Toti Dal Monte

Who was Toti Dal Monte?

Antonietta Meneghel, better known by her stage name Toti Dal Monte, was a celebrated Italian operatic soprano with a sweet and limpid lyric voice. She was a favourite artist of the celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini. She is perhaps best remembered today for her performance as Cio-cio-san in Puccini's Madama Butterfly because she recorded this role complete in 1939 with the star tenor Beniamino Gigli as Pinkerton. Cio-cio-san is a much heavier part than Dal Monte would have undertaken normally, and her interpretation is notable for its youthful-sounding freshness, which fits with the character's age.