January 6th, 1955
Renata and her mother sailed from Naples aboard the Andrea Doria bound for New York.
NEW YORK TIMES (1955-01-30)Museo Renata Tebaldi
On the 31st January 1955 she debuted at the Metropolitan in Othello with Mario Del Monaco.
“America’s new opera sensation”, wrote the papers, putting Renata on the front page and from the first performance the audience of the Met went crazy for Tebaldi and adopted her for good.
Telegramma di Maria Callas (1968-09-16)Museo Renata Tebaldi
Renata‘s first stay at the Met lasted three months and saw her in interpretations of La Boheme, Andrea Chenier, Tosca, Othello and in three concert appearances.
All'Hollywood BowlMuseo Renata Tebaldi
At the end of March Renata returned to Italy covered with honors and glory.
Concerto al Bowl Los Angeles Times (agosto 1956)Museo Renata Tebaldi
The American exile was golden and the sceptre more solidly held than ever. In America they no longer called her Tebaldi but “Miss sold out”.
A year from her debut at the Met, Renata Tebaldi had become the uncontested primadonna in the United States. In Hartford, Connecticut, the Mayor named one of the city squares for her.
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September 16th, 1956
She sang in a concert at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco before 40,000 people.
1957
On 21 February1957 La Traviata returned to the Met after 21 years of absence. The expectation was enormous and Rudolf Bing, General Manager of the Met programmed an extraordinary recital of La Bohème.
Cartolina da Hollywood Bowl (1956)Museo Renata Tebaldi
The show produced such a traffic jam which lasted until after midnight; the police had to be called and in a wedge formation they were able to penetrate the crowd and escort Renata from the theater.
Traviata al Metropolitan di New York (1957-02-21)Museo Renata Tebaldi
“An irresistible Violetta, for the eyes, the ears and the heart” wrote Biancolli in the New York World-Telegram.
Renata Tebaldi con Elsa Maxwell (1957-02-22)Museo Renata Tebaldi
Elsa Maxwell, the gossip columnist who sent the VIP set into vibration after the La Bohème recital, organized a sumptuous reception in honor of Tebaldi.
By George SilkLIFE Photo Collection
She wrote: “Yesterday I gave a grand reception party for my friend Renata at the Colony. The “diva” was a dream. She lost 11 kilograms (24.2 pounds). Her black satin suite was the maximum of chic. I told her “not one kilogram less, please Renata”.
“Certainly” she assured me. Throughout the whole dinner the only topic of conversation was her. She had a new hairdo which, her being young and beautiful, was absolutely becoming to her”-
Sunday News, 10 marzo 1957 (10 marzo 1957)Museo Renata Tebaldi
Then, La Traviata: “Renata is champ” titled the Sunday News the day after.
1958
On 27 October, in New York to inaugurate the 75th season of the Metropolitan in Tosca with Mario Del Monaco and George London, conducted by the great Dimitri Mitropoulos.
Renata Tebaldi sulla copertina del TIME (1958)Museo Renata Tebaldi
It was a memorable evening. The receipts of the evening were the highest ever for the Met “the highest in the history of opera”, over 1,500,000 dollars.
After this performance of Tosca, Time Magazine featured Tebaldi on its cover and in an extensive photographic service (she is the only opera singer to have received such an honors).
The gossip columns began to delve into her private life.
A Manila con Basile (luglio 1961)Museo Renata Tebaldi
Not by chance, the meeting atop the Empire State Building in New York between Renata and Arturo Basile, promising young Italian conductor was cited. An important love story was born.
Stella di Renata Tebaldi sulla Walk of FameMuseo Renata Tebaldi
Renata incide a Roma “Wally” diretta da Basile. Le cronache cominciano a parlare di nozze Tebaldi-Basile, ma il Maestro è sposato: chiesto e ottenuto il divorzio le voci del matrimonio tra i due artisti si fanno sempre più concrete.
