Anna Moffo

Speaker 10:00

Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Disc's Archive. For rights' reasons we've had to shorten the music. The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen seventy six, and the presenter was Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:30

On our desert island this week is the opera singer Anna Moffo. Miss Moffo, have you ever imagined yourself alone on a desert island?

Anna Moffo0:38

I've tried.

Anna Moffo0:40

But my work doesn't permit me even to imagine such a luxury.

Presenter0:44

Could you endure London as it if you had to?

Anna Moffo0:46

I think so. As in a way I I do lead a very lonely life because except when I'm performing I'm studying or I'm in

Anna Moffo0:53

A hotel room or

Presenter0:55

Can you think of any one thing you'd be particularly happy to have got away from?

Anna Moffo0:59

I'd like to get away from the telephone, but I'd like to be able to call out.

Presenter1:03

I see.

Anna Moffo1:03

I see it.

Anna Moffo1:04

Just a one-way

Presenter1:07

What would you want records to do for you in isolation? Evoke the past, give you great performances?

Anna Moffo1:12

My taste in music is very varied and

Anna Moffo1:18

I won't say I'm moody, but there are just some days I like to listen to a certain kind of thing and some days I don't.

Presenter1:23

What's the first record you've chosen from this varied selection?

Anna Moffo1:27

Before I go into any of these records, I have to say that before I became a singer,

Anna Moffo1:31

I was a pianist and a violist, and I played in an orchestra, and so my.

Anna Moffo1:37

My taste in these records is based on my musical background in musical study as well as just what I like to listen to.

Anna Moffo1:44

And one of their performers I found really outstanding in my memory.

Anna Moffo1:49

is Dennis Brain, who is of course the great French horn virtuoso. So I'd like to hear.

Anna Moffo1:56

Mozart concerto for him.

Speaker 42:34

It's a freaking

Presenter3:02

part of the first movement of Mozart's

Presenter3:05

First horn concerto in D major with Dennis Brainer soloist and the Philharmonia Orchestra directed by Herbert von Kalliang. Let's have your second disc. What's that?

Anna Moffo3:15

Well my second record was chosen for three reasons. First of all because I adore Frank Sinatra. Second of all because this particular song was sung in a movie which I saw and when I saw Rome it was so utterly beautiful and I never thought that someday I would be in Rome studying and that's where I began my career. So I'd like to hear now Frank Sinatra sing Three Coins in the Fountain.

Speaker 43:46

Three coins and the founder

Speaker 43:52

Each one seeking happiness

Speaker 43:58

Crown by three hopeful lovers Which one will the fountain bless?

Presenter4:09

Frank Sinatra.

Presenter4:11

You've recorded a lot of popular songs yourself. Have you ever done that one?

Anna Moffo4:14

Uh, no. I haven't performed a lot of them.

Anna Moffo4:18

I had a television show for eight years in Rome and um on it of course I couldn't sing opera all the time so I had to vary it with operetta.

Anna Moffo4:28

Um

Anna Moffo4:30

Spanish songs, popular songs, semi-classical songs.

Presenter4:34

Where were you born in the United States?

Anna Moffo4:36

Philadelphia.

Presenter4:37

An Italian family, of course.

Anna Moffo4:39

Yes?

Presenter4:39

Yes.

Anna Moffo4:40

A music loving family.

Presenter4:43

Your first vacation, I believe, was for a religious life.

Anna Moffo4:48

Yes, it was. Although in my really early years I wanted to go into uh

Anna Moffo4:54

professional athletics. I was tennis player and hockey player.

Presenter4:59

And you did a a a few sort of temporary jobs before you really got going in anything. You you worked in a hospital?

Anna Moffo5:05

Yes, between semesters at college and I w worked in a hospital, I worked in a bank.

Presenter5:12

When did you decide that music was to be your life?

Anna Moffo5:15

Well

Anna Moffo5:16

long after my debut because they kept re-engaging me.

Presenter5:19

Yeah.

Presenter5:21

And it was the piano first.

Anna Moffo5:23

It was the piano first, and I must say that it's been such a great help to me.

Anna Moffo5:28

My studying and I'm able to learn scores, I won't say overnight, but much

Anna Moffo5:34

more quickly than a person who has to study it with a teacher and

Anna Moffo5:38

learn it note by note. And also I had a minor in languages which has helped me.

Anna Moffo5:43

very much with my

Anna Moffo5:45

work in I've sung in seventeen, I really can only speak fluently, six.

Presenter5:50

Hmm.

Presenter5:51

Now you studied first of all in Philadelphia. Then you got a a Fulbright scholarship to Rome.

Anna Moffo5:56

Uh

Presenter5:56

Yes. And this was a piano scholarship, wasn't it?

Anna Moffo5:59

Uh none uh no. I had applied uh for piano and they were all gone, so I went back and tried for uh vocal.

Anna Moffo6:06

Scholarship and I got that.

Presenter6:08

And that took you to Rome. Were you already a a high soprano?

Anna Moffo6:12

I began as a mezzo because I s I thought, well, I I have high notes, but I don't know, they're not always there or they might not be or I

Anna Moffo6:20

I I was innately um

Anna Moffo6:23

becoming aware of a singer's responsibility. So I would usually try to do something I was sure I would get through. So I I like to do Carmen and uh Delilah and all these kind of arts.

Presenter6:34

Uh

Anna Moffo6:34

And somehow or other I suddenly found a B flat one day, so I decided I like butterfly.

Presenter6:39

What was your very first professional engagement when you finished your studies in Rome?

Anna Moffo6:44

I got a contract to do Madame Butterfly in Milan, and it was very important because it was televised.

Anna Moffo6:53

And on January 23rd

Anna Moffo6:56

1956, I was Anna Maffo, and my n name might as well bin have been Little Miss Muffet, and on January twenty-fourth in the morning, everybody knew who I was because we only had one channel then.

Anna Moffo7:11

And

Anna Moffo7:12

I had a con it wi it's almost too exciting to tell. It's a Cinderella story. I had a contract for EMI Records, I had a contract for La Scala, I had a contract for

Anna Moffo7:22

Vienna Staatsoper, for Salzburg, for Paris, all the next morning. And I was leaving. I almost that was one time I was glad to have the phone.

Presenter7:30

The Real Star Overnight.

Anna Moffo7:31

Yes.

Presenter7:32

Let's have your third record. What shall we have?

Anna Moffo7:35

Well, my third record

Anna Moffo7:36

Uh is a little bit of vanity.

Anna Moffo7:40

on the surface, and yet it really isn't. It's because of all the memories I have about it. It's my very first recording, which was Falstaff.

Anna Moffo7:49

And it was in London. It was for my first trip to London. And it was really so thrilling for me because I was such a kid. And here I had a chance to be elbowing with my great lady who taught me a lot about recording, Elizabeth Schwartzkopf, and her husband Walter Leg and Tito Gobby and Fedora Barbieri.

Anna Moffo8:14

It was fantastic. And Dennis Brain was in there too.

Anna Moffo8:18

And so it's just a it's a record I'd like to play once in a while on an island because it it takes me back.

Speaker 48:32

See ya.

Speaker 49:00

And he wonders me the online.

Presenter9:25

Nanetta Zaria from the last act of Falstaff and once again Herbert von Carrian was conducting.

Presenter9:31

So that one television program really got you launched.

Presenter9:36

Within four months I think you were at Blascala.

Anna Moffo9:39

Yes.

Presenter9:39

And within four years you'd you'd sung in every opera house worth singing in. Where did you make your United States debut?

Anna Moffo9:47

My American debut was at the Chicago Lyric Opera.

Presenter9:49

Yes.

Anna Moffo9:50

In La Boim, which was also quite memorable for me because my debut was to have been Lucia.

Anna Moffo9:58

And uh my tenor became ill, Giuseppe Di Stefano. And so

Anna Moffo10:03

Yussi Burling, who was already not feeling well.

Anna Moffo10:07

Sang one of his very last performances with me, and he agreed to switch with Mr. DiStefano, and he was my Rodolfo.

Presenter10:14

Hmm. And then you were put under contract with the Metropolitan later. In New York?

Anna Moffo10:19

Then no, then I sang in San Francisco. The Met had asked me before Chicago, but they had offered me roles that I didn't think I was

Anna Moffo10:26

ready to do or which would not show me off.

Anna Moffo10:29

The first one was the Queen of the Night because the Med had heard me sing The Queen of the Night and the Magic Flute. And I thought, No, I really am a lyric soprano. So then they went a little bit too far and offered me hotelo.

Anna Moffo10:42

At that time I didn't think I was ready for Otello, so then

Anna Moffo10:46

Mr. Bing called me back and he said, Ms. Moffo, I'm going to invite you one more time. If you'd like to come and do Traviata, if not, this is it. And so I made my debut in Traviata and I've been at the Met ever since.

Presenter10:57

Now you sung all over the world. I think I'm right in saying you sung only one and a half performances in in London.

Anna Moffo11:03

Two and a half.

Presenter11:04

Tournament.

Anna Moffo11:05

At two and a half.

Presenter11:05

X

Presenter11:06

Yes, your your debut at Coffee Garden was w was rather a sad story.

Anna Moffo11:06

Yes, you're.

Anna Moffo11:10

Well, the the whole the whole production was born under a bad star.

Anna Moffo11:15

Uh when I came here, first of all, I was coming

Anna Moffo11:19

In place of a soprano who had become sick,

Anna Moffo11:21

The tenor then became sick.

Anna Moffo11:24

The baritone then became sick.

Anna Moffo11:27

And

Anna Moffo11:28

I did the dress rehearsal with uh I guess it was Jeremiah Devons and then I did the first two performances with Peter Glossop and then the third one I faint I fainted. I was sick.

Presenter11:39

Yeah, we

Presenter11:40

And you haven't been back to Coven Garden to break that hoodoo.

Anna Moffo11:44

Oh no, but I'm planning to.

Presenter11:46

Good.

Anna Moffo11:46

Come back.

Presenter11:47

How many rolls are in your repertoire? How many rolls are Gussan?

Anna Moffo11:50

I've sung a hundred and nineteen different parts.

Presenter11:54

But my

Anna Moffo11:54

But my repertoire is really about 15 operas. I mean if you asked me to sing tonight, I

Presenter11:58

Uh

Anna Moffo12:00

About fifteen hours I could do.

Presenter12:01

Certainly. Well, it's just as well you're a quick study.

Anna Moffo12:03

Yeah.

Presenter12:05

Which is your your special favorite?

Anna Moffo12:07

Well, I suppose I should say Traviata because it's the opera I've become most associated with.

Anna Moffo12:13

But I did did love very much Lucia and Manon.

Presenter12:16

Record number four.

Anna Moffo12:18

Record number four is chosen for two reasons. The first

Anna Moffo12:24

In my athletic days one of my great interests in stillers was the ballet.

Anna Moffo12:29

And the first ballet I ever saw was Romeo and Juliet. So I've chosen

Anna Moffo12:34

An unusual version of Romeo and Juliet, but my favourite, which is the Toscanini record of it.

Presenter13:42

An excerpt from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture, Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra.

Presenter13:49

You'll spend a great deal of your time now in recording studios.

Presenter13:53

Do you enjoy recording?

Anna Moffo13:54

Uh

Anna Moffo13:55

I don't spend a great deal. I record maybe one or two records a year, yes. I love recording.

Anna Moffo14:01

It's very hard work. But it's it's fascinating because you must

Anna Moffo14:06

be able to give the illusion on

Anna Moffo14:09

a record uh which is after all

Anna Moffo14:11

Only a sound.

