Teatro

Teatro

ASIN: B00000BKFV

Track Listings

1. Ou Es-Tu, Mon Amour? (Where Are You, My Love?)

2. I Never Cared for You

3. Everywhere I Go

4. Darkness on the Face of the Earth

5. My Own Peculiar Way

6. These Lonely Nights

7. Home Motel

8. Maker

9. I Just Can't Let You Say Goodbye

10. I've Just Destroyed the World

11. Somebody Pick Up My Pieces

12. Three Days

13. I've Loved You All Over the World

14. Annie

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The first words from Willie Nelson's lips, "The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all / the sky was never blue," warn the listener something is happening here. In a converted Mexican movie theater, producer Daniel Lanois surrounds the 65-year-old Nelson with the most startling and assured musical vision of his career: lush, rippling guitars, and swelling, splashing drum tracks, doubled and tripled over, sometimes in a Latin mood. Lanois allows Nelson freedom to solo in and around his sonic dreamwork, and with the presence of longtime fellow travelers Mickey Raphael, Emmylou Harris, and sister Bobbie, the record clearly smacks of Nelson's style and lyrical vision. The original material is decades old, but little known, and generally as haunting as Lanois's arrangements. (Only one song should have remained in the vaults: the emotionally-curdled "I Just Can't Let You Say Good-Bye.") So much could have gone wrong on this pairing. It's a thrill to hear how much truly goes right. --Roy Francis Kasten

Entertainment Weekly
[Nelson's] Texas-rooted sound has always had a south-of-the-border tinge, which [producer Daniel] Lanois accentuates with Teatro's bubbling percussion.

Teatro

Tracks:

La Traviata: Preludio (Orchestra)
La Traviata: Act One: Dell'invito trascorsa e gia l'lora
La Traviata: Act One: Libiamo, ne' lieti calici
La Traviata: Act One: Che e cio (coro/Violetta/Flora/Marchese/Barone/Dottore/Gaston/Alfredo)
La Traviata: Act One: Un di felice, eterea (Alfredo/Violetta)
La Traviata: Act One: Ebben? Che diavol fate? (Gastone/Violetta/Alfredo)
La Traviata: Act One: Si ridesta in ciel l'aurora (Flora/Gastone/Barone/Dottore/Marchese/Coro)
La Traviata: Act One: E strano! E strano!
La Traviata: Act One: Ah, fors'e lui che l'anima
La Traviata: Act One: Follie! follie! Delirio vano e questo! (Violetta)
La Traviata: Act One: Sempre libera (Violetta - Alfredo)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Lunge da lei
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: De' miei bollenti spiriti (Alfredo)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Annina, donde vieni?...Alfredo?...Per Parigi or or partiva (Alfredo/Annina/Violetta/Germont)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Pura siccome un angelo
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Non sapete quale affetto
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Un di, quando le veneri
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Ah! dite alla giovine
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Imponete...Non amarlo ditegli
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Morro! La mia memoria (Germont/Violetta)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Dammi tu forza, o cielo! (Violetta/Annina)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Che fai?...Nulla (Alfredo/Violetta)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Ah, vive sol quel core all'amore mio! (Alfredo/Commissionario/Germont)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene One: Di Provenza il mar (Germont /Alfredo)

Tracks:

La Traviata: Act Two: Scene Two: Avram lieta di maschere la notte (Flora/Marchese/Dottore)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene Two: Noi siamo zingarelle (Coro/Flora/Marchese/Dottore)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene Two: Di Madride noi siam mattadori (Coro/Gastone/Flora/Dottore/Marchese)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene Two: Alfredo! Voi!
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene Two: Invitato a qui seguirmi
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene Two: Ogni suo aver tal femmina (Flora/Gastone/Barone/Dottore/Marchese/Coro)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene Two: Di sprezzo degno se stesso rende (Germont/Alfredo/Flora/Gastone/Barone/Dottore/Marchese/Coro)
La Traviata: Act Two: Scene Two: Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo core (Violetta/Germont/Alfredo/Gastone/Barone/Dottore/Marchese/Coro)
La Traviata: Act Three: Preludio (Orchestra)
La Traviata: Act Three: Annina? ...Comandate? (Violetta/Annina/Dottore)
La Traviata: Act Three: Teneste la promessa
La Traviata: Act Three: Addio, del passato (Violetta)
La Traviata: Act Three: Largo al quadrupede (Coro)
La Traviata: Act Three: Signora!... Che t'accadde?
La Traviata: Act Three: Parigi, o cara (Annina/Violetta/Alfredo)
La Traviata: Act Three: Ah, non piu, a un tempio
La Traviata: Act Three: Ah! gran Dio! Morir si giovine (Violetta/Alfredo)
La Traviata: Act Three: Ah! Violetta...Voi, signor!
La Traviata: Act Three: Prendi, quest'e l'immagine (Germont/Violetta/Alfredo)
La Traviata: Act Three: Se una pudica vergine (Violetta/Germont/Alfredo/Annina/Dottore)

Amazon.com essential recording

This live recording of the 1955 Visconti production at La Scala is the best of the available Maria Callas Traviatas. Aside from a minor pitch problem or two, she's in great voice, coloring phrases to reveal character and investing the coloratura with variety and passion. Her "Addio del passato" is heart-breaking. She fully captures Violetta's pride and vulnerability in the scene with Germont, though her partner, Ettore Bastianini, sings insensitively, if beautifully. Giuseppe Di Stefano is all one could ask for as Alfredo. Carlo Giulini conducts a performance that delivers all the lyricism and drama of the score. The recorded sound is primitive, but in EMI's latest transfer you can listen through it to a wondrous performance. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Verdi: Opera LaTraviata.......2007-07-04

Enjoyable recording,singers Maria Callas, DiStefano,Bastianini surperb. Clarity as if recently recorded. Orchestra and chorus fantastic.

The Sound is very listenable.......2007-01-05

Don't be put off by other reviewers' rants on the sound of this superb performance. If you're comfortable listening to some of the better Opera D'Oro sets, you'll find this more than satisfactory. I ordered it recently despite those complaints and am VERY glad I did. If you want to hear truly unforgivable EMI sound of a pirate Callas, listen to the MACBETH; you'll then see what a good job EMI did with this Callas performance. But if you decide you want the Lisbon TRAVIATA instead of this one, just about everyone says the Pearl is far superior to EMI in their remastering job.

Come closer to Maria Callas.......2007-01-03

This CD is a master piece of Maria Callas' performance. Together with Stefano, they created a milestone that their followers are difficult to overpass. Listen to this live, you feel you were back in 1955. The atmosphere it produced is fresh and new to the later generations. But because the record technique as mono, not stereo, if you feel untolerable for the mono, it will cut your expectation little bit. But generally, if you are really a fans of Maria Callas, you will definately like it.

Best of La Traviata and Maria Callas.......2006-11-13

Even though this recording is not stereophonic, you can still enjoy the marvelous voice of Maria Callas. You don't have to see her performance to understand how artistic she was. With her voice she was not actually singing, but she was acting as well. Not many singers could portrait Violetta's character like Maria Callas portraits in this particular recording. I would definitely recommend everyone who is interested in operas or not interested at all. La Traviata in general is a very light opera, so you do not have to be an opera buff to like it.

Simply the best..........2006-03-19

This recording of one of the greatest Verdi's opera is surely the best I've ever heard. Callas was at her top, others interprets are excellent also. A great historical piece of art.

Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

Average customer rating:

The Incomparable Callas
A complete classic among classics
Stellar cast - stellar performance
A "Regular People" Review
this is not a review

Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Giacomo Puccini , Victor De Sabata , Maria Callas , Giuseppe di Stefano , Tito Gobbi , and Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Verdi - Rigoletto / Sutherland, Pavarotti, Milnes, LSO, Bonynge
Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Bizet: Carmen (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Georges Pretre, Paris Opera Orchestra
Puccini: Madama Butterfly (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Herbert von Karajan, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Puccini: La Boheme (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Anna Moffo, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

ASIN: B000002RXZ
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

TOSCA: Ah! Finalmente! (Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: Dammi i colori...Recondita armonia (Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: Gente lentro! (Cavaradossi - Tosca)
TOSCA: Mario! Mario! Mario!
TOSCA: Ah, quegli occhi...Quale occhio al mondo puar di paro (Tosca - Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: buona la mia Tosca (Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: Un tal baccano in chiesa! (Scarpia)
TOSCA: Tutto hiaro...Tosca? Che non mi veda...Mario! Mario! (Scarpia - Tosca)
TOSCA: Ed io venivo a lui tutta dogliosa (Tosca - Scarpia)
TOSCA: Tre sbirri, una carrozza (Scarpia)

Tracks:

TOSCA: Tosca n buon falco! (Scarpia)
TOSCA: Ha pite (Scarpia)
TOSCA: Meno male! (Scarpia - Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: Dov'unque Angelotti? (Scarpia - Cavaradossi - Tosca)
TOSCA: Ed or fra noi parliam da buoni amici...Scarrione, che dice il Cavalier? (Scarpia - Tosca - Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: Orssca, parlate (Scarpia - Tosca - Caravadossi)
TOSCA: Basta, Roberti
TOSCA: Nel pozzo....Del giardino (Scarpia - Tosca - Caravadossi)
TOSCA: Se la giurata fede debbo tradir (Scarpia - Tosca)
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte (Tosca)
TOSCA: Vedi, le man guinte io stendo a te! (Scarpia - Tosca)
TOSCA: E qual via scegliete? (Scarpia - Tosca)
TOSCA: Io de' sospiri
TOSCA: Act III / Mario Cavaradossi? A voi (Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle (Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: Ah! Franchigia a Floria Tosca
TOSCA: O dolci mani mansuete e pure (Cavaradossi - Tosca)
TOSCA: E non giungono (Tosca - Cavaradossi)
TOSCA: Com'unga l'attesa! (Tosca)
TOSCA: Presto! Su, Mario! Mario! Su! Presto! Andiam! (Tosca)

Amazon.com essential recording

Little can be added to what's been written about this landmark recording, except that Walter Legge's 1953 mono production yields nothing to modern Tosca recordings for vivacity and theatrical impact--especially Maria Callas's. The miraculous Victor de Sabata conjures up a vibrant, inspiring orchestral canvas that enables Callas and her stellar cohorts to work their magic. Tito Gobbi and Callas spur each other on to heights in which the characters take over from the singers in the listener's mind. Giuseppe Di Stefano is on his best behavior, and in fresher voice than on his fine Leontyne Price-Herbert von Karajan remake. On this set, EMI includes texts, translations, and notes that discuss this recording in the context of Callas's mercurial career. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

The Incomparable Callas .......2007-05-13

She was sui generis (unlike any other) and for any fan of Mme. Callas this CD is a "must have!!! For the younger generation who were not fortunate enough to have ever heard her in person, her voice, although imperfect,portrays the complexity of Floria Tosca, through the delicate shadings of Callas' voice. Tosca is vulnerable, she is jealous, she is loving, she is delicate and tough at the same time. All of this is plain to hear through the marvel of this greatest of singing actresses.

A complete classic among classics.......2007-03-19

This is one of the few opera recordings that can reach immortality. De Sabata conducts superb over orchestra and a trinity of "monsters": Di Stefano, Callas and Gobbi understood not only the music but the drama. Opera as it always must be. What can we say about the climatic experience of Callas and Gobbi together, probably the most talented actors in opera?
At the end, pay attention (it is impossible not to) to Tosca's death... In the voice of Callas, no other soprano in history have achieved such perfection.

Stellar cast - stellar performance.......2007-01-11

What more can be said about this recording that has not already been abundantly elaborated?
Callas at her best with a supporting cast that made this recording stand the test of time. I received two recordings this Christmas as a present so that I can compare and perhaps change my mind (the Alagna - Gheorghiou & the Leontyne Price sets). I listened carefully and although I have to admit that Price's voice has a more melodic sonority Callas was the ultimate performer what little she may have lacked in her voice she more than made with her dramatic qualities, she had a stage presence that can be "heard" without having to watch her.
This is truly a premier performance of an operatic masterpiece. Enjoy it.

A "Regular People" Review.......2006-12-04

Hey I'm an Opera newbie trying to find his way around the maze with the help of Opera 101 (any Opera guru's out there that would like to help me out here?). Thanks to the Books advice I picked up this Opera and WOW! This is great stuff. Don't be intimidated by Opera you'll be missing out on this!

this is not a review.......2006-08-15

Just the fact that this product has gathered 123 reviewers by the time I write my first comment ever in a similar internet site, should tell something per se... I am a singer myself. I could write endless technical comments on the slightest vocal or musical nuance these four legendary musicians have contributed here. Empty words! Just ask yourselves: "Do I really and humbly love Music!?" If the answer is "YES!!!", run and buy this recording.

PS. Listen with the libretto in your hands (translation of it if you dont speak italian). Do it. At least the first time through... a Sunday afternoon. You'll remember me.

Average customer rating:

A MUST!
Can you spell OVERPRODUCED?
A little different
Not your typical Willie
Reviewing My Willie Nelson CDs

Teatro
Willie Nelson
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Spirit
Across the Borderline
Phases and Stages
Shotgun Willie
It Always Will Be

ASIN: B00000AFB6
Release Date: 1998-09-01

Tracks:

Ou Es-Tu, Mon Amor? (Where Are You, My Love?)
I Never Cared For You
Everywhere I Go
Darkness On The Face Of The Earth
My Own Peculiar Way
These Lonely Nights
Home Motel
The Maker
I Just Can't Let You Say Good-Bye
I've Just Destroyed The World
Somebody Pick Up My Pieces
Three Days
I've Loved You All Over The World
Annie

Amazon.com

The first words from Willie Nelson's lips, "The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all / the sky was never blue," warn the listener something is happening here. In a converted Mexican movie theater, producer Daniel Lanois surrounds the 65-year-old Nelson with the most startling and assured musical vision of his career: lush, rippling guitars, and swelling, splashing drum tracks, doubled and tripled over, sometimes in a Latin mood. Lanois allows Nelson freedom to solo in and around his sonic dreamwork, and with the presence of longtime fellow travelers Mickey Raphael, Emmylou Harris, and sister Bobbie, the record clearly smacks of Nelson's style and lyrical vision. The original material is decades old, but little known, and generally as haunting as Lanois's arrangements. (Only one song should have remained in the vaults: the emotionally-curdled "I Just Can't Let You Say Good-Bye.") So much could have gone wrong on this pairing. It's a thrill to hear how much truly goes right. --Roy Francis Kasten

Customer Reviews:

A MUST!.......2007-02-16

This album is simply stunning. It is some of the most beautiful and compelling music I have ever heard. It is a MUST for any music fan.

Can you spell OVERPRODUCED?.......2006-09-15

I have been a hard-core Willie fan since the first time I heard him - live, just his incredible voice and his guitar. I still believe that is the best way to hear him. Sparse arrangements or rip-roaring Good Hearted Woman romps with his friends showcase his considerable talents best. Although I love the latin flavor, which suits him, you can hardly hear his voice over the DRUMS and other INCREDIBLY OVERDONE INSTRUMENTATION. His beautifully nuanced performances are lost. I am a sound engineer, and I actually find this album painful to listen to. I give it 3 stars because nothing Willie does could have less.

A little different.......2005-05-26

In many ways, this is a typical Willie Nelson album but the music here is a little different. For this album, Willie acquired the services of Daniel Lanois as producer. He had revitalized Emmylou's career by producing her 1995 album, Wrecking ball. Emmylou, who has recorded several duets down the years with Willie, provides backing vocals on several tracks here, most prominently on Everywhere I go. The credits show that many of the tracks feature Bobbie Nelson on Wurlitzer - this is one of the differences in the sound. There are other unusual instruments on some tracks such as congas, vibraphone and omnichord.

The album begins with an instrumental cover of a French song and closes with another instrumental. Between them are twelve excellent songs, some from Willie's own back-catalog and some new, plus a couple of songs written by others - one of them (The maker) by the producer.

If you wish to compare the difference in sound compared to earlier Willie Nelson albums, listen to My own peculiar way. Willie wrote this song in the sixties and has recorded it a few times since. Several other oldies are included, both of which Willie also wrote or co-wrote in the sixties, these being I never cared for you, Darkness on the face of the earth Home Motel, I just can't let you say goodbye, I've just destroyed the world and Three days.

Overall, this is a very relaxing album on which Willie's voice is great despite his age (he was in his sixties when he recorded this album). When I first played it, I wasn't sure about it but I have since come to recognize its brilliance.

