds less like reeeennnanaay than she does like Moffo (and you know it’s the highest honor in my book to be compared favorably to Moffo). I also think that Peerce sounded terrific in this.

    on January 23, 2009 at 8:49 PM
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