Francesca Roberto

Last updated

Francesca Roberto (born c. 1935, Connecticut) [1] is an American operatic soprano. A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she sang leading roles throughout the United States during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Life and career

Raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, Roberto studied voice at The Hartt School and in Italy. [2] In 1954 she made her Broadway debut as a member of the chorus in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street . [3] In 1961 she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. [2]

In 1962 Roberto sang with George Shirley on The Bell Telephone Hour and appeared as Violetta in La traviata with conductor Boris Goldovsky and the New England Opera Theater. [4] In 1963 she portrayed the title role in Samuel Barber's Vanessa at the Washington National Opera with Beverly Wolff as Erika. [5] In 1964 she sang the title role in Puccini's Tosca with the Brooklyn Opera. [6]

In 1965/1966 Roberto toured the United States with the Metropolitan Opera National Company performing the roles of Cio-Cio-San in Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Frasquita in Carmen . [7] That same year she portrayed the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida at the Toledo Opera. [8] She made her debut, and only performance, at the Metropolitan Opera in 1966 as Cio-Cio-San with George Shirley as Pinkerton and George Schick conducting. [9] That same year she made her debut at the Seattle Opera as Nedda in Pagliacci with Roald Reitan as Silvio and James McCracken as Canio. [10] She was also the soloist with the Rhode Island Philharmonic in 1966. [11]

In 1967 Roberto made her debut at the San Francisco Opera as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana . [12] That same year she made her debut at the New York City Opera as Mimi in La bohème with Plácido Domingo as Rodolfo. [13] She also portrayed Cio-Cio-San to Domingo's Pinkerton with the NYCO in 1967. [14] She returned to the NYCO in the 1968-1969 season to portray Cio-Cio-San (with Domingo) and Santuzza, and once again in 1972 as Santuzza. [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Verismo</i> Style of opera

In opera, verismo, from vero, meaning 'true', was a post-Romantic operatic tradition associated with Italian composers such as Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano, Francesco Cilea and Giacomo Puccini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renata Scotto</span> Italian soprano (1934–2023)

Renata Scotto was an Italian soprano, opera director, and voice teacher. Recognised for her sense of style, her musicality, and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered to have been one of the preeminent opera singers of her generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Yeend</span> American opera singer

Frances Yeend was an American classical soprano who had an active international career as a concert and opera singer during the 1940s through the 1960s. She had a long and fruitful association with the New York City Opera (NYCO) between 1948 and 1958, after which she joined the roster of principal sopranos at the Metropolitan Opera where she sang between 1961 and 1963. She also had an extensive concert career, particularly in the United States. By 1963 she had sung in more than 200 orchestral concerts in North American with major symphonies like the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra among others.

Harry Theyard is an American operatic tenor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herva Nelli</span> Italian and American soprano (1909–1994)

Herva Nelli was an Italian and American operatic soprano.

Natalia Rom, soprano, was born in Kazan, in the Soviet Union, on May 14, 1950, and graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory. In late 1976, she emigrated to New Orleans, where she attended Loyola University's College of Music, and studied voice with Patricia Havranek. In 1979, she made her professional debut in a small role in the New Orleans Opera Association's Die Zauberflöte. That same year, she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In 1980, she sang the title role in Aïda, for the Seattle Opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Pons</span> Spanish baritone

Joan Pons Álvarez is a Spanish operatic baritone, known internationally as Juan Pons. He is most famous for his Verdi roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelly Miricioiu</span> British opera soprano

Nelly Miricioiu is a Romanian-born British operatic soprano singing a large repertoire ranging from bel canto to verismo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriella Tucci</span> Italian operatic soprano (1929–2020)

Gabriella Tucci was an Italian operatic soprano who was particularly associated with the Italian repertory and performed at notable opera houses worldwide. She appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in 11 Verdi roles across 13 seasons, including Violetta in La traviata and Desdemona in Otello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enrico Di Giuseppe</span> American tenor (1932–2005)

Enrico Di Giuseppe was a celebrated American operatic tenor who had an active performance career from the late 1950s through the 1990s. He spent most of his career performing in New York City, juggling concurrent performance contracts with both the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera during the 1970s and 1980s. In the latter part of his career, he was active with the New York Grand Opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elena Mauti Nunziata</span> Italian opera singer (1946–2024)

Elena Mauti Nunziata was an Italian operatic soprano. Her voice had spinto qualities, with a slightly dark timbre and an easy upper register. She gained international recognition with the title role in Verdi's La traviata at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 1977. At the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, she performed as Mimi in Puccini's La bohème, as La traviata, and as Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.