Not your typical Willie.......2004-12-29

This is not your typical Willie Nelson album and that is probably why it isn't as well know as some of his other albums. But this is by far one of his best works. It shows Willies brilliant guitar playing off to its best. Yes it's heavy on the drums but with good purpose. It gives the album a Latin twist that meshes so well with Willies gravely voice, guitar playing and great lyrics. If you don't try this album you'll be missing out on some of Willies best work ever.

Reviewing My Willie Nelson CDs.......2004-12-02

If you are reading this you probably already know that Willie is one of the most creative, powerful, and diverse performers of all time. In this review, I'm not going to rate the albums, just offer some insights into the CD's and DVD's that I have purchased - and I'm glad I've purchased them all.

"The Essential Willie Nelson" is essential. Be that as it may, Willie's individual CD's are so strong and the songs are so interrelated, often in a story or a tight thematic format, that they almost make the "essential" Willie Nelson unessential - but it is such a great collection of songs, that you can't get as easily any other way. Definitely worth the buy.

"The Red Headed Stranger" is one of the greatest albums of all time. It is pure genius. If you get the 70th birthday edition, you get a remastered track and extra songs. There are no less than six "A" level songs on this CD, nothing short of amazing. Plus, you get fourteen minutes of great story telling. As a story teller, Willie is only rivaled by Native American artist Robert Mirabal ("Indians Indians", "Taos Tales", "Music From A Painted Cave", "Mirabal", etc.).

"Willie and Family Live", done around 1975, is a great live album. It has lots of energy. A highlight for me was Willie Nelson, Emmy Lou Harris, and Johnny Paycheck singing "Amazing Grace" together. It also contains the fourteen minute story of the Red Headed Stranger, including "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain". This live performance of Willie's first #1 hit is the best I have heard on any album. There is a little extra "oomph" on every song in the CD. Again, make sure you get the 70th birthday edition, it has extra goodies.

If you like the early super hits that Willie wrote for everyone else, like "Crazy", "Night Life", and "Funny How Time Slips Away", then you need to also get the "Milk Cow Blues" CD. Willie performs these and more Blues standards, usually in a duet format, with outstanding artists such as B.B. King - Rolling Stone Magazine's choice as the 3rd greatest guitarist of all time. Hearing BB and Willie strum and sing together on "Night Life" and "The Thrill is Gone" is indeed a thrill. Willie performs this album with a first class Blues band and it is a first class Blues album.

Willie's latest album, "It Will Always Be" is once again a solid piece of work. Duets with Norah Jones and Lucinda Williams help make it special, but the best part of this album is the haunting duet of Willie and Paula Nelson on the song "It Will Always Be". This is a song that hits you in the gut, and it rivals Bruce Springstein's "Streets of Philadelphia" in terms of its raw emotion. A number of people, including me, cried the first time they heard it: "I'm tied of this and I'm running out of time; feels like dyin', feels like cryin'; and I'm running out of time." Say it ain't so, Willie!! A second good song was written by another member of the Nelson clan. The title song is very beautiful. The tribute to the land Willie loves, "Texas", is too short but very meaningful. If this was Willie's last CD, he went out as "The Midnight Rider", a great song for the leader of the outlaw movement: "They ain't gonna catch me, I ain't go let `em catch the Midnight Rider."

"Spirit" and "Teatro" are brother/sister CDs. Both have a strong thematic core, although they are not stories. "Spirit" is one of those rare CD's when every note seems important. For most, you'll listen to it less than the other CD's, but love it equally as much. For a few, you'll play it by the hours. It is essentially a story of coping with lost love, redefining your relationship with yourself and with God, and finding love again. The music and the whole CD are moderately paced, with a strong, steady spiritual tone to it. It has a light Latin sound, essential to Willie's roots. Pictures of Willie on this album look like he came from an ancient Holy Land.

"Teatro" is the mirror of "Spirit". Again, it is a story of coping with lost love, but the story goes south, ending in murder and psychological ruin. Teatro means "theater" in Spanish and this is good to keep in mind in listening to the CD. It is just a play folks! The CD is very hard-hitting, because Willie's music is very hard-hitting and very close to the heart. The music tends to have a lively beat, with strong Latin overtones. Its haunting nature is reinforced by Emmy Lou Harris, who accompanies Willie on most of the songs. The back picture on the back of the CD case is one of the best pictures of Willie ever taken.

The "My Life" DVD is well worth the buy. The story ends before the 90's, but there is a brief update. I knew about Willie and Farm Aid, but I didn't know about the scope of his philanthropy and the diversity of populations targeted in his giving until this DVD. I was also amazed to learn that he paid his $16 million IRS debt off in one year, selling $17 million worth of songs as info-mercials to radio stations. That's a lot of love, translated into a lot of power.

A number of people criticize the "Live In Amsterdam" DVD and some of the criticisms are merited. But hey, the DVD has a large collection of great songs. Some criticisms are not fair. You perform differently and 70 than you do at 40, it is a biological rule. Willie's shows have always moved quickly from one song to the other, so the pace of the concert is nothing new. The love from the audience is shown at the end when Willie is signing autograph after autograph. The bottom line is this, if you like Willie, if you would like to watch him live occasionally instead of just hearing him through the box, and if you want those images of him at 70, then you should buy this DVD. You'll find it worthwhile.

In the final analysis, the raw power of Willie's work, formed by singing in the cotton fields with Black and Mexican laborers, and his keen insight into what people really want in music, formed not through record company analysis but through live performances on the ground, make Willie Nelson one of the most creative, powerful, and loved performers of all time.

Bellini - Norma / Maria Callas, Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria, Teatro alla Scala, Serafin

Average customer rating:

all-star cast
2 Callas Normas. Which to get.
Greater Depth or Neccessary Caution?
CALLAS' ASTONISHING NORMA
CALLAS MESMERIZING AS NORMA

Bellini - Norma / Maria Callas, Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria, Teatro alla Scala, Serafin
Vincenzo Bellini , Tullio Serafin , Maria Callas , Christa Ludwig , Franco Corelli , Nicola Zaccaria , and Piero de Palma
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Tito Gobbi, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tullio Serafin
Verdi: Rigoletto (Complete Opera); Maria Callas; Tito Gobbi; Giuseppe di Stefano
Bellini: I Puritani / Callas, di Stefano, Rossi-Lemeni, Panerai; Serafin

ASIN: B00000630R
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Norma: Sinfonia
Norma: Act One - Scene One : Ite sul colle...Dell'aura tua profetica (Oroveso)
Norma: Svanir le voci! (Pollione)
Norma: Meco all'altar di Venere (Pollione)
Norma: Odi?.. I suoi riti a compiere (Flavio, Coro, Pollione)
Norma: Me protegge, me difende (Pollione)
Norma: Norma viene
Norma: Sediziose voci
Norma: Casta Diva
Norma: Fine al rito, e il sacro bosco
Norma: Ah! bello a me ritorna (Norma, Oroveso)
Norma: Sgombra e la sacra selva (Adalgisa)
Norma: Eccola - va, mi lascia
Norma: Va, crudele
Norma: Vieni in Roma (Pollione, Adalgisa)

Tracks:

Norma: Act One - Scene Two : Vanne, e li cela entrambi (Norma)
Norma: Adalgisa!.. Alma, costanza
Norma: Oh, rimembranza!
Norma: Ah si, fa core, abbracciami (Norma, Adalgisa)
Norma: Ma di'... l'amato giovine
Norma: Oh, di qual sei tu vittima
Norma: Perfido! ... Or basti! (Norma, Adalgisa, Pollione)
Norma: Vanne, si, mi lascia, indegno (Norma, Pollione, Adalgisa, Coro)

Tracks:

Norma: Act Two - Scene One : Introduzione
Norma: Dormono entrambi! (Norma)
Norma: Ola! Clotilde (Norma, Clotilde)
Norma: Mi chiami, o Norma?
Norma: Deh, con te, con te li prendi
Norma: Mira, o Norma
Norma: Cedi ... deh cedi!
Norma: Si, fino all'ore estreme (Adalgisa, Norma)
Norma: Acto Two - Scene Two : Non parti? (Coro)
Norma: Guerrieri! a voi venirne
Norma: Ah!, del Tebro al giogo indegno (Oroveso)
Norma: Acto Two - Scene Three : Ei tornera, Si! (Norma)
Norma: Squilla il bronzo del Dio! (Oroveso, Norma)
Norma: Guerra! guerra!
Norma: Ne compi li rito, o Norma? (Oroveso, Norma, Pollione)
Norma: In mia man alfin ti sei
Norma: Gia mi pasco ne' tuoi sguardi (Norma, Pollione)
Norma: Dammi quel ferro!
Norma: Qual cor tradisti
Norma: Norma! deh! Norrma, scolpati!
Norma: Deh! Non volerli vittime (Norma, Pollione, Oroveso)

Customer Reviews:

all-star cast.......2007-06-13

This recording is exactly what you would expect from an all-star cast.

