On the anniversary of the 'Signora della canzone italiana' on November 21, 2025
When the news from Milan arrives on November 21, 2025, it feels like for a moment the music in all of Italy falls silent: Ornella Vanoni has died at the age of 91 at her home from a heart failure.Wikipedia+1 An era comes to an end – the era of a woman who shaped three generations of Italian music history with her warm, smoky voice.
From the stage of the Piccolo Teatro to the 'Signora della canzone italiana'
Ornella Vanoni comes from Milan, born in 1934. She takes her first steps not as a singer but as an actress at the legendary Piccolo Teatro under director Giorgio Strehler. There she learns timing, presence, and the art of captivating an entire hall with a single gesture – skills that later become her trademark as a stage artist.Reuters
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, she finally switches to music. With her 'canzoni della mala', songs about the underworld and the nightlife of Milan, she writes herself into the cultural memory of her country. Soon, she performs at major Italian festivals, especially Sanremo, where she repeatedly provides emotional highlights.Wikipedia+1
Her career spans nearly seven decades: from the black-and-white television of the '60s through the vinyl era, HiFi golden times, CD boom, and streaming era. More than 100 releases, tens of millions of records sold – Ornella Vanoni remains present across generations.AP News+1
‘The Appointment’ – A song that went around the world
For music lovers and cinephiles around the world, her name is inseparably linked to a song: ‘The Appointment’. Originally, the song is based on the Brazilian piece Sitting by the side of the road by Roberto and Erasmo Carlos, but with the Italian text by Bruno Lauzi and Ornella's interpretation it took on its own, distinctive life.Wikipedia
In 1970, 'L’appuntamento' was released as a single and became a classic in Italy – an anthem about waiting, longing, and that mix of hope and resignation that only Vanoni's voice can convey so convincingly.Wikipedia
In 2004, Hollywood rediscovered the magic of this piece: Steven Soderbergh used 'L’appuntamento' as a central sound in the film. 'Ocean’s Twelve'. In a key scene, Vanoni's voice lays over the images like a nostalgic veil – and suddenly millions of people worldwide hear this song, many for the very first time.YouTube+1
For the HiFi community, 'L’appuntamento' is a perfect reference track:
- The warm, slightly smoky voice in the midrange.
- The arranged strings and the gentle groove, which are perfect for assessing spatiality and timbre.
- This typical, slightly melancholic 70s aesthetic, which really blooms on well-mastered vinyl or high-quality reissues.
Anyone who wants to understand her art should put on a good pressing of 'Appuntamento con Ornella Vanoni' or stream a high-resolution version – and slowly turn it up.
More than music: actress, style icon, storyteller
Ornella Vanoni was not just a singer, but a true stage personality. Already in the 1960s, she was on stage in musicals like 'Rugantino' on stage, acted in film and TV productions, and merged acting and singing into her own form of performance.Wikipedia
Her performances were always a bit of theater:
- the red hair as a visual trademark,
- the ironic gaze,
- her often brutally honest moderation between songs.
Vanoni was one of the first Italian artists to speak very openly about love, desire, pain, age, and self-doubt – in songs, interviews, and on stage. This made her for many the 'Grande Dame' who not only sings but tells stories..
A career spanning three generations
What makes Ornella Vanoni so unique: She was something different for every generation of Italy – and yet always the same voice.
- For the grandparents: the young singer of the 60s who sings 'Senza fine' and the 'canzoni della mala'.AP News+1
- For the parents: the artist of the 70s and 80s who provides the soundtrack to upheavals, emancipation, and new life designs with songs like 'Domani è un altro giorno', 'Uomo, uomo', and her Brazilian-inspired albums.World
- For the younger generations: the Vanoni of duets, remakes, and TV appearances, who works with younger artists and is still celebrated with a billboard over Times Square for her 90th birthday.Pulse 24
That Milan declares mourning flags and an official day of mourning on the occasion of her funeral shows the significance she had in the cultural memory of the country.Comune di Milano+1 All of Italy mourns – from the RAI viewer who grew up with her to the young singer-songwriter who is inspired by her honesty.
Sound heritage for mySoundbook listeners
For a platform like mySoundbook, where stage, music history, and sound culture come together, Ornella Vanoni is a gift:
- Her recordings from the 60s and 70s are a treasure for vinyl collectors – many original pressings sound remarkably vibrant and direct.
- The later remasters and live recordings offer exciting comparisons in terms of mastering, dynamics, and spatial representation.
- Her collaboration with jazz and bossa nova musicians invites you to finely tune sound chains from speakers to headphones to be finely adjusted.AP News+1
Anyone who wants to discover or experience Ornella Vanoni anew can put together a personal little 'stage session' – perfect for an evening on the sofa in front of their own setup:
- 'Senza fine' – as an introduction to her early, almost timeless ballads.AP News+1
- ‘The Appointment’ – in a high-quality version, preferably in comparison: LP vs. Stream.Wikipedia+1
- A live recording from the 70s or 80s – to feel the full stage presence.
- One of her late collaborations with younger artists – as proof that her voice has lost none of its expressiveness even in old age.Pulse 24
A final curtain
Ornella Vanoni started her career in the theater – fitting that her life now feels like a final big curtain close. But as one of her famous songs says: ‘Senza fine’ – without end.
Her voice remains: on our records, in our playlists, in film scenes we'll never forget.
And maybe the best way to remember her is when we turn on the system on November 21, start ‘L’appuntamento’ – and give her the stage she deserves one more time.
