Renata Scotto 1934-2023 Renata Scotto 1934-2023

The Italian soprano, pedagogue and mentor has died. She was 89.

on August 16, 2023 at 8:34 AM
Act two Act two

Chris’s Cache sends Renata Scotto a valentine ahead of her 89th birthday next week with rare in-house recordings of eight (!) mid-career performances spanning 1971-1977.

on February 14, 2023 at 11:06 AM
More than a diva More than a diva

Happy 87th birthday soprano Renata Scotto.

on February 24, 2021 at 11:39 AM
Thank you for the music Thank you for the music

Trove Thursday celebrates early St. Cecilia’s Day—November 22—with a 1976 performance of Licino Refice’s Cecilia starring Renata Scotto as the patron saint of music and musicians.

on November 19, 2020 at 10:00 AM
La Vestale La Vestale

“Several prima donnas have sought to resurrect La Vestale, including Renata Scotto.”

on September 14, 2020 at 12:12 PM
Conception Conception

Your doyenne’s origin myth must always be understood to begin with the bite of a radioactive soprano way back in 1976.

on December 13, 2018 at 12:41 PM
“Distinctly an individual” “Distinctly an individual”

On this day in 1965 soprano Renata Scotto made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Cio-Cio-San.

on October 13, 2018 at 9:41 AM
Tongue tied Tongue tied

“Trove Thursday”’s latest folie de grandeur is an overflowing three-part explosion of post-war divas in live performances of unexpected arias always in the “wrong language.”

on June 28, 2018 at 9:00 AM
Incalculable theatricality Incalculable theatricality

Happy 84th birthday to the diva of divas, Renata Scotto!

on February 24, 2018 at 7:01 AM
Geh such dir die Stars vom vergangenen Jahr! Geh such dir die Stars vom vergangenen Jahr!

Tristan has been the season-launching opera three times before now, but good luck finding someone to provide a firsthand account of the last time.

on September 23, 2016 at 3:20 AM
Now I suddenly feel as if I’ve taken all my clothes off Now I suddenly feel as if I’ve taken all my clothes off

Can it really be 40 (Four, oh!) years since La Cieca was born?

on May 15, 2016 at 9:00 PM
Stubble in paradise Stubble in paradise

Tenor Michael Fabiano reportedly tore the place down tonight at WQXR’s Greene Space.

on October 08, 2014 at 1:58 AM
Open mike night Open mike night

Some very clever casting indeed in this week’s “Dream Team” competition.

on October 05, 2014 at 12:00 PM
Dream team Dream team

In honor of WQXR’s salute to the Richard Tucker Music Foundation next week—featuring Tucker honoree Michael Fabiano and hosted by legendary Renata Scotto—La Cieca invites the cher public to compete for free tickets to the mini-concert.

on September 29, 2014 at 5:33 PM
Less than Zarah Less than Zarah

In a slight detour from the usual all-opera-all-the-time format of parterre box, the queer opera zine, issue #44 centers on Ben Letzler‘s superb appreciation of film and cabaret diva Zarah Leander.

on March 14, 2014 at 7:59 AM
Drama queen Drama queen

The very first words in this issue are “Renata Scotto will return to the American operatic stage in the 2001 season!”

on January 29, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Bass-barihunk Bass-barihunk

Richard Bernstein is a very good-looking guy, even with his clothes on.”

on January 08, 2014 at 12:09 PM
That kind of diva That kind of diva

In Vintage Issue #32: How that opening night of Lohengrin might have gone; La Cieca on La Gran Scena…

on December 11, 2013 at 8:00 AM
Once in half a lifetime Once in half a lifetime

Then and now: the “Dio ti giocondi, o sposo” duet from Otello.

on November 01, 2012 at 10:04 PM

Parterre’s tutelary diva shares espresso and cookies with parterre’s fave scribe Zachary Woolfe in preparation for the gala Met Legends event honoring her next Sunday.

on February 21, 2011 at 12:27 PM

Separated at birth: “Tu che di gel” goddess Renata Scotto and “Too much hair gel” oddness Johnny Weir. This is also holiday-themed breaking news because Johnny has now officially donned his gay apparel. [After Elton]

on January 06, 2011 at 12:58 PM

Chicago’s opera community has been abuzz about this production of Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera ever since the 2010-11 Lyric Opera season was announced.  A sumptuous production owned by San Francisco opera, major female stars, a solid male cast of experienced Verdians, and stage direction by the legendary Renata Scotto—what more could one ask?  

on November 25, 2010 at 11:05 PM

I attend the opera intent on enjoying myself. If the music is not my favorite, there is always something to like, be it a colleague’s individual performance, the discovery of a newcomer, nifty stagecraft or costumes, observing the movement skills of the various singers, or in worst-case scenarios, observing the audience’s boredom, carefully notating the…

on November 17, 2010 at 2:52 PM

“As beautiful as her singing was, [Renata Scotto] never was much of an actress.” — Lotfi Mansouri: An Operatic Journey

on September 07, 2010 at 6:46 PM