Owners of the Schirmer piano score, watch out for cuts from page 44 to 48, 76 to 80, and 106 to 107. The endings of bth acts are also different.

2 Callas Normas. Which to get........2006-11-12

If you are trying to decide between the two studio recordings of Norma with Callas, I offer some advice. Get them both. The later recording is quite beautiful and better recorded. The earlier has a fresher sounding Callas but she does have more dramatic insight in that later recording. Ludwig is a nice treat in a bel-canto role. Overall, I highly recommend!

Greater Depth or Neccessary Caution?.......2006-10-13

This is a strange recording for me. It features three all time favorite singers of mine, Callas, Ludwig and Corelli, and yet I had very mixed feelings about it. Some have called Callas's performance here more refined than the earlier recording and the famous live performances. I would characterize her performance as slightly cautious. Her Norma is older, wiser and a bit on the weathered side. I wonder how much of the refinement was her own sense of having to compensate for her voice which was in the final stages of decline. I expected a certain degree of the recklessness that she displayed in her second Tosca recording that was made a few years later. Here she seems to be carefully phrasing at times as to not hurt something. But, despite the vocal decline, not just the high notes but the tone, her mastery of the style and ease with which she handles the coloratura passages, is still a miraculous listening experience.

I'm glad I have the recording and the current edition is warmer than the original CD release. This was the only opportunity for Callas, Corelli and Ludwig to make a commercial recording together, and Corelli and Ludwig are wonderful, although too bad EMI was unable to get Simionatto. But if you're familiar with the earlier recording (which by the way is only available at the moment in an awful GROTC edition) and the live performances, you might miss the broad strokes, I do, but it is still a worthy listening experience. When is Callas not? Never as far as I'm concerned.

I would have loved to have rated this 5 stars, but 4 seems more appropriate. It's a fine but not a great recording.

CALLAS' ASTONISHING NORMA.......2006-08-15

Well, I think there are two roles in the history of opera that after the interpretation of Maria Callas it would not be unwise to claim that they should not be performed again: Norma by Bellini (all recordings she ever made) and la Traviata by Verdi (the definition of the role lies in the London 1958 Traviata- unfortunately, her 1953 studio recording with Cetra is almost unacceptable considering how she developed the role of Violetta after 1955).
Although I very rarely sit down to write a review at Amazon, after having read so much on Mme Callas, I feel it is my responsibility as a fan of this great art named opera to make the following points:
a)Maria Callas was not an interpreter. She was a creator herself to be placed at the same rank as Donizzeti, Bellini and Verdi. Had it not been for her I doubt that opera would exist today and if it did it would be a sad, boring musuem exhibit. She recreated the whole of Italian Opera -not just bel canto- and modernised it in a way that will make it last for another 100 years aftet her death. I remind you that opera in the 50's meant German Opera. Italian opera before Mme Callas was something of a joke. Terribly abused by singers and a bad tradition of horrendus vocalising, the music of Italian composers had lost its drama, its sense, its meaning.
b)why do people spend so much time judging the voice of this great artist? Why can they not just relax and enjoy this great artistry? No-one says that there no other great singers! But no matter how great, they are unfortunately just that:"singers". Caballe, Sutherland, Sills, Price, Fleming, Dessay all have amazing voices and great carreers. But, comparing them with a phenomenon that was for the opera what Mozart was for classical music simply does not do them justice.
c)Whether we like it or not Norma is a dramatic soprano role! A very difficult one as well and it should be treated with some respect. Caballe and Sutherland, because they had these amazing voices, did manage to sing it and they sang it well. But, as they were not dramatic sopranos they conveyed a lyricism in their interpretation that simply does not suit the role and Bellini's intentions. Other attempts however (Sills and -alas- Gruberova recently)should really remain as textbook examples of how inflated egos can ridicule both theselves and a work of art. I repeat that Norma is a dramatic soprano role. In this sense the only singers that approached the Callas perfection are Elena Suliotis (Decca for reason of expediency or stupidity is not reissuing her marvellous 1968 recording with Del Monaco) and Jane Eaglen in the Sony Muti recording. The only singer that seems to have been taught by the Callas Legacy in Bel Canto is Mme Renata Scotto but she was as well inadequate as Norma and wasted much of her talent singing (for commercial reasons, I suppose) Puccini.
d)Callas has been very unlucky as far as supporting cast is concerned. The 1960 Norma recording is the only exception. It features the amazing Franco Corelli. What a voice this man had! Pefect voice, perfect dramatic conviction, beautiful and clear italian diction. Can we imagine a Callas -Corelli partnership in Aida, Pirata, Manon Lescaut?
e)Callas did not lose her voice even though she overworked it in the 50s. The 1964 Tosca recording is the best proof of that. But she did lose her confidence and emotional stability. This fact led her quit her carreer in 1965 and that is the real tragedy of opera. Had she managed to work as hard in the 60-68 period when all her worry was Ar. Onassis we would have been left with at least 10 amazing stereo recordings. And I say 68 because someone like Callas simply would refuse to play young soprano roles after the age of 45. She believed that opera singers are like ballet dansers or athletes (and they are!), they should retire early. Mme Sutherland had a voice till the age of 60. And so? Is it not ridiculous singing La Sonnambula at the age of 59? If Callas did that she would not be the legend she is!

This is all I wanted to note on a woman that achieved a fame in the world of opera (and beyond!!!) in a way that noone else had before and I am afraid no one else will do so in the future. People had to sleep on pavements for three days and three nights to get a ticket for this lady!

CALLAS MESMERIZING AS NORMA.......2006-07-14

Reading through the online reviews, it is obvious that Maria created great controversy because her approach to classical singing and acting was so very different. She was everything, extraordinary singer with a rare vocal technique of endless colors and shades, from the video footage we have now we can see that she was truly the charismatic actress described in previous years, and above all . . . she was one of the great musicians of the last century.

No singer classical or popular has been without vocal problems, and it is important to remember that Maria began her stage career at the age of 17 with the Athens Opera as a professional opera singer. Her last stage performances were in 1965 in Tosca and Norma . . . a stage and recording career of almost 25 years! No small achievement, and she performed her great roles, Violetta, Lucia, Medea, and of course Norma . . . all over the world "live" for over a decade, Norma for almost 15 years.

It would be difficult to say of such an artist that "one" role was her best, since her vast repertory ranged from Wagner and Beethoven to Bellini, Puccini, Bizet and so many other composers.

She single handedly with the help of her great vocal and musical mentor Tullio Serafin, resurrected the great belcanto works of Donizetti and Bellini and transformed them in integrated vocal and dramatic experiences . . . fortunately for us, there are quite a few studio and live recordings available of this repertoire which she loved so much.

Personally, I never found Bellini's Norma to be a very interesting opera until I heard the 1960 recording with Maria. All previous recordings were lovely, with various singers singing 'Casta Diva' beautifully, but disengaged from the dramatic impact of the words and this complex woman, this figure out of a Greek tragedy!

Maria's 1960 performance I feel remains a rare experience, in which all the artists seem riveted by the dramatic power of her by then mesmerizing interpretation of Norma. Every subtlety of this conflicted woman's story is expresssed, even down to just single words.

Like many of her recordings and her career in general, I feel this recording is for the ages . . . unforgettable and deeply, deeply moving.

Average customer rating:

Manufacturer error
singer
Beverly Sills' trills...
The greatest Cleopatra forever
Ignore the ignorant basher

Handel: Giulio Cesare [Highlights]

Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000JKQ4
Release Date: 1999-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Manufacturer error.......2007-04-17

I received some Chopin piano music in this Sills CD case, even with the correct logo burned in.
Suspicious...

singer.......2007-01-12

Got this for an aria V'adoro Pupille. Was surprised to find tempo so different from other singers' versions, and she has many added florishes, but it is enjoyable. The recording is from a live performance so there are coughs, etc., as well as wild applause, but a nice addition.

Beverly Sills' trills..........2006-09-06

are fake. How can someone hear them and say that no other singer can match or surpass them? Love her all you wish, she used a false technique to produce the trills (as Bartoli does in her fioritura singing - exciting, but not technically accurate); Sutherland, Streich, Gruberova, and Hempel (Ponselle for that matter) executed TRUE, accurate (and quite pleasing to the ear) trills. Thank you.

