"I actually cried on stage."

"A role should be interpreted and not only mechanically enacted; that is why emotions should be heard in the singing."

Genceriani!

Turkish soprano Leyla Gencer was mondialy known as one of 'Donizetti-Renaissance' greatest motor. During her career, and for different motives, she discovered her natural vocal facility, fascination for dramatic coloratura roles 'in senso ottocentesco' and atteined incomparable specialisation in interpretaion of those roles. La Gencer rediscovered for XXth-century-public many Donizetti's partitions, such as Roberto Deverux [1964, Naples], Belisario [1969, Venise], as well as Caterina Cornaro [1972, Naples]. She also sung other Donizetti roles, like Lucia di Lammermoor, Anna Bolena, Poliuto, Maria Stuarda, Lucrezia Borgia and Les Martyrs.

From the beginning of her international career she was adored by the public and called:

• 'turca napoletana' - because of her international debut in Naples;
• 'la diva turca' - because she was born in Turkey;
• 'la regina' - because she was specialised in performing royal operatic roles;

and finally

• 'queen of pirates' - because she was mainly live-recorded by public.

She was also, by her own choise, 'lombarda d'elezione'. Her singing mode, and some vocal tricks she especially used, was called 'gencerismi'. Her big fans, who followed her perfomances in Italy called themselfs 'i ragazzi della Leyla' and now the new word used for naming her fans is 'genceriano'. Leyla Gencer died in her beloved Milan at 80.

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