Emma Renzi was the first South African singer ever to sing a leading role at La Scala, the world famous opera house in Milan, Italy.

Born Emmarentia Scheepers on 8 April 1926 in Heidelberg, Transvaal and at school she played the piano, violin and harp. She continued her music studies at the College of Music in Cape Town, specializing in singing. After completing her B. Mus she went overseas, where her career culminated in receiving the Stella della Solidarieta from the Italian government. This means that she was appointed Grand Officer in the Order of the Star of Italian solidarity, for her outstanding achievements, not only as an opera singer, but also for her teaching abilities.

I met with this vibrant and amazing grand dame at her home in Auclandpark, where she still teaches four days a week and that at the age of 85!

On 1 January 1967 you became the first South African singer to sing a leading role at the formidable La Scala in Milan. It was the role of Abigaile in Nabucco by Verdi. The successful debut of course launched your career in Europe, but we know that this didn`t happen overnight. Tell us about the journey that led to the steps of La Scala.

ER: After completing my degree in Cape Town, I decided to go overseas to further my career. The choice was between Vienna and London. It was just after the war and England was the logical choice. South Africa had strong connections with England. We had South Africa House there and a High Commissioner. There also was an Opera School established by Joan Cross and as I became more and more interested in opera, I decided that I needed further training in that particular genre. I stayed there for 3 years and had wonderful training in the art of opera and then auditioned for the Carl Rosa Opera company. I toured the whole of England and Scotland with them, but after two years the company failed financially. This was a private company who got no subsidy from the government and they had to compete with Sadler`s Wells and Covent Garden, who of course had government support. The stage craft I had picked up during those 2 years, was invaluable experience, though. Some of the roles I sang with them, were Mercedes in Carmen, and Giulietta in Tales of Hoffman.

I then joined the Benjamin Britten Company, where I sang the role of the governess in The Turn of the Screw, amongst others. At Easter and Christmas I sang The Messiah all over the place! That was bread and butter. Oh yes! I sang at the coronation of Elizabeth II. All the commonwealth countries could appoint 8 singers to sing in the chorus and Cecilia Wessels and I were the two South African sopranos. We were not paid a penny, but it was quite a privilege to be part of the proceedings. I also did concerts and so forth, but somehow I was not satisfied with my voice.

The turning point came when I entered the Geneva Singing Competition and heard the Italians sing. Although I won a bronze medal, I was not satisfied. By the way, a young Thereza Berganza came second (also with a bronze) and a French coloratura won the silver medal. But anyway, I realized here that there were people singing the way I wanted to sing.

Through Noreen Berry, also a South African, I got in touch with Francesco Mattania in Italy. I studied with him for five months, but one morning his brother called and informed me that he had a stroke and died. He had always told me about a conductor and vocal coach, a friend of him, who lived in Sicily, but had worked in Naples. Maestro Mattania wanted us to go to Sicily in Summer to study the Italian roles with this Maestro Santonocito.

We wrote him a letter and two of us (Joan Brown and I), went to Sicily after doing a few Italian language lessons. These were the happiest years of my life. Joan and I rented a little flat with 3 rooms and we borrowed furniture and hired a piano. We worked extremely hard during the week, but Maestro Santo was a master. We had 3 singing lessons per week, some of them lasting 3 to 4 hours, but he taught us roles and he developed the dramatic qualities of my voice. Appropriate roles in Sicilian theatres confirmed my decision that the Italian singing style was best suited to my particular gifts.

The Maestro made me sing from the score, while he would play the whole opera from memory. He was amazing. He taught me the true bel canto style. After two years I had to work, because we ran out of money and I went to Karlsruhe to audition. He wanted me to stay a year longer, but I had to go, although we had made wonderful friends in Sicily and had lots of fun. I was lucky enough to get a contract for a full year in Karlsruhe from the next September. The March before that, they called me to come and sing the role of Sieglinde in the Walkure by Wagner. The maestro quickly taught me the whole role and I arrived in Karlsruhe fully prepared. That year I sang 31 performances of Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera, as well as The Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. During this time I was also invited to sing Amelia for the opening of the Civic Theatre in Johannesburg. I remember that the set for this Un Ballo was hired from La Scala and when it arrived here, it was too big for the Civic Theatre stage! They really had trouble to make it fit eventually.

After a year in Germany I decided that I wanted to concentrate on the Italian operas and on Maestro Santo`s advice, I hired a flat in Milan. He recommended me to an agent and I started auditioning. Of course, my first role there was Amelia.

The next year, 1963, was the first year of PACT in South Africa. I was invited to do Tosca and we performed in the Aula and the Civic. The next year they invited me to come and do the Leonora in Il Trovatore. Those days we did 14 or 15 performances of an opera here, and I must admit: This enabled me to go back to Italy and make a living there. My career in Italy also started blossoming then and I sang in several opera houses there. In `65 and `66 I came back to do the Abigaile in Nabucco. In 1966 there were 18 performances of Nabucco and they wisely decided to do a double cast. Joyce Barker and Hans van Heerden sang in the other cast. While in South Africa, my agent called me and told me to return to Italy as soon as I had finished Nabucco, as La Scala was looking for an Abigaile. They had casted Elena Suliotis for the opening and needed an understudy. On my return they listened to me and gave me the contract as understudy.

The Nabucco opened on New Year`s Day. It was a matinee performance, as was the tradition at La Scala on the first day of the new year. I had gone for a walk in the Monza Park that morning and on my return, at 12h00, the Maestro at La Scala called me and said: “Renzi, you are singing this afternoon” Apparently Ms Suliotis had partied too much the previous evening. So, on that 1st of January 1967 I made my La Scala debut as Abigaile in Nabucco.

Did this put your career on a new track?