Jean Kraft was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. She began her career singing with the New York City Opera (NYCO) during the early 1960s, after which she embarked on a partnership with The Santa Fe Opera from 1965 through 1987. In 1970 she joined the roster of singers at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where she remained a fixture until 1989. She also performed as a guest of many other opera companies throughout the United States. In 2005 Opera News called her "a gifted mezzo and observant, imaginative actress who lent distinction to a wide range of character roles. By the end of her Met tenure, she had sung nearly 800 performances and become a solid audience favorite."

Richard Fredricks is an American opera singer, and was one of the leading dramatic baritones of both the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. He has also appeared on network television, performing a number of times on NBC's The Tonight Show and guest-starred once in a 1971 episode of ABC's The Odd Couple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marina Krilovici</span> German opera singer

Marina Krilovici is an opera soprano of Romanian birth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarquinia Tarquini</span> Italian opera singer

Tarquinia Tarquini was an Italian dramatic soprano and the wife of composer Riccardo Zandonai.

Maralin Niska was an American operatic soprano. Well known as a singing-actress, she was a mainstay of the New York City Opera during the 1960s and 1970s. She was also a regular performer at the Metropolitan Opera from 1970 to 1977.

Maria di Gerlando was an American operatic soprano and voice teacher who was a leading performer at the New York City Opera from 1953 to 1969. She was best known for creating the role of Carmela in the 1954 world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street.

Maria Pellegrini is a Canadian operatic soprano of Italian birth who has had an active international career since the 1960s. She is particularly associated with the operas of Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi. In 1965 she became a naturalized Canadian citizen.

Kathryn Day is an American opera singer who has had an active international career spanning five decades. She began her career as a leading soprano under the name Kathryn Bouleyn in the 1970s and 1980s with companies like the New York City Opera, the San Francisco Opera, and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. With the latter institution she created the role of Cora in the world premiere of Stephen Paulus' The Postman Always Rings Twice (1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svetla Vassileva (soprano)</span> Bulgarian opera singer (born 1965)

Svetla Vassileva is a Bulgarian opera singer (soprano).

References

  1. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census for Frances Roberts [Roberto], Connecticut, Fairfield, Greenwich, S.D. Number 4, E.D. Number 1-68, Sheet No. 6B
  2. 1 2 Allen Hughes (April 7, 1961). "George Shirley, Tenor, Wins 'Met' Auditions and a Contract". The New York Times . p. 25.
  3. ↑ Dan Dietz (2014). The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 189. ISBN   9781442235052.
  4. ↑ "La traviata" (PDF). Ann Arbor District Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  5. ↑ "8th Opera Season Opens in Capital; Samuel Barber's Vanessa Presented at Howard U." The New York Times . November 9, 1963.
  6. ↑ "Brooklyn Bonanza" (PDF). Opera News . December 26, 1964. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Young Opera Stars to Open Here (April 18, 1966)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Aida to Open Season of Opera at Peristyle". The Toledo Blade . October 21, 1964.
  9. ↑ "Madama Butterfly performance details". Metropolitan Opera Archives. January 5, 1966. CID:204990. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  10. ↑ "1966 Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci". Seattle Opera Archives.
  11. ↑ "Classical Notes". Billboard . October 1, 1966.
  12. ↑ "Francesca Roberto". San Francisco Opera Archives. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Francesca Roberto Sings Mimi in Debut". The New York Times . October 14, 1967. p. 12.
  14. ↑ "New York City Opera Stages 'Butterfly'". The New Yorker . March 4, 1967.
  15. ↑ Robert Sherman (April 24, 1972). "Cav and Pag Enlist Two New Heroines". The New York Times .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.