Description

TOTI DAL MONTE (MOGLIANO VENETO, ITALY, 27 JUNE, 1893 – PIEVE DI SOLIGO, ITALY, 26 JANUARY, 1975)

 

 

 

 

Her real name was Antonietta Meneghelli. Originally, she wanted to be a pianist. She studied at the Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello in Venice but had to give it up after a hand injury. She then studied singing with Barbara Marchisio in Milan. She made her debut in 1916 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in the premiere of R. Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini as Biancofiore. Afterward, she sang at various smaller Italian theaters, gave concerts, and continued studying with Antonio Pini-Corsi.

In 1918, she sang the role of Gilda in Rigoletto at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo and the title character in the premiere of P. Mascagni’s Lodoletta. In 1921, she appeared with great success in Turin as a soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony under Arturo Toscanini, who subsequently recruited her for the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. There, she achieved sensational success in the 1921-1922 season as Gilda and became the leading coloratura soprano at La Scala.

From 1924 to 1928, she enjoyed huge success at the Chicago Opera. However, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York during the 1924-1925 season, she performed only two roles in three performances—Lucia di Lammermoor (her debut) and Gilda. In the 1925-1926 season, she made guest appearances at London’s Covent Garden Opera as Lucia and Rosina. She also guested with great success at the Paris Grand Opéra (1924), the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (1923, 1927), in Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Rio de Janeiro (1921-1927), as well as in Berlin (1933, Städtische Oper, concert appearances in 1940) and Vienna (concerts in 1942).

In the 1928-1929 season, she participated in a guest tour to Australia. In 1928, she sang the title role in the premiere of I. Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol at the Teatro Colón. In 1934, she appeared at the Arena di Verona as Lucia di Lammermoor. She also made guest appearances at the San Francisco Opera (1926), Zurich City Theater (1931 and 1937), Budapest State Opera (1934), Tokyo (1931), and the Monte Carlo Opera (1925 and 1933), where she performed as Lucia di Lammermoor and Rosina.

In 1929, she married tenor Enzo de Muro Lomanto (1902-1952) during a tour in Australia, though they separated in 1932. Their daughter later became a well-known actress under the name Marina Dolfin. Until 1940, she performed at Teatro alla Scala in roles such as Amina in La Sonnambula, Linda in Linda di Chamounix (1940), Lucia di Lammermoor, Gilda, Rosina, and Norina in Don Pasquale. She continued her worldwide career on stage and in concert until 1943, still embodying the style of the great prima donnas of the 19th century.

After World War II, she performed less frequently. In 1947, she appeared in Piacenza as Rosina and in 1949 at the Arena di Verona. Later, she worked as an actress, appearing in several films and comedies by Carlo Goldoni. She occasionally gave concerts and devoted herself to teaching in Milan, Venice, Rome, and the USSR. Among her students were soprano Gianna d’Angelo, Marilyn Tyler, and Dolores Wilson. An autobiography of the artist was published under the title Una voce nel mondo (Milan, 1962).

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. A Rosina (Fabris) 1106 B31267 Victor, Camden NJ 1924-12-09
2. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Una voce poco fa 6495 C31280 Victor, Camden NJ 1924-12-11
3. 4. Carnevale di Venezia, pt 1 and pt 2 (Benedict) 6487 6487 C31274 C31273 Victor, Camden NJ 1924-12-10
4. Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Selva opaca C31271 Victor, Camden NJ 1924-12-10
5. 7. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Splendon le sacri faci…Spargi d’amaro pianto (w. chorus) Ck1404, Ck1405 HMV, Milano 1924-02-18
6. Magari (Filippi) 1106 B31266 Victor, Camden NJ 1924-12-09
7. Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Deh vieni, non tardar C31272 Victor, Camden NJ 1924-12-09
8. Rigoletto (Verdi) Caro nome 6495 C31281 Victor, Camden NJ 1924-12-11

11. Estrellita (Ponce) (Sp) DA720 (7-53090) HMV, London 1925-07-02
12. Sei bella o mia dolcezza (Du bist wie eine Blume) (Schumann) DA720 (7-53089) HMV, London 1925-07-02

13. 14. Carnevale di Venezia, pt 1 and pt 2 (Benedict) 6614, 6614, CVE31274, CVE31273 Victor, Camden NJ 1926-11-04
14. Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) Convien partir 6613 CVE36745 Victor, Camden NJ 1926-10-29
15. Le lucciole (Brogi) 1202 BVE36752 Victor, Camden NJ 1926-11-02
16. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Regnava nel silenzio 6613 CVE36744 Victor, Camden NJ 1926-10-29
17. 19. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Splendon le sacri faci… Spargi d’amaro pianto 6611 6611 CVE36742 CVE36743 Victor, Camden NJ 1926-11-05 1926-10-28
18. Vidalita (Williams) 1202 BVE36756 Victor, Camden NJ 1926-11-04

21. Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) Lo dice ognum DB1152 (2-053314) HMV, Milano 1928-03-10
22. Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) Le richezze ed il grado (w. chorus) DB1152 (2-053313) HMV, Milano 1928-03-10

23. Redentor in Famegia (Bianchini) DB1319 (32-641) HMV, Milano 1929-07-10
24. Ninna-Nanna (Bianchini) DB1319 (32-637) HMV, Milano 1929-07-06
25. Sleep, baby, sleep (Maori lullaby) (James) DB1315 (32-639) HMV, Milano 1929-07-05
26. Sonnambula (Bellini) Ah, non credea mirarti DB1317 (32-635) HMV, Milano 1929-07-03
27. Lo! Here the gentle lark (Bishop) DB1315 (32-633) HMV, Milano 1929-07-10
28. Falstaff (Verdi) Sul fil d’un soffio etesio DB1317 (32-638) HMV, Milano 1929-07-05
29. Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Siccome un dì caduto il sole DB1316 (32-634) HMV, Milano 1929-07-02
30. Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Brahma, gran Dio DB1316 (32-642) HMV, Milano 1929-07-10
31. Mignon (Thomas) Io son Titania DB1318 (32-640) HMV, Milano 1929-07-06
32. Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti) O, luce di quest’anima DB1318 (32-636) HMV, Milano 1929-07-04

33. Rigoletto (Verdi) Lassù nel ciel (w. Montesanto) DB2124 (32-4239) HMV, Milano 1933
34. Traviata (Verdi) Ah, fors’è lui DB2124 (32-4267) HMV, Milano 1933
35. Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Tornami a dir (w. Schipa) DA1351 0W2038 HMV, Milano 1933
36. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Dunque io son (w. Montesanto) DB2125 (32-4266) HMV, Milano 1933
37. Sonnambula (Bellini) Prendi l’anel ti dono (w. Schipa) DA1351 0W2039 HMV, Milano 1933
38. Norma (Bellini) Casta diva DB2125 (32-4268) HMV, Milano 1933

39. Amuri, amuri (Sadero) DA5350 0BA2281 HMV, Milano 1938-02
40. Fa la nana, bambin (Sadero) DA5350 0BA2282 HMV, Milano 1938-02

41. Barcarola de la Marangona (Sadero) HMV DA5370 OBA3502 Milano 1939

42. Lodoletta (Mascagni) Flammen, perdonami! HMV DB5396 2BA4375 Milano 1941
43. Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Quel guardo il cavaliere HMV DB5396 2BA4371 Milano 1941
44. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Là ci darem la mano with Augusto Beuf HMV DA5406 OBA4391 Milano 1941
45. Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Crudel! perché finora with Augusto Beuf HMV DA5406 OBA4376 Milano 1941