14 Facts About Antonietta Stella

Maria Antonietta Stella was an Italian operatic soprano, and one of the most prominent Italian spinto sopranos of the 1950s and 1960s.

Antonietta Stella made her debut in Spoleto in 1950, as Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore, a year later at Rome Opera, as Leonora in La forza del destino, in 1954 at La Scala in Milan, as Desdemona in Otello, in 1955 at the Royal Opera House in London as Aida, and in 1956 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, in the same role.

Antonietta Stella appeared at the Rome Opera in 1951, as Leonora in Verdi's La forza del destino alongside Mario Del Monaco.

Antonietta Stella quickly sang throughout Italy: Florence, Naples, Parma, Turin, Catania, Venice, among others.

Antonietta Stella made her La Scala debut in 1954 as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, where she then sang regularly until 1963, to great acclaim, in Verdi roles such as Violetta in La traviata, Elisabetta in Don Carlos, and the title roles in Aida, in Puccini's Tosca, Mimi in La boheme and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly.

Antonietta Stella performed there as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni and Puccini's Suor Angelica.

Antonietta Stella appeared at the Arena di Verona first in 1953, then in 1955 as Aida and Leonora in La forza del destino, and in more leading roles until 1964.

Antonietta Stella sang alongside Fedora Barbieri as Amneris, Carlo Bergonzi as Radames who made his house debut, and George London as Amonasro, conducted by Fausto Cleva.

Antonietta Stella's pianissimo singing was beautiful, her range of dynamics impressive, and her bearing that of a princess, as handsome in looks as in action.

Antonietta Stella performed there successfully until 1960, in eight roles in 71 performances, including Leonora in Il trovatore, Amelia in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, Tosca, and Elisabetta.

Antonietta Stella had a significant career of her own and left several recordings, including of works such as Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix, Meyerbeer's L'Africaine, and Verdi's La battaglia di Legnano and Simon Boccanegra.

Antonietta Stella appeared in an Italian television production of Andrea Chenier, alongside Mario Del Monaco and Giuseppe Taddei in 1955, since released on DVD.

Antonietta Stella was heard on an Italian radio broadcast of Spontini's Agnes von Hohenstaufen, opposite Montserrat Caballe,.

Antonietta Stella died in Rome on 23 February 2022, at the age of 92.