idontgiveafach:

Much has been made of Anna Moffo’s fast vocal decline and her mismanaged career, but I love her voice and she was, in her prime, quite an exquisite artist.

At its best, her voice was a deliciously rich lyric soprano, with an unusually strong bottom and a meltingly plush middle and top range. She was incredibly beautiful and, more importantly, was a true actress with an utter commitment to dramatic truth.

Sadly, there is very little documentation of her work. But thankfully, her most important roles, namely Violetta the consumptive heroin of “La Traviata” and the title character in “Lucia di Lammeroor,” have been preserved on very fine, digitally remastered recordings. (Her “Traviata” in particular is, in my opinion, one of the best accounts of the opera.) There is also a very lovely recording of the Puccini rarity, “La Rondine,” but it’s out of print. Unfortunately, there are also two bizarre, woefully campy film adaptations of “La Traviata” and “Lucia di Lammermoor” available on DVD featuring Ms. Moffo in an highly unflattering light.

Still, one shouldn’t grouse. Ms. Moffo was a great, underrated artist and we are lucky to have any account of her available today. 

Oh my sweet Anna. Her Stizzoso is one of my favorite things ever: