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 Renata Ersilia Clotilde Tebaldi was born on February 1, 1922, in Pesaro, Italy. Stricken with polio at the age of three, Tebaldi was unable to enjoy many outdoor activities and instead became interested in music. In her early teens, she began taking lessons at the Conservatory of Parma, where she studied with Ettore Campogaliani. After that, she studied with the soprano Carmen Melis. Finally, at the age of 22, Tebaldi made her debut as Elena (Helen of Troy) in Boito's Mefistofele in Rovigo.
In 1946, Tebaldi auditioned for Arturo Toscanini in Milan. Toscanini was impressed, and Tebaldi made her La Scala debut that year at the opening concert, singing the "Prayer" from Rossini's biblical opera, Mose, as well as the soprano part in Verdi's Te Deum.
For the next 5 years, Tebaldi would not leave La Scala's roster. In 1951, though, a new soprano burst onto the scene. Tebaldi had to cancel a performance of Aïda at La Scala and because no suitable replacement could be found close-by, the management hired a foreign soprano named Maria Callas, who was eventually rewarded with a Scala contract of her own.
Tebaldi made her American debut as Aïda in San Francisco, followed soon after by her Metropolitan debut on January 31, 1955, as Desdemona opposite Mario del Monaco's Otello. Shortly after, she began appearing regularly at the Met as Mimi in La Bohème, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Tosca in Tosca, Desdemona in Otello, Manon in Manon Lescaut, and Violetta in a staging of La Traviata built specially for her. Callas was also appearing often, but in roles such as Norma in Norma and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor. (The rivalry between the sopranos caused shouting matches at performances where fans of either soprano voiced their support, causing an equally loud reply from the opposite soprano's fans!)
Tebaldi was always a favorite of the Met, and in the 1962–63 season, she convinced Rudolf Bing to stage a revival of Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. Cilea had been one of Tebaldi's earliest admirers and Tebaldi was convinced that the part would lay perfectly for her voice. The opera had not been staged since the turn of the century, but Bing was convinced that it would be a great success for Tebaldi, and for Franco Corelli, who sang the role of Maurizio. Unfortunately, Tebaldi was experiencing somewhat of a vocal crisis, and members of the audience noticed that she sounded tired and her voice had developed a dull, strained sort of heaviness. Tebaldi was alarmed, and took 13 months off before returning to the Met as Mimi to great acclaim.
On September 16, 1968, the much-publicized rivalry between Tebaldi and Callas came to an end when Maria went backstage after a performance of Adriana Lecouvreur to congratulate the soprano for a job well done. The two sopranos, in front of photographers, posed and embraced, with Callas close to tears. Until her death in 1977, Callas would have nothing but kind words to say about her former rival.
One of the public's favorite Tebaldi roles is Minnie in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West. When she made her debut in the role at the Met, she was told that, as all Minnies do, she would have to enter in the 3rd act on horseback. Tebaldi, who had a lifelong fear of horses, refused to go near the animal until she was sure he was safe. At her first rehearsal with the animal, Tebaldi approached him, patted his mane, and said, "Well, Mr. Horse, I am Tebaldi. You and I are going to be friends, eh?" Tebaldi conquered her fear and the performances were a success.
Renata Tebaldi is one of the greatest voices of the 20th Century. Although her rivalry with Maria Callas attracted much attention, it was her ability "to spin out soft phrases of tonal velvet at unexpected moments" that captivated audiences. She is best known for her performances as Mimi and Violetta in Tosca, Maddalena in Andrea Chenier, and for the revival of Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur.
Her last opera performance was in 1973, and her last concert took place in 1976. Her impact on the opera world is tremendous and her recordings are still available for the next generation of opera lovers. During her 18 seasons at the Metropolitan Opera, Renata Tebaldi resided at the Buckingham Hotel in New York with her mother. She died in Italy on December 19, 2004.
(courtesy of Open Directory Project)
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