She had suffered a near-fatal stroke two years before emerging triumphant on a stage at the Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro in 1995.īrian Kellow, executive editor of Opera News, recalled Sayao as an impassioned singer whose recordings live on today _ particularly her performances of Mozart. Jeff Smith, her caretaker, said Sayao was in the hospital for a month before she died. To show her gratitude for her adopted homeland, Sayao sang for wounded soldiers returning from World War II. Sayao also made extensive concert tours, performing in 49 states. She was noted for her warmth and refinement and an ability to bring her frequently girlish characters to life without resorting to mannerisms. Her Met career lasted until 1951 and included such lyric and coloratura soprano roles as Mimi in Puccini’s ``La Boheme,″ Melisande in Debussy’s ``Pelleas and Melisande,″ and Susanna in Mozart’s ``The Marriage of Figaro.″
She made a triumphant Metropolitan Opera debut during the 1936-37 season singing the title role of Massenet’s ``Manon.″
Sayao’s crystalline voice enchanted conductor Arturo Toscanini, and he trained her for her U.S. Sayao, who had retired to this seacoast town at the end of her career in 1958, died from complications of pneumonia after a brief illness at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport, said Brett Shewey, who was handling funeral arrangements. LINCOLNVILLE, Maine (AP) _ Bidu Sayao, the Brazilian-born soprano whose pure, silvery voice and personal charm made her one of the most beloved opera singers of the 1930s and ’40s, died Friday at age 94.