The greatest Cleopatra forever.......2004-10-28

Now Beverly Sills definitely ain't a pin-up Cleo like Leonor Varela in the movie disaster from the 90ties but she was a very beautiful woman and had the voice of a sirene in those days, perfect for Handel, as perfect as can be. Her "V'adoro pupille" has to be heard to be believed, it's bursting with seductive colours. Ruth Ann Swenson could learn a thing or two from Sills here when it comes to phrasing and colouring. The "Da tempeste" is flawless, I could listen to it over and over again. Yet, why are there only highlights? Treigle&Sills are so great, they deserve more!

Ignore the ignorant basher.......2003-08-04

This JJ fellow really has a lot of nerves. Lately there's been a diva war between Callas, Sills, and Sutherland and he/she hasn't let up since. To the basher: we have every right to say that Sills is the best singing actress of this century; this is a Sills site! And we do not believe Callas is in the same league. She was a great actress but she had an annoyingly dry, coarse voice, even in her prime.

This is a fabulous live performance, very much comparable to the 1967 recording on the RCA label. I do have to say though, that some of the tempi are very slow, but then again when you have incomparable singing from Sills, one cannot wish for more. ~bash review neutralizer

Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Average customer rating:

Verdi: Macbeth

The Goddess

An Observation of Gino Penno's Macduff!

MARIA ONCE AGAIN

Bone-chilling and Evil

Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Giuseppe Verdi , Victor De Sabata , Maria Callas , Enzo Mascherini , Orchestra e coro del Teatro alla Scala , Italo Tajo , Gino Penno , Andrea Maffei , Dario Caselli , and Attilio Barbesi
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

Verdi: Aida (complete opera live 1951) with Maria Callas, Mario del Monaco, Oliviero de Fabritis, Orchestra & Chorus of del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City

Bellini: I Puritani

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana & Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (complete operas) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

ASIN: B00000630X
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Macbeth: Preludio
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - Che faceste? Dite su!
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - Giorno non vidi mai (Macbeth - Banco)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - Pro Macbetto! Il tuo signore
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - Due vaticini compiuti or sono (Macbeth - Banco)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - S'allontanarono!
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Nel di della vittoria io le incontrai
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Vien! t'affretta! (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Al cader della sera il re qui giunge (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Or tutti sorgete, ministri infernali (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Oh, donna mia! (Macbeth - Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Sappia la sposa mia (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Regna il sonno su tutti
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Fatal mia donna! un murmure
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Allor questa voce m'intesi nel petto
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Il pugnal la riportate (Lady Macbeth - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Di destarlo per tempo il re m'impose
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Schiudi, inferno (Macduff - Banco - Lady Macbeth - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene One - Perche mi sfuggi (Lady Macbeth - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene One - La luce langue (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Two - Chi v'impose unirvi a noi?
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Two - Studia il passo, o mio figlio!
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Two - Come dal ciel precipita (Banco)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Salve, o re! (Macbeth - Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Si colmi il calice (Lady Macbeth - Macduff)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Tu di sangue hai brutto il volto (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Che ti scosta, o re mio sposo (Lady Macbeth - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Si colmi il calice
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Sangue a me quell'ombra chiede (Lady Macbeth - Macduff - Macbeth)

Tracks:

Macbeth: Act Three - Tre volte miagola la gatta in fregola
Macbeth: Act Three - Ballo
Macbeth: Act Three - Finche appelli (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Three - Fuggi, regal fantasima (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Three - Ondine e silfidi dall'ali candide
Macbeth: Act Three - Ove son io? (Macbeth - Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene One - Patria oppressa!
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene One - O figli miei!
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene One - Ah, la paterna mano (Macduff)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene One - Dove siam? che bosco e quello? (Macduff)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Two - Vegliammo invan due notti
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Two - Una macchia e qui tuttora (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Three - Perfidi! All'Anglo contro me v'unite!
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Three - Pieta, rispetto, amore (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Three - Ella e morta!
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Four - All'armi! all'armi! (Macduff - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Four - Vittoria! (Macduff)

Customer Reviews:

Verdi: Macbeth.......2007-03-11

While not on the level on the level of the sound quality of a recent digital recording, it is good, and its historic value makes up for the sound quality. I am glad I bought it.

The Goddess.......2006-01-17

I have to say that Callas, for me, despite all her versatility, has a voice that reminds me of these kinds of roles- Lady Macbeth, Abigaila or Tosca. "Hard and shouting roles". This recording proves me right, because rarely her voice sounds so adequately casted. She is absolutely brilliant. Baritone Macbeth is very expressive vocally as well, and the tenor is of a very interesting dramatic voice color. The quality of sound can be disapointing for those who are looking for an opportunity to enjoy the grand energy of "Macbeth", but that is not the prime purpose of this recording. Value it as a fantastic opportunity to expirience atmosphere in which a real diva and real opera lovers spent a wonderful and memorable night.

An Observation of Gino Penno's Macduff!.......2005-09-16

A great historical Macduff, Penno is available on two recordings in this role; very rare for this role and even more rare that his career lasted less then 8 years. I never "got" the role of Macduff, even though many famous tenors have spoken of its importance, they never have seemed to imbue this character with the excruciating pain and bereavement he endures. That was before I heard Gino Penno.

Penno's sound had been a mystery to me because it seemed too vacuous and throaty. I did not like it then, but I found out that he had one of the largest voices, if not the THE largest voice on the stage at that time, not just among tenors but all voices. Gruadually, I understood the unique timbre and grew to respect his tendency to hold back his voice and protect his musicality, which is quite careful and delicate.

In this performance, he brings Macduff to a Shakespearean level. His "innigkeit" is a surpassing experience. His plea "O figli, miei" is a sympathetic outpouring of pure pity and affection. He says it the way a real man and father would do. It is touching, of course, as it should be.

Penno is easy to ignore, especially when the Callasian volcano is erupting about him, but listen intently with a libretto in one hand and a hankerchief in the other ... to dry your tears.

MARIA ONCE AGAIN.......2005-08-26

I fell under Maria Callas' "spell" very early in my teens which coincided with the conclusion of her performing career. It was a time long before she was the legend that she is today. In fact, at that time (late 50's early 60's) for a person to even state in public that they liked (or in my case adored) Maria Callas put that person at risk of receiving a lot of ridicule which could very easily turn to scorn. At the time, she was either loved or hated. I'm afraid that during my teen years I, alas, seemed to find more hate than love for her. Therefore, being the nerdy kid that I was I retreated into my own private world which consisted mainly of my record player and the recordings of Maria Callas. I eventually succeeded in procuring all of her commercial recordings-which were my prized possessions. However, I avoided (mainly due to their poor sound quality) the (what was known at that time as) "pirated" recordings.
Now that I, again, have reached a time in my life that I am, sort of, retreating into my own private world, I find myself turning, once again, to Maria Callas and to her singing for some solace. This time, my emphasis is (and will be) her "live" recordings--what used to be called the "pirated" recordings. After all, the technology restoring these live recordings has advanced unbelievably far. This recording of Maria's complete Lady Macbeth is a prime example. It is stupendous to hear Maria tackle the entire opera and to hear it in reasonably good sound. This performance catches her at her vocal peak! There is nothing Verdi throws at her that she can't do. In addition, even at the young age that she was during these La Scala performances, she was a very mature artist and was dramatically awesome-no wonder she became a legend. At this time she was vocally able to do anything. WOW, what a performance!!
Do yourself a favor by purchasing this recording to hear WHY Maria Callas is the operatic legend that she is today

Bone-chilling and Evil.......2005-01-26

When Arturo Toscanini was making plans to conduct a performance of Verdi's Macbeth at La Scala, he had one singer in mind--Maria Meneghini Callas. For more than a hundred years, this Verdi opera was much neglected by hundreds of great artist because of the composer's demands for the voice--choked, evil, not even singing. Of course, with the passing of time, a great artist with the genius of bel canto singing, the ability to color each and every phrase accurately, and with the most powerful stage and dramatic presence, came along the scene. Such a soprano was Maria Callas. Of course, because of her disputes with the damned Antonio Ghirangelli, the head of La Scala at the time, the Toscanini Macbeth never took place. How fortunate we truly are, however, to have Callas sing the role in La Scala a few years later with the great Victor de Sabata conducting. Here, we hear a totally different Callas, an antiheroine bent on achieving her goals without care for moral justice. No other soprano or mezzo for that matter could have captured the Lady Macbeth that Callas poured out on La Scala for the audiences that she mesmerized with her ability to portray such a despicable character. What a brilliant artist she truly was! Her letter scene is undoubtedly the benchmark for any other letter scene read by successive ladies after her career. Her La Luce Langue is simply amazing. Her sleepwalking scene caused only her to gain more legions of fans. Her colleagues weren't too bad either. Enzo Mascherini was evil yet cowardly as Macbeth. Truly a great performance that night. Do not miss out on this recording.

