Biography
Renata Tebaldi was and is surely one of the best Spinto soprano voices that any century has ever heard. She made her operatic debut, through bombed streets in 1944 in Mefistofele, as Elena. Then was hand picked for the reopening of La Scala, 46 by Toscanini. It was there that the legendary "Voice of an Angel" started. He put Tebaldi upon a podium, well above the choir, and said "I want your voice to sound as though an angel is coming from Heaven." That is how it all started.
Her career began to grow at the same time as Maria Callas, though, actually, if one delves into their respective careers, they were so different, performing only three or four roles at the same time. In 1950 Tebaldi was selected by both esteemed conductors, Toscanini and De Sabata, for their versions of the Verdi Requium. These recordings exist today, and one can see how her vocal splendor was soon to become an international phenomenon. Her operatic debut in the United States, was AIDA in '50 in SF. She was booked just opon hearing a few of her recordings.
Tebaldi was so lucky, as she began her career just as the recording industry was beginning to record complete operas on LP. Decca/London quickly signed this promising new talent, and she continued to record for the label until 1974. She often recorded her repertoire twice, one in mono, then in Stereo, as her vocal and dramatic prowess only increased with time. Her legendary Decca recordings are mostly still in print, Aida, La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, La Fanciulla del West, Otello (in which she was unsurpassed as Desdemona), Andrea Chenier, Adrianna, La Wally, La Gioconda, Manon Lescaut, and Tosca. These are all available, on many labels, as live recordings as well.
Tebaldi's operatic career took one's breath away, just looking at the theatres she performed in, The Met, War Memorial, Covent Garden, San Carlos, Paris, Russia, Chicago Lyric, to name only a very few.
Her complete operas on video only give testament to her greatness, her absolutely gorgeous voice. Tosca '61 Stuttgart is now on DVD, along with her Andrea Chenier, with the wonderful and her recording partner, Mario del Monaco, Japan '61, Forza del Destino '58 with Corelli and Bastianini is also on DVD.
Her voice has been praised by Beverly Sills, Martina Arroyo, Joan Sutherland, and the great Caballe, who saw her as a youngster, and wanted to be like her. Also the many tenors who worked with her, Del Monaco, Di Stefano, Bjorling, Morell, and Richard Tucker, always praised her in every way possible. So did Franco Corelli, whom, both tall and good-looking, often left audiences spellbound, with their looks and singing.
To this day, she still is in great health, and loves to hear from her fans. She does consider them as family, as she feels she sacrificed a family for a career, way before it was acceptable for a woman to do so. But her fan base only grows. All you have to do is put on just one track of a Tebaldi CD, or record, to know why.
