Maria Antonietta Stella (15 March 1929 – 23 February 2022) was an Italian operatic soprano, and one of the most prominent Italian spinto sopranos of the 1950s and 1960s. She made her debut in Spoleto in 1950, as Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore, a year later at Rome Opera, as Leonora in La forza del destino, in 1954 at La Scala in Milan, as Desdemona in Otello, in 1955 at the Royal Opera House in London as Aida, and in 1956 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, in the same role.
She quickly sang throughout Italy: Florence, Naples, Parma, Turin, Catania, Venice, among others.[4] She made her La Scala debut in 1954 as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, where she then sang regularly until 1963, to great acclaim, in Verdi roles such as Violetta in La traviata, Elisabetta in Don Carlos, and the title roles in Aida, in Puccini's Tosca,[3] Mimí in La bohème and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly. She also performed there as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni and Puccini's Suor Angelica.[1] She appeared at the Arena di Verona first in 1953, then in 1955 as Aida and Leonora in La forza del destino, and in more leading roles until 1964.[3]
... she is prodigal of voice and talented in acting. In using too much power, she endangered the quality of her voice, and in singing her big arias she appeared dramatic without always moving the listener. Her pianissimo singing was beautiful, her range of dynamics impressive, and her bearing that of a princess, as handsome in looks as in action.[7]
She performed there successfully until 1960, in eight roles in 71 performances,[8] including Leonora in Il trovatore, Amelia in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, Tosca, and Elisabetta.[3] In 1958 she had a particular success in a new Metropolitan production of Madama Butterfly designed in the manner of Japanese woodblock prints. Her assimilation of Japanese physicality and gesture was particularly praised.[1] Her Leonore in Il trovatore was also presented in a new production at the Metropolitan in 1958 to public and critical acclaim.[6]
