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Antonietta Meneghel (27 June 1893 – 26 January 1975), better known by her stage nameToti Dal Monte, was a celebrated Italianoperaticlyric soprano. She may be best remembered today for her performance as Cio-cio-san inPuccini'sMadama Butterfly, having recorded this role complete in 1939 withBeniamino Gigli as Pinkerton.
Born inMogliano Veneto, in theProvince of Treviso, Dal Monte studied singing at theNaples Conservatory underBarbara Marchisio. She made her debut atLa Scala at the age of 23 as Biancofiore inZandonai'sFrancesca da Rimini. She was an immediate success, and her clear "nightingale-like"[This quote needs a citation] voice came to be highly appreciated throughout the world. Her best-known roles included thebel canto parts of Amina (inBellini'sLa sonnambula), Lucia (inDonizetti'sLucia di Lammermoor) and Gilda (inVerdi'sRigoletto). In 1922 she performed several parts opposite the tenorCarlo Broccardi at theTeatro Massimo in Palermo; including Cio-cio-san, Gilda, and the title heroine inAlfredo Catalani'sLa Wally.
In 1924, fresh from triumphs in Milan and Paris, but before her debut in London or New York, she was engaged by DameNellie Melba to be one of the star singers of an Italian opera company that Melba was organising to make a tour of Australia. She proved a popular and critical success on the tour, and there was no rivalry between the ageing Melba and the much younger Dal Monte. Rather, they threw bouquets after each other's performances. On 23 August 1928, on her third visit to Australia, she married tenorEnzo de Muro Lomanto inSt Mary's Cathedral, Sydney.[1]
On 12 January 1929 at La Scala she created the role of Rosalina, in the world premiere ofUmberto Giordano'sIl re.
She retired from the operatic stage in 1945. However, she continued to work in the theatre (as well as to make the occasional recording) and appeared in a number of films, of which the best known is perhaps her last,Enrico Maria Salerno'sAnonimo veneziano, a 1970 story about a musician atLa Fenice. She became a singing teacher and coach; her pupils includedDodi Protero,Dolores Wilson,Maaria Eira andGianna D'Angelo.[citation needed]
Dal Monte died in 1975 at the age of 81, inPieve di Soligo, as a result of circulatory disorders.[citation needed]
