Most of us have one diva who we hold in greater esteem than all others, despite occasional troubles and bad decisions. For me, it has always been Leonie Rysanek. A much-loved diva overdue for this site is Anna Moffo, who even inspired an ode by Wayne Koestenbaum, author of The Queen’s Throat.  

While vocal troubles started to derail her career in the mid-1960s (if you haven’t heard or heard about the notorious Met Lucia broadcast of 1969, ask someone), she had in the previous decade established herself as one of the greatest – and certainly most glamorous – Violettas of the century. But she never quite got back on track, and her final Met performance, a Traviata in March 1976 which I attended, was a sad affair.

It is Violetta in La traviata, her signature role, which I offer to you this week, from a 1964 performance at Teatro alla Scala led by no less than Hebert von Karajan. Renato Cioni is her Alfredo and Mario Sereni is Germont père.

So, my dears: Libiamo, ne’ lieti calici che la bellezza infiora! Let’s raise a glass to Verdi and to 2016!

Giuseppe Verdi: La traviata

Teatro alla Scala
Herbert von Karajan, conductor
22 December 1964

Violetta Valery – Anna Moffo
Alfredo Germont – Renato Cioni
Giorgio Germont – Mario Sereni
Flora Bervoix – Romana Righetti
Gastone – Giorgio Goretti
Il barone Douphol – Alfredo Giacomotti
Il marchese d’Obigny – Silvio Maionica
Il dottore Grenvil – Nicola Zaccaria
Annina – Limbania Leoni
Giuseppe – Franco Ricciardi
Un commissario – Virgilio Carbonari
Un domestico di Flora – Carlo Forti