Fiorenza Cossotto facts for kids
Fiorenza Cossotto (born April 22, 1935) is a famous Italian opera singer. She is known as a mezzo-soprano, which means she sings in a lower vocal range than a soprano but higher than a contralto. She became one of the most important mezzo-sopranos of her time.
Life and Career
Fiorenza Cossotto was born on April 22, 1935, in a town called Crescentino, Italy. She studied music at the Turin Academy of Music.
Her first opera performance was in 1957 at La Scala in Milan. She sang the role of Sister Matilde in an opera called Dialogues of the Carmelites. She then performed internationally at the 1958 Wexford Festival. There, she played Giovanna Seymour in Donizetti's Anna Bolena.
In 1959, she made her debut at the Covent Garden in London. She sang Neris in Cherubini's Médée, performing alongside the famous singer Maria Callas.
Fiorenza Cossotto became even more famous in 1962. She sang the main role in La favorita at La Scala. She then made her first appearance in America in 1964, singing the same role in Chicago. In 1968, she performed as Amneris at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Between 1967 and 1989, Cossotto performed 148 times at the Metropolitan Opera. She was known for her amazing performances in many important mezzo-soprano roles. These included characters like Amneris in Aida, Azucena in Il trovatore, and Eboli in Don Carlos. She also sang the role of Carmen.
Experts in opera praised her beautiful voice and perfect singing technique. She could easily master different vocal ranges. Besides mezzo-soprano roles, she also sang some soprano parts that are often sung by mezzo-sopranos. These included Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana and Adalgisa in Norma. She sang Adalgisa with other famous sopranos like Callas, Joan Sutherland, and Montserrat Caballé.
In 2005, Fiorenza Cossotto celebrated her 70th birthday. She performed in Suor Angelica at a theater in Liège, Belgium.
Recordings
Fiorenza Cossotto made many studio recordings throughout her career. She recorded famous operas like La sonnambula, Madama Butterfly, and Il trovatore. She also recorded Verdi's Requiem multiple times. Her recordings often featured other legendary singers and conductors.
See also
In Spanish: Fiorenza Cossotto para niños