Average customer rating:

Landmark Soprano. An essential work for opera listeners.
Terrific introduction to the art of Callas
Callas was the greatest
Great starter CD
The epitome of divinity

Maria Callas - La Divina
Giacomo Puccini , Vincenzo Bellini , Georges Bizet , Gioachino Rossini , Alfredo Catalani , Camille Saint-Saëns , Giuseppe Verdi , Charles Gounod , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Pietro Mascagni , Amilcare Ponchielli , Tullio Serafin , Georges Prêtre , Nicola Rescigno , Franco Ghione , Antonino Votto , Maria Callas , Alfredo Kraus , Ebe Ticozzi , Giuseppe di Stefano , London Philharmonia Orchestra , Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala , Orchestre National de la R.D.F. , Conservatory Concert Society Orchestra , and Lisbon Orquesta Sinfonica del Teatro Nacional de San Carlos
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002RT6
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

Madama Butterfly: Un bel di, vedremo (Atto ll)
Carmen: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Acte l)
La Wally: Ebben? ne andro lontana (Atto l)
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Una voce poco fa (Atto l)
Norma: Casta Diva (Atto l)
Samson et Dalila: Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (Acte ll)
Rigoletto: Caro nome (Atto l)
La Traviata: Sempre libera (Atto l)
Romeo et Juliette: Je veux vivre dans ce reve (Acte l)
La Boheme: Si, mi chiamano Mimi (Atto l)
Don Giovanni: Mi tradi quell'alma ingrata (Atto ll)
Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi lo sapete, o mamma
La Gioconda: Suicidio! (Atto lV)
Gianni Schicchi1: O mio babbino caro
Turandot: In questa reggia (Atto ll)
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore (Atto ll)

Amazon.com

If you want to know the reason behind all the fuss about Maria Callas, buy this CD. Callas's great gift was not purity of tone or emission, reliability, or sheer loveliness; it was, rather, her ability to change her vocal color and style to suit not only particular periods of opera but to get under the skin of the individual characters she portrayed. Here you will hear the 18-year-old Butterfly imagining the return of her beloved; the sultry, adult Carmen seducing all around her; the youthful Wally telling her cruel father that she will go off into the cold wilderness rather than give up her boyfriend; the sly Rosina planning to outfox her guardian; the priestess Norma performing a sacred rite; Dalila wrapping Samson around her little finger and more; Gioconda contemplating suicide when all hope is gone; Gilda recalling the name of the boy she's just fallen for; and the icy princess Turandot reliving the rape of her ancestor and swearing that no man will possess her. And you'll believe them all. At times Callas's vocalism is a bit wiry (Juliette sounds stressed, for instance); but, in all, this is like a visit with 16 women, all of them interesting, and all of them great singers! --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Landmark Soprano. An essential work for opera listeners........2007-05-26

Maria Callas may be the only female 'superstar' working in my lifetime. In the 1950s and early 1960's, she had all the star power and paparrazi draw of Jackie and Marilyn, far outstripping the fame to the world at large of her primary rival, Renita Tibaldi. I am not an expert, or even an experienced amateur at evaluating operatic sopranos; however I've listened to several of the modern crop, and while the newbies probably do a better job of keeping on key, none of them can match the drama emoted by Ms. Callas on any given aria. All three releases are especially good buys, as they all run to over 72 minutes; however the recording quality does show its early (pre-multitrack, pre-digital) recording technology. Each is as good as the next regarding content, but 2 and 3 are a bit better in sound quality.

Terrific introduction to the art of Callas.......2007-04-24

This album is entitled "Divina," not to be confused with "Divina 2," itself a very nice example of Callas at her best. This CD samples a variety of her roles, indicating the range of her art. A few examples. . . .

"Un bel di" from Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" is very well done. She displays a rich voice and a passionate rendering of this aria. At greater volume, her voice remains under control and attractive sounding (something that does not always occur as her career developed further).

The "Habanera" from Bizet's "Carmen" is normally a mezzo soprano work. However, Callas features a good lower tone, and it works pretty well here. She shows nice breath control, too. The orchestral backing is exceptional.

"Sempre libera," from Verdi's "La Traviata," is a soprano's dream. Here, though, Callas' voice is not as attractive as in other cuts. There is some harshness with higher notes. Alfredo Kraus' singing, by the way, is most attractive. There is some unpleasantness with Callas technique in this work, although there is a nice characterization as well (this is the price you pay for Callas). She shows off some nice runs, but zero in the way of trills (some other sopranos display nice trills in this piece).

Finally, a very well done version of "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from Puccini's "La Boheme." Sweet sounds at the outset. She seems to capture the character well. Smooth singing, done well.

Thus, a good introduction to the art of Maria Callas. There are cuts here that feature some of the wondrous nature of her work. There are other cuts where one hears some unattractive aspects of her singing and one wonders about her technique. But, in the end, this is a good representation of the work of Callas.

Callas was the greatest.......2007-02-06

It's amazing how the anti-Callas claquers continue to thrive. I'll side with Leonard Bernstein, who labeled Callas "The Bible of Opera," and who described her 1952 performance of La Sonnambula under his baton as "pure electricity." Unfortunately, recordings don't do justice to any artist, given the lack of spontaneity and a full audience, as well as a host of other reasons. Even Callas withheld many recordings from release because she was her own worst critic and they did not meet her high standards. I've been listening to opera for over 30 years and although I can appreciate the artistry of Tebaldi, Sutherland, Sills, Freni, Carteri, Moffo, Price, etc., some of whom had better pure voices, there was none that could match Maria's intensity, passion, range, personality, acting ability and pure emotion. Callas could sing bel canto colaratura but drop down to a near-mezzo voice that included many dramatic roles.

The Callas bashers will always be with us, but thankfully they will always be in the tiny minority. True connossiers of opera know there never has been and never will be as great a singer as La Divina.

Great starter CD.......2005-11-24

As simplistic as this sounds, this is a perfect CD if you know you like opera, but don't know exactly what you want to hear. You'll definitely recognize some of the more popular arias, and will grow to love the others.

The epitome of divinity.......2005-03-31

Divine and then some.
A unique mezzo voice delivering a 'one-two-three punch': one in the gut, one in the heart and one in the head.
The listener instinctually senses all she imparts-regardless of French,Italian,German literacy or opera knowledge.
Her gifts were many-the 'voice'(simultaneously:sharp,buttery,bright and dark),inimitable phrasing,timing,dramatic intensity and versatility.
A fine jumping off point for Callas neophytes and Opera 'sissies' who say they don't like Opera, but never really listened to any.
For all of us already converted, I say turn it up!

Average customer rating:

cavalerica rusticana
Pass this one up if you are a Andre fan
Cavalaria Rusticana with Andrea Bocelli.
Strong performance
Wonderful!!!!!!!

Mascagni: Cavaleria Rusticana

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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We All Love Ennio Morricone

ASIN: B000I5X7UW
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Tracks:

Preludio
O lola ch'ai di latti la cammisa (Siciliana)
Ah!
Gli aranci olezzano sui verdi margini
Dite, mamma Lucia
Il cavallo scalpita
Beato voi, compar Alfio
Regina coeli, laetare
Inneggiamo, il Signor non è morto (Preghiera)
Voi lo sapete, o mama (Romanza)
Tu qui, Santuzza?
Fior di giaggiolo
Turiddu, è passato Alfio?
Ah! lo vedi, che hai tu detto?
No, no, Turiddu, rimani
Oh! Il Signore vi manda (Duetto)
Turridu mi tolse l'onore
Intermezzo sinfonico
A casa, a casa amici ...Comare Lola
Intanto, amici, qua...Viva il vino spumeggiante
A voi tutti salute!
Compar Alfio!
Mamma, quel vino è generoso
Turridu? Che vuoi dire?

