La Cieca has just received confirmation from La Scala’s Twitter of the sad news that the legendary Italian soprano Magda Olivero has died.  She was 104.

Courtesy of Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin, here is Olivero’s final Met performance. She was 69 years old at the time this was recorded.

Giacomo Puccini: Tosca

Metropolitan Opera
James Conlon, conductor
Masonic Hall, Detroit, Michigan
24 May 1979

In-house recording

Tosca – Magda Olivero
Cavaradossi – Luciano Pavarotti
Scarpia – Cornell MacNeil
Sacristan – Italo Tajo
Spoletta – Andrea Velis
Angelotti – John Cheek
Sciarrone – Russell Christopher
Shepherd – Carl Tramon
Jailer – Philip Booth

In memoriam Magda Olivero – 25 March 1910 – 08 September 2014

Olivero, whose career began in 1932, sang only 10 performances with the Met, making her house debut as Tosca on 03 April 1975 for three performances, followed by seven performances on tour in 1979 of which this is her final performance with the company.

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