Renata Scotto was considered an extraordinarily compelling and complete artist, with the ability to create a deeply moving character through magnetic stage presence, expressive musical phrasing, and unfailingly dramatic delivery of the Italian text. After her debut in 1965, Scotto sang a total of 26 roles with the Metropolitan Opera, giving more than 300 performances on the Met stage. In 1977, Scotto’s artistry was shared with a huge national audience when the Met first teamed up with PBS for a live telecast of LA BOHÈME, her heart-rending performance as Mimì bringing her wider fame and making her a media personality. She would go on to star in eight more Met telecasts of complete operas, which are available through CLASART CLASSIC:
Puccini LA BOHÈME (1977)
Renata Scotto, Maralin Niska, Luciano Pavarotti, Ingvar Wixell, Paul Plishka
Conductor: James Levine / Director: Fabrizio Melano
Verdi OTELLO (1978)
Renata Scotto, Jon Vickers, Cornell MacNeil
Conductor: James Levine / Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Verdi LUISA MILLER (1979)
Renata Scotto, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Bonaldo Giaiotti, James Morris
Conductor: James Levine / Director: Nathaniel Merrill
Verdi DON CARLO (1980)
Renata Scotto, Tatiana Troyanos, Vasile Moldoveanu, Sherrill Milnes, Paul Plishka
Conductor: James Levine / Director: John Dexter
Puccini MANON LESCAUT (1980)
Renata Scotto, Plácido Domingo, Pablo Elvira
Conductor: James Levine / Director: Gian Carlo Menotti
Puccini IL TRITTICO (1981)
Renata Scotto, Vasile Moldoveanu, Cornell MacNeil, Gabriel Bacquier
Conductor: James Levine / Director: Fabrizio Melano
Puccini LA BOHÈME (1982)
Teresa Stratas, Renata Scotto, José Carreras, Richard Stilwell, James Morris
Conductor: James Levine / Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Zandonai FRANCESCA DA RIMINI (1984)
Renata Scotto, Plácido Domingo, Cornell MacNeil
Conductor: James Levine / Director: Piero Faggioni