Amazon.com

This recording of a complete opera by pop-star-almost-turned-opera singer Andrea Bocelli is of Mascagni's one-act potboiler, the popular Cavalleria Rusticana. Bocelli's role, Turiddu, is an insensitive cad, a ladies' man who dumps our heroine, Santuzza, cruelly and without care. The role is relatively heavy--more of a Domingo-sized voice is required than, say, a Pavarotti. And sad to say, Bocelli isn't even close. Even more so than in his other opera recordings, his voice comes across as underpowered, and he is so closely miked that he sounds as if he's clenching his throat for volume. He is almost strained to the breaking point in the "Brindisi." He effectively darkens his tone at times, but the overall impression is of an out-of-town tryout. Dramatic soprano Paoletta Marrocu sings Santuzza with a nice, dark tone, but she has severe pitch problems throughout. Stefano Antonucci's fine baritone is pushed in the role of Alfio. Stephen Mercurio leads with a sense of excitement. I fear that even Bocelli's greatest fans will be disappointed. For a truly thrilling recording of this opera, stick with the one starring Placido Domingo and Renata Scotto, led by James Levine. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

cavalerica rusticana.......2007-04-27

As always, Bocelli's singing is tops in my book. I enjoy the music that much more when he is singing. His voice is the best tenor I have listened to in my 60+ yrs. I can't think of anyone else I would rather listen to for an entire afternoon or evening. I'm always waiting for more!

Pass this one up if you are a Andre fan.......2007-04-04

This is for you if you love opera. But if you are a Andre fan, pass it by. Why? Not much Andre and lots of opera

Cavalaria Rusticana with Andrea Bocelli........2007-03-30

I have several versions of this Opera, love them all. Since Andrea Bocelli is my favorite tenor, this disc is numero uno. Great production.

Strong performance.......2007-03-16

I have several other recordings of this opera so I feel I know it. I have long awaited the Bocelli recording and find it yet another super addition to my collection. I cannot get through this one without responding with tears. From track 2, the behind the scenes "O Lola ch'ai di latti la cammisa,--" whets your appetite for more with its haunting quality of longing and sweetness. Later, his disdain for Santuzza's pleading turns to squirming discomfort and anger through their dueling vocal exchanges. The big aria "Mamma, quel vino e generoso-" is strong and filled with anguish for what lies ahead.
Bocelli's contribution is my initial reason for purchasing this cd---however, ALL the voices in the ensemble deserve high praise.
This is an excellent production. Steven Mercurio conducts with his passion and electricity as well. He works well with Bocelli and it always shows to their mutual advantage.

Wonderful!!!!!!!.......2007-02-28

Andrea Bocelli, the world's most popular tenor (and Best selling) and pop sensation as well, has recorded his sixth full length Opera Recording; Mascagni: Cavaleria Rusticana; which has many of the opera world's beautiful arias. Bocelli has also recorded Massenet; Werther, Verdi; Il Trovatore, Puccini; La Boheme, Leoncavallo: Pagliacci and Puccini; Tosca. Bocelli who did not go the traditional route into the Opera world has garnered much critical disdain and at the same time, much adoration of the people (not unlike Marino Lanza). Bocelli has recorded a series of wonderful pop crossover albums that just drive the opera critics out of there (collective) minds (Romanza and Amore being two) . Andrea is another in the line of the peoples tenor, he transcend's the opera world and bring Opera to the general public. Bocelli has a very beautiful voice that expresses much emotion. His tone and diction are excellent and his Volume is much better then the critics claim, he is always moving, his singing touches one's heart. Bocelli is supported hear, by an excellent cast; Elena Belfiore, Enkelejda Shkosa, Paoletta Marrocu, Salvatrice Rafisardo, and Orchestra del Teatro Massimo "Bellini" Catania. The Conductor is Steven Mercurio and he always works wonderfully with Bocelli. All of Mascagni: Cavaleria Rusticana is wonderful and the HIGHLIGHT is Mamma! Mamma, quel vino e generoso witch is one of the best version I have ever heard. This is a must have for all Bocelli fan's.

Average customer rating:

Happy Days are Here Again!!!!

Puccini: La fanciulla del West

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000PKG5E0
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

Introduzione
Hello! Hello! Alla 'Polka'!
Hello...Nick
Che Fararno I Vecchi Miel
Jim, Perche Piangi?
Ragazzi, Fate Largo!
Hello, Minnie!
Dove Eravamo?
La Posta!
Ti Voglio Bene, Minnie
Minnie, Dalla Mia Casa Son Partito
Laggiu Nel Soledad
Chi C'e, Per Farmi I Ricci?
Ragazzi! Uno Straniero Ricusa Confessare
Mister Johnson, Siete Rimastro Indietro
Lo Non Son Che Una Povera Fanciulla
Quello Che Tacete
S'e Visto Qui Attorno
Ah, Non Ternete, Nessuno Ardira

Tracks:

Il Mio Bimbo E Grande E Piccino
Billy, E Fissato?
Hello... Buona Sera!
Oh, Se Sapeste
Ugh! Neve!
Hello!... Chiamano...
Vieni Fuori!
Or Son Sei Mesi Che Mio Padre Mori
L'han Ferito...Che Importa?
Che C'e Di Nuovo, Jack?
Oh, Strano! Del Sangue Sulla Mano
Una Parita A Poker!
Ve Lo Giuro, Sceriffo
Ah! Ah! Ah!... Urrah, Ragazzi!
E Cosi, Mister Johnson, Come Va?
Risparmiate Lo Schemo
Ch'ella Mi Creda
Ah! Ah! Ah!... E Minnie!
Non Vi Fu Mai Chi Disse 'Basta!'
E Anche Tu Lo Vorrai, Joe
Le Tue Parole Sono Di Dio

Customer Reviews:

Happy Days are Here Again!!!! .......2007-06-26

This recording was originally intended for Franco Corelli and Maria Callas, and like its more famous counterpart with Tebaldi and del Monaco (originally intended for Gigliola Frazzoni) it went through the casting blues. Yet, in its own way, this recording of Fanciulla is superb and highly recommended!

True, Birgit Nilsson is no Frazzoni; she lacks the abandon, the true verismo approach, and even Tebaldi's middle voice dwarfs Nilssons. Therefore, one is justified in validating the poor reviews it has received through the years. Still, Nilsson is wonderful! She felt that Italian music must be given a narrow production, wider for Strauss and most solid for Wagner. Generally, that is true, but Minnie is closer the hochdramatish category, along with Turandot, Elektra, Brynhilde, and Kundry. So, maybe La Nilsson should have reconsidered her choice of timbre.

Joe Gibin had a ringing beautiful voice, placed like Domingo, but deeper, richer, larger and more spinning at the top. I am very fond of his Ramirrez!! I am happy he is the tenor and wish there was more available. Apparently, he did not prove dependable enough to last on the lyric stage. Mongelli is the most beautiful voice on the set, Stracciari-like in its richness!

Von Matacic brings details to Fanciulla vorsaken by others, and he is every bit as dramatic as Votto when the score calls for it.

Bravi, at last!

Bellini: I Puritani / Callas, di Stefano, Rossi-Lemeni, Panerai; Serafin

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For Callas and DiStefano fans
The Callas-Sutherland Catfight explained for newbies
Excellent rendition of this opera
The colour of tears, the colour of madness, the colour of joy
A Supreme Elvira

Bellini: I Puritani / Callas, di Stefano, Rossi-Lemeni, Panerai; Serafin
Vincenzo Bellini , Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala , Tullio Serafin , Maria Callas , Giuseppe di Stefano , Nicola Rossi-Lemeni , Rolando Panerai , Angelo Mercuriali , and Aurora Cattelani
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
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Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
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ASIN: B000002RXQ
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

I Puritani: Sinfonia
I Puritani: Act One, Scene One: All'erta!
I Puritani: Act One, Scene One: O Di Cromvel Guerrieri
I Puritani: Act One, Scene One: A Festa!
I Puritani: Act One, Scene One: Or Dove Fuggo Io Mai
I Puritani: Act One, Scene One: Ah! Per Sempre Io Ti Perdei
I Puritani: Act One, Scene One: Tappellan Le Schiere... Bel Sogno Beato Di Pace E Contento
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Two: O Amato Zio, O Mio Secondo Padre!
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Two: Sai Com'arde In Petto Mio
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Two: Odi... Qual Suon Si Desta?
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: Ad Arturo Onore
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: A Te, O Cara, Amor Talora
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: Il Rito Augusto Si Compia Senza Me
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: Com'io, Vi Unisca
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: Son Vergin Vezzosa
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: Sulla Virginea Testa
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: Ferma, Invan Rapir Pretendi
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: E Gia Al Ponte - Passa Il Forte
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: Oh Vieni Al Tempio - Fedele Arturo
I Puritani: Act One, Scene Three: Ma Tu Gia Mi Fuggi?

