She had sung there with an award-winning choral group in the 1960s and wanted to introduce me to the glories of Salzburg and its renowned festival. We were able to see several performances, but the Don Pasquale was sold-out. In hopes of scoring two tickets, we went to the Kleines Festspielhaus. I noticed that there was a door which was not being watched by an usher. I insisted on trying to sneak in. Mom told me no, but I headed straight for the door. She told me she would wait outside and to go directly there if I did end up getting in. Inside, a young woman usher for the performance came up to me and, instead of kicking me out, said that I could sit quietly on the stairs once the performance began.
It was a starry cast: Fernando Corena, Graziella Sciutti, Polando Panerai, and Pietro Bottazzo. Riccardo Muti, young and wildly handsome, led the Vienna Philharmonic. It was one of those magical performances where all of the stars were at their best. Particularly memorable was Sciutti, whose Norina remains the best I have ever seen (including the sensational Netrebko, delightful Swenson, the late career Sills etc.). The Sciutti voice is not, in and of itself, the most glorious of these four divas, but her artistry – attention to dynamics, understanding of the text, and crystalline coloratura, were spectacular. She also embodied the role with expert comedic timing and considerable charm. At the end of the opera, the audience gave her the biggest ovation. During the curtain calls, Corena bowed to the diva and threw up his hands in a comical way as if to say, “Let’s face it, she stole the show.” She just laughed and bowed back to him and offered a delicate hand for him to kiss.
Following the performance, I got the diva’s autograph. She was gracious, and up close looked a bit like Gina Lollobrigida. It was one of the only times I ever asked for an autograph.
I have not been able to find a live recording of that exact performance. There is a recording out there from a different performance of the run, where Scuitti is not in as spectacular a voice, but one can get the idea of her magic and this incredible cast.
As a result of this experience, I have a fondness for the commercial (not live) recording of the opera because it stars Corena and Scuitti. The recording features Krause and Oncina in place of Panerai and Bottazzo.
Look forward to everyone’s favorite Donizetti. Cheers!
Pick a little, talk a little
Following the successful launch of the new regular feature The Talk of the Town in January, the team at the box is inviting contributions for a new quarter of operatic potpourri.
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