Licia Albanese Interview

The following is my interview with legendary soprano Licia Albanese at her beautiful apartment on Park Avenue in Manhattan in February 1981. Madame Albanese was celebrating the 41st anniversary of her Metropolitan Opera debut which took place on February 9, 1940.  She discusses many of her operatic roles, particularly Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, (a role in which she holds the performance total house record at both The Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera). As expected, she discusses the title role in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly but also her appearances in operas by Wagner and Mozart. Regardless of whether you are a Licia Albanese devotee, this interview is filled with operatic history that includes the many singers, conductors, and other operatic figures that featured in Madame Albanese’s long career. Her very interesting insights and story-telling are interspersed with a delightful sprinkling of humor.