Adventures in Italian Opera with Fred Plotkin: A CONVERSATION WITH APRILE MILLO

For the fourth appointment with "Adventures in Italian Opera", Fred Plotkin invites on stage legendary soprano Aprile Millo, a regular star at the Metropolitan Opera since her debut in 1984 and one of the foremost exponents of the Italian soprano repertory.

Beloved soprano Aprile Millo has for over twenty-five years been a beacon of style, authentic Verdi sound and idiomatic phrasing; the geniune article lirico-spinto soprano del agilita'. Millo has been thrilling audiences as the leading soprano of the Italian Wing at the historic Metropolitan Opera. Her voice, ruby rich and velvet has been compared with some of the greatest voices who have ever lived, like legendary sopranos, Renata Tebaldi, Zinka Milanov, Rosa Ponselle and Claudia Muzio. La Tebaldi and La Milanov would both become great friends and beloved mentors to the young California-raised, New York born soprano. It would be Licia Albanese who found her and first took interest. Olivero would be her counsel for her debut "Adriana Lecovreur" and remains a font of inspiration. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf would take her to Von Karajan who helped secure a La Scala debut in "Ernani". Dick Marzollo of La Scala and the Met and then David Stivender, the Mascagni scholar and head of the Chorus at the Metropolitan Opera, together with Rita Patane', esteemed soprano and wife of Giuseppe Patane' were Millo's only guides after having been taught to sing by her two parents who were also opera singers. "The audience could tell they were in the presence of an artist of the "old school", something more and more rare these days." Philadelphia Inquirerer. It would be a modern day Serafin in the person of young James Levine who saw in Millo the Verdi soprano he had been waiting for. The Force of Destiny indeed. Millo made a Cinderella-like debut in Verdi's SIMON BOCCANEGRA December of 1984 and became a Verdi specialist singing 9 Verdi roles, 15 different operas, sung over 160 performances in her artistic home at the Metropolitan Opera, fashioning her career on the the model of her predecessors, remaining in one house for the majority of her time. Millo would go on to acclaimed appearances in Vienna, Rome, Bologna, Verona, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Munich, Buenos Aires, Japan and Seville among the many world theaters where she is a popular favorite. In 1989 she opened the Metropolitan Opera with Verdi's AIDA with James Levine on the podium and Placido Domingo in an Emmy-Award winning broadcast released in DVD, along with her performance in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA from the Met, with tenor Italian great, Luciano Pavarotti. Recording rarely her Verdi series with James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera for Sony Classical are considered modern day classics of Verdi repertoire. Mme. Millo has been a hard working exponent of the Verismo/Scapigliatura period and has helped bring to light the neglected masterpieces of Leoncavallo's "Zaza" and Montemezzi's "Il Cantesimo" and Catalani's "La Wally". Another string on her bow is the ability to sing in her native language of english with a disarming charm and direct communication. Handel is next to record and Millo continues to abide by the rigors of the bel canto school from which she began. Graduating into a Puccini soprano of intense communication she has triumphed in "La Fanciulla del West" and is considered the "Tosca" of her generation. Her "La Gioconda" and "Andrea Chenier" " in 2007 at the Metropolitan Opera produced cheering crowds and stamping approval. An audience remains hungry for the grandeur and a style of music that Millo supplies. "Medea" comes in 2011 with the Opera Orchestra of New York, adding to the long line of bel canto operas she has left her mark, among them Bellini's "Il Pirata", Verdi's "La Battaglia di Legnano" and "Il Lombardi" as well as Rossini's "William Tell". Down to earth but aware of the perils of today for the world of music Millo remains anchored in the principles of the Old School. " Never having sung out of her repertoire, the voice remains remarkable and brilliant with rich warm middle tones, the most rare today, and such gleaming true spinto high notes."

Michael Scott