She was a dramatic soprano with a powerful voice. Born 13 April 1931 in Montecosaro, near Macerata. Studied violin first, singing came later. Made her opera debut as Aida in Spoleto as early as 1951 (!).
Cerquetti as Aida in Napels 1954:
She became – typically enough – the most famous by stepping in for a sick Callas in 1958. While she was still in a production of Norma in Naples, she sang some performances of the same opera by Bellini at the opera house of Rome, instead of La Divina. Her career, like that of Callas, didn’t last long. Why?
“This “tour de force” won her great acclaim but had serious effects on her health. Shortly afterward she started withdrawing little by little from the stage until her complete retirement in 1961 at just thirty years of age” ( Wiki)
She made only two studio recordings: a recital of Italian opera arias and a complete La Gioconda with Mario del Monaco, Ettore Bastianini, Giulietta Simionato and Cesare Siepi
On the label Bongiovanni you can hear her in the famous ‘Casta diva’ from Norma. For me this is one of the most beautiful performances of this aria ever. Goosebumps.
Cerquetti sings Norma. Recording from 1956:
Anita Cerquetti sings ‘O re dei cieli’ from Agnese di Hohenstauffen by Spontini:
Don Carlo from Florence 1956. Cerquetti as Elisabetta, with Angelo lo Forese (Carlo), Ettore Bastianini (Rodrigo), Fedora Barbieri (Eboli) and Cesare Siepi (Filippo)
In 2008, Arthaus Musik released an extraordinary, outstanding documentary: Opera Fanatic. The eccentric Stefan Zucker travelled through Italy to visit divas of yesteryear. Quite rightly, the film won awards.
He is also a very irritating little man in search of gossip and thrills, but thanks to him we get to visit the great divas of bygone times: Anita Cerquetti, Fedora Barbieri, Giulietta Simionato, Magda Olivero, Leyla Gencer, Marcella Pobbe …
Not all ladies are keen on talking to him or answering his impertinent questions (fair’s fair: I can really enjoy those anyway), but with a few grappa’s in them, they suddenly go wild. He seduces them into the most remarkable statements and we are treated to footage and sound clips of their performances.
The whole movie:
More Cerquetti:
Basia con fuoco 