ER: Oh yes. Within a week 3 or 4 different theatres contacted me and offered me roles. I subsequently sang Abigaile for 5 different companies within the next 2 years and also sang Amelia (Un Ballo) , Leonora (Il Trovatore), Tosca, Turandot, Madeleine (Andrea Chenier), Loreley and Elisabeth (Don Carlos) for different opera companies during the `67-`68 seasons.

You sang the role of Abigaile in 13 different seasons, stretching from `67 to `78. With which famous singers did you share the stage during these seasons?

ER: I suppose the most famous one was Jose Carreras, with whom I shared the stage in 1970 in Barcelona. That was his debut. The baritone was Cornell Mc Neill.
The tenor I personally liked most to sing with, was Gianfranco Cecchele. First of all, he was taller than me and had a lovely sense of humour. He had an exquisite voice. He was the no.1 tenor of La Scala at the time. The other one was the beautiful Corelli.

Of all the Verdi roles you sang, was there a particular favourite?

ER: I liked all of them. Don Carlos, as an opera, I liked best. Amelia, especially Act 2, was always a challenge and Lady Macbeth was an interesting role. But no, there was not a particular favourite amongst the Verdi heroines.

The role I loved to sing most, was Norma, by Bellini. I always felt that Norma was true Bel Canto. After singing Verdi for a while, it was always good to come back to the discipline of Norma. It sort of put the voice back on track. Yes, that was good. I also loved to sing Tosca by Puccini. And of course I sang Turandot many, many times. But Turandot as a character, never appealed to me much: I find her an ignorant little girl with a phobia!

Yet you were the soprano chosen to sing the title role at the Gala Golden Jubilee Commemoration of the World Premiere of Turandot at La Scala, Milan. You at the last minute replaced Montserrat Caballe and it was a triumphant performance. How did it come about?

ER: Well, Birgit Nielson was first asked to sing at the Gala, but as she was nearing her 60th year, she declined. Then Caballe was cast and immediately there was a furore in Milan. Everyone had his own opinion on that. Eventually she did sing at the dress rehearsal and maybe the reaction there changed her mind. We will not know the truth about Caballe.

Only the people in her close circle would know what really happened, but be that as it may, I already knew the day before. Baracchi phoned me the Saturday morning. The performance was on the Sunday evening. He asked me to come and sing for Zubin Mehta at 3 o`clock and then I smelled a rat. Baracchi accompanied me on the piano and nobody else but Mehta was present. So only the 3 of us knew. I had to sing the whole act and the aria and then Mehta approached me and said: “That`s fine, Renzi” I asked:”What`s this about?” Then Baracchi said:” Tomorrow you don`t go into the theatre, you come backstage.” Then I knew. They were obviously afraid of the public reaction.

The next day just before the performance there was a man making a speech about how wonderful Madame Caballe is. The performance started on time. I was backstage. Caballe`s dressing room was empty, but her costumes were in there. Fortunately I had done the role previously for La Scala, so they had costumes for me. I had to share a dressing room with Giancarlo Cecchele, who was singing the Calaf. I waited and waited, warming up in the meantime, because I knew I was going to sing!

In the first Act, Turandot doesn`t sing, they just use a stand-in to stand on stage when she has to appear. The interval after the first act eventually drew out to 45 minutes and still they were afraid to make an announcement. The audience began to clap and stamp their feet and still the intendant was too scared to tell the audience that Caballe won`t be singing. Then Mehta went on stage and told the audience that she would not be singing, as she took ill . There was a furore! He didn`t even get to say who would be singing the role.

Of course, on I went. I luckily was in good voice, I had sung this role many times before and I let fly! Cecchele was standing on stage facing me, his back to the audience and gave me a big wink. I sang and it went extremely well. I have never before had such an ovation from an opera chorus. When the curtains closed, they stormed up to me and that a La Scala chorus! It was quite a night! It was a big triumph.

You sang opposite Placido Domingo in Ernani in 1969. It was his La Scala debut. Could you already then predict this wonderful tenor`s success?

ER: Domingo was exquisite. He was already at the top of his career back then and he is a phenomenal musician. His voice even became bigger over the years. Yes, one realized that he would make an extraordinary career.

The last role you sang in Europe was Elena in Mephistofele by Boito. When was that?

ER: I ended my career there at the Arena di Verona in August and September 1979. Veriano Luchetti sang Faust and Carlo Zardo was Mefistofele . Then I returned to South Africa.

Why did you decide to end it then?

ER: Oh, several reasons.  It felt the right thing to do at the time. Anton Hartmann wanted me to start an opera course at WITS. Also my parents were growing old and I was their only child. I had been away from them for the biggest part of my life. A teaching career appealed to me at this stage and of course South Africa was my home! I would much prefer to grow old here, than in Italy!

After a year at WITS I became Head of Opera at the Technicon Pretoria and I taught there for 10 years. I had wonderful support there from very competent people.  Eric Muller and Lorraine Du Toit-Haveman were the other singing teachers, as well as Louis Botha. The pianists were Dr Eberhard Kunkel, Henning Wagner and Susan-Steenkamp Swanepoel. We had excellent part-time lecturers who coached the students in German, Italian and French. We also had fantastic support from the Dance and Theatre Craft Departments when we put on productions. Those 10 years were very good and the production I enjoyed most, was the Cosi Fan Tutte we did in Roodepoort in 1991.

On looking back, is there anything you regret or would have liked to be different?

ER: I am happy on the whole. I would have liked to have a teacher like Maestro Santo 9 years earlier in my career, but the London years were not a waste. I had learnt a lot there. No, those I also don`t regret. I am still healthy and I can sill teach and I am very grateful for that.

Published 30.01.2012. Interview by Ona Ackermann.