Abstract

Monica Vitti’s voice has an absolutely distinctive and unique sound texture; however, it is often considered superficially, as an additional element that confirms the singularity of her personality and of the modern star system, and open to imperfect elements, as hoarse and poorly defined. This essay aims to investigate a neglected area of her activity as an actress and celebrity: radio broadcasts, in the context of Italian acoustic experimentation and research in the 1960s. Vitti’s radio voice is incorporated in physical processes but also creates sound images and objects of great force that are heterogeneous and compete with her more general image. The study of her radio voice therefore also becomes a key to examine her cinematic performances, enhancing the acousmatic voice of her films as a space for research on vocality, but also on the female voice.