Anna Moffo14:13

As if people were really seeing a performance and seeing a person die or seeing a person be happy or...

Anna Moffo14:19

seeing uh a love scene or a wedding or

Anna Moffo14:23

It's it's a big challenge, I think.

Presenter14:25

What have you been doing in London this time?

Anna Moffo14:28

I'm here to record a Monte Mezzi opera, which

Anna Moffo14:34

is known to the Opera Buffs, I guess, but which hasn't been done in a long time.

Anna Moffo14:38

The Love of Three Kings La Mori de Tre.

Anna Moffo14:41

And

Anna Moffo14:42

It's um fantastic work. It's uh

Anna Moffo14:46

It's a Wagnerian proportions, the orchestra, and very...

Anna Moffo14:51

My character I am Fiora, who is supposed to be symbolically and physically the love of the three kings.

Presenter14:59

There's a recording coming out before that, isn't there?

Anna Moffo15:02

Yes, it looks Evirginian owlies.

Anna Moffo15:05

Which was a very interesting recording for me to make.

Presenter15:09

Also made in London?

Anna Moffo15:11

Made in Munich.

Anna Moffo15:13

Fischer Discoura.

Anna Moffo15:14

Uh is my partner there and

Anna Moffo15:17

It's a very beautiful uh it's the Wagner version.

Anna Moffo15:21

About the Iphigenia.

Speaker 415:22

Three

Anna Moffo15:22

And my second book recording, I've made Orfeo and Yodidice, so that's why I liked it.

Presenter15:28

Let's have record number five.

Anna Moffo15:30

Well record number five

Anna Moffo15:32

I did feel that if I were on a desert island beside my own voice, I'd like to hear somebody else's.

Anna Moffo15:38

And

Anna Moffo15:40

I have many, many

Anna Moffo15:43

colleagues that I admire very much.

Anna Moffo15:46

But I narrowed it down to two people I really

Anna Moffo15:50

Think not only are great artists by themselves, but who on this particular record sing so beautifully together.

Anna Moffo15:57

And they are Leantine Price in Placido Domingo.

Presenter16:59

The duet from the second act of Mano Les Go, Leontine Price and Placido Domingo.

Presenter17:06

Now, number six.

Anna Moffo17:08

Well my sixth record is just for my own

Anna Moffo17:12

Just really musical pleasure. I've for an Italian girl I've always had a great affinity for French music.

Anna Moffo17:18

And I've always loved uh the

Anna Moffo17:21

W C Pulang.

Anna Moffo17:23

Ravell Group.

Anna Moffo17:25

So I've chosen Daphne Sin Chloe with Monteur conducting.

Presenter18:30

An excerpt from Ravel's Daphne St. Chloe, Pierre Monteur conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

Presenter18:36

Miss Morpho, how well could you look after yourself on this island in a practical way?

Anna Moffo18:40

Oh, I'm a terrific cook, if that's what you mean.

Presenter18:42

That's a great help. What are you gonna cook? Ever done in the fishing?

Anna Moffo18:43

Oh yes.

Anna Moffo18:45

Well, I'm I would hope there'd be some vegetables, a couple of coconuts. I'd need something to open them. Am I allowed to have a hammer or something? A stone would do wonderful.

Presenter18:49

Yeah.

Presenter18:52

A stone will do wonderful.

Presenter18:54

Does good living mean?

Anna Moffo18:55

I I have gone fishing, by the way.

Presenter18:57

You have. Successfully.

Anna Moffo18:57

Successfully. It depends what I have on the island.

Presenter19:01

Depends what I have on the island.

Presenter19:03

Does good living mean a lot to you? Could you adjust yourself to a very simple

Presenter19:09

Campfire Life

Anna Moffo19:11

Oh, I've got wood for the fire, matches.

Anna Moffo19:14

Two sticks to rub together? I was a girl scat.

Presenter19:14

Two sticks.

