Dal Monte, Toti

(pseudonym of Antonietta Meneghelli). Born June 27, 1899, in Mogliano Veneto. Italian singer (coloratura soprano).

Dal Monte studied with B. Marchisio and A. Pini-Corsi. She made her debut in 1916 at La Scala in Milan, after which she sang in many Italian cities. In 1922 she began performing regularly at La Scala under A. Toscanini’s direction. She has toured many countries with great success. Beginning in 1936, Dal Monte also performed as a dramatic actress. In 1943, having left the operatic stage, she began to teach voice in Milan. Rome, and Venice. Dal Monte, one of the most outstanding opera singers of the 20th century, is known for a voice that is unusual for the beauty of its timbre and the flexibility and clarity of its sound. She is famous for her vir-tuosic vocal skill, musicality, and artistic feeling. Among her parts were Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Violetta in his La Traviata, Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Linda in his Linda di Chamounix, Rosina in Rossini’s II Barbiere di Siviglia, Mimi in Puccini’s La Boheme, and Liu in his Turandot. Dal Monte visited the Soviet Union in 1931, 1956, and 1963.