Presenter19:15

Two stickers.

Anna Moffo19:17

Well, I uh think perhaps uh

Anna Moffo19:22

I might enjoy sleeping, you know, with that under any shelter because if I'm doomed to stay there.

Anna Moffo19:29

Uh then I won't have to worry about my voice so I can sleep in the rain.

Presenter19:32

Oh dear.

Anna Moffo19:32

And I will have no worries. And I'll probably never get a cold.

Presenter19:36

Would you try to escape?

Anna Moffo19:38

Of course.

Presenter19:39

You would.

Anna Moffo19:39

Sure. I'm a fairly good swimmer. How close is the next island?

Presenter19:45

That's up to you. You better set up.

Anna Moffo19:46

Yeah.

Anna Moffo19:48

Is the island big enough to do things like write on the sand, SOS, and help?

Presenter19:51

Yeah.

Anna Moffo19:52

Planes? Oh, I do that.

Presenter19:53

Oh, I do that. Right. Record number seven.

Anna Moffo19:55

Being a

Anna Moffo19:57

a jazz fiend at one time.

Anna Moffo20:00

I found

Anna Moffo20:01

A fellow by the name of Lenny Tristano. I think he's just fantastic.

Anna Moffo20:06

So there are many things I'd like to play of his, but I

Anna Moffo20:10

I'd like to hear a bit of the C minor complex. He calls it the C minor complex.

Presenter21:14

Lenny Tristano playing C minor complex, which brings us to your last disc.

Anna Moffo21:19

Well my last record uh also I chose for a special reason.

Anna Moffo21:25

I've done movies and I've done television and I've done concerts and recitals and uh

Anna Moffo21:31

I've had a lot of offers to do things I've not done, such as Broadway shows or musicals.

Anna Moffo21:38

And actually I was never tempted to do one because I thought

Anna Moffo21:43

I don't think I could go into a theater every night and do the same thing. But if you speak to a Broadway

Anna Moffo21:49

Performer, they'll tell you.

Anna Moffo21:51

It just becomes a routine and every night is different.

Anna Moffo21:55

So there's only one time in my life

Anna Moffo21:58

that I went to a show and I thought it was so special. I envisioned myself doing a part, of course, which I could never do.

Anna Moffo22:05

And that was when I saw Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl.

Anna Moffo22:09

And she was just so absolutely overwhelming that particular night.

Anna Moffo22:14

that I think I'd like to take her record of people with me.

Speaker 422:19

But first be a person who needs people who need people

Speaker 422:36

Lucky, yes.

Presenter22:49

Barbara Streisand in Funny Go.

Presenter22:52

If you could take only one disk out of the eight, which would it be?

Anna Moffo22:56

Hmm.

Anna Moffo22:59

I think it would be.

Anna Moffo23:02

Daphne Sinclair.

Presenter23:03

and one luxury to take to the island with you.

Anna Moffo23:06

Uh, you said it can't move or be alive.

Presenter23:08

That's right.

Anna Moffo23:10

I think I'd take a piano.

Presenter23:12

Yes, it has to be an upright.

Anna Moffo23:13

I don't care.

Presenter23:14

Mm-hmm.

Presenter23:16

And one book.

Anna Moffo23:17

Just so long it has eighty-eight keys.

Presenter23:18

It has a new

Anna Moffo23:20

There are some uprights that don't, you know.

Presenter23:23

And one book apart from the Bible and Shakespeare and big encyclopedias.

Anna Moffo23:28

I think I'd take the Divine Comedy.

Presenter23:30

Yes. In a tactical

Anna Moffo23:31

Absolutely.

Presenter23:33

Um

Anna Moffo23:33

And

Presenter23:34

Thank you, Anna Moffa, for letting us know. Thank you. Thank you for that.

Anna Moffo23:36

Thank you.

Presenter23:38

Goodbye everyone.

Speaker 123:47

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Islandists archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk slash radio four.