Tracks:

I Puritani: Act Two: Ah... Dolor! Ah, Terror!
I Puritani: Act Two: Qual Novella?
I Puritani: Act Two: Cinta Di Fiori E Col Bel Crin Disciolto
I Puritani: Act Two: E Di Morte Lo Stral Non Sara Lento
I Puritani: Act Two: O Rendetemi La Speme... Qui La Voce Sua Soave Mi Chiamava
I Puritani: Act Two: Vien, Diletto, E In Ciel La Luna!
I Puritani: Act Two: Il Rival Salvar Tu Dei
I Puritani: Act Two: Se Tra Il Buio Un Fantasma Vedrai
I Puritani: Act Two: Riccardo! Riccardo!
I Puritani: Act Two: Suoni La Tromba
I Puritani: Act Three: Son Salvo, Alfin Son Salvo
I Puritani: Act Three: A Una Fonte Affitto E Solo
I Puritani: Act Three: Qual Suon! Alcun S'Appressa
I Puritani: Act Three: Son Gia Lontani!
I Puritani: Act Three: Fini... Me Lassa!
I Puritani: Act Three: Ch'ei Provo Lontan Da Me?
I Puritani: Act Three: Vieni Fra Queste Braccia
I Puritani: Act Three: Alto La! Fedel Drappello
I Puritani: Act Three: Cavalier, Ti Colse Il Dio
I Puritani: Act Three: Credeasi, Misera!
I Puritani: Act Three: Suon D'Araldi?

Amazon.com essential recording

This dates from near the beginning of Maria Callas's recording career. It was for many fans their first encounter with her, and it contains some of the most beautiful singing she ever did before a recording microphone. Set in 17th-century England, during the struggle between the Puritan supporters of Oliver Cromwell and the Cavalier royalists who supported the Stuart dynasty, this opera focuses on the problems of Elvira, a young Puritan woman in love with Arturo, a member of the Cavalier faction. Complications arise, Elvira believes she has been betrayed by Arturo, and she loses her mind. Her mad scene (a kind of music for which Callas developed a formidable technique) is the opera's musical and dramatic climax, but by no means the only reason for getting to know it. While the role of Elvira towers over the others, ensemble singing is a strong part of I Puritani's appeal. Callas's voice was in its top form for this recording, and her superb acting skills convey many subtle shades of anguish. She dominates the performance, but her supporting cast is better than those she usually got before becoming a major international star, and they work well together. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

For Callas and DiStefano fans.......2007-01-04

This is a beautiful CD. It is unmistakably Callas and there is a breathtaking aria by DiStefano. The sound quality is not great (but not poor). A pleasure for Callas fans!

The Callas-Sutherland Catfight explained for newbies.......2006-10-23

In the unlikely event that anyone reading this isn't already exhaustively familiar with the subject, I'll volunteer to explain who this Joan Sutherland person is and why she figures so prominently in these reviews of a recording on which she is not heard.

Devotees of operatic sopranos [which I insist on calling them, since I still remember a time when "diva" was supposed to have some negative connotations] can be as fiercely partisan towards their "home team" as any sports fanatic. All the more so since the "sport" in question produces what is arguably the most intense esthetic pleasure to be found in any human endeavor. [There are those who might get something similar from a perfectly timed Michael Jordan dunk - but really it's not even close.] So don't kid yourself - even though the opera house is supposed to be at the opposite end of the civilization scale from the sports stadium, the fans in attendance are just as likely to get rowdy if they don't like a particular call.

Now to stretch this analogy to what is perhaps its breaking point: you can consider Joan Sutherland to be the New York Yankees to Maria Callas's Boston Red Sox. It's not simply that Sox fans passionately detest the Yankees. It's that the Yankees offend their fundamental sense of what the game is supposed to be about. The Yankees have their expensive roster and that galling number of World Series trophies [i.e. Sutherland's technically spectacular voice and long, happy career], while the Sox have *heart* [i.e. Callas's unequalled expressiveness and womanly struggles with weight and disappointed love].

This kind of fan identification - though technically irrelevant to an appreciation of the art - is a significant part of the opera aficionado's experience, so I would never minimize its importance. [Besides, if anyone ever said anything mean about Birgit Nilsson, I would want to scratch their eyes out.] So, from a consumer guidance perspective, it's completely irrelevant that the Sutherland performance is more technically proficient [the importance of which in this style of music can't be simply argued away] or has better sound. *This is Callas*. And it's close enough to her best that you don't have to buy into the Judy Garland/Billie Holiday-ish cult of La Divina [in which the cracked notes of the late career have something of the redemptive suffering of the Seven Stations of the Cross] in order to hear what was extraordinary in her music-making.

Excellent rendition of this opera.......2006-04-07

Firstly, before discussing the singers, one must discuss this version of the opera. It is hardly complete, and even the solo numbers for Callas are heavily cut, often to the point they lose any real direction. To those that think this is because of Callas' poor techique, that is NOT the case. That was the custom of the times. Because Bel Canto operas often have long lovely melodies, and little drama, producers and directors felt cuts were needed to keep the audience's attention. Some cuts were traditional from performances through the years, but NONE of the cuts were ever made with the intent to make the music better, just shorten it.

One will not find the extra number at the end of the opera that Sutherland and Sills both sing, which Bellini wrote for a version of the opera he completed for Italy and for Malibran. The "Son Vergin vezzosa" of this version was included in the first production because Grisi could sing it well. Because of length of performance do to popularity of the numbers (and audience requiring repeats), some sections in the Act III duet were cut, and other cuts made as well.

None of those cuts ruined the structure of the pieces of the opera, these cuts do. "Son Vergin" is so cut and slashed it ends before it really has a chance to being. And the mad scene is omitting much, though all the long slow parts are in tact. It is the finale of the entire opera that is butchered to death. After the famous "Credeasi Misera", the opera just ends! Any development that could come out of that extremely cut ending (lacking the additional aria that Sutherland and Sills both sing) is cut even worse by removing an entire 3 pages of the score. And excepting the final notes, the lead singers sing NONE of the notes or interjections that would render some sense to what is happening. Again, a common practice of the time so that the singers could save their voice for a high note ending.

As a conception of the opera and what Bellini intended, this is certainly an extremely flawed version.

Yet, in spite of the lack of understanding of that time period in keeping music intact, there are wonders that come out of this recording that are simply jewels worth the experience.

Firstly, the conducting and reading of the score by Serafin is incredible. He makes each phrase telling, have meaning, and flow with such emotion. Even with this heavily cut version of the opera, with cuts that ruin the progression of the musical thought, he works magic. His understanding of this type of music, of this type of opera, is incredible. Would that many modern conductors would listen to his recordings and learn. He also supports his singers well, and NEVER overshadows them. Every thing blends into a perfect whole.

As for Callas, there is little to say. I enjoy her singing immensely and always have, even as a child when I actually heard her in her last Normas in Paris, and her Tosca in London. I have no problems admitting her voice was flawed, it was not beautiful at all, and at times it was simply UGLY. But her understanding of technique, of how to use the voice, what was musical and appropriate and what was not, was unbelievable. She says that Serafin taught her all she knew about a recitative, but did she ever learn and master what she was taught to perfection.

Her understanding of what Bel Cant is was not only evident in her recordings, but in her own words when teaching at Julliard. She knew how to make many small breaths appear as one long seamless whole, she knew the art of phrasing, and she used incredible musicality when performing. Was she perfect? By no means. Was she the most polished singer? Not in the least. But she knew how to tern a phrase and make it live. Some have talked about her "using flute notes" in their reviews. What they mean to say is her habit of using pianissimo when singing coloratura, or reducing the volume of the tone to sing very difficult passages. Yes, she did that. No, Joan Sutherland does not do that. Callas was a creature of her training, and she as trained by a great colorature soprano (at least of her day), and was therefore taught the way to turn a phrase and use a quieter tone when singing coloratura passages, the reason for doing so was so the voice didn't need to use a cover through the passagio in quick scales and trills. ( a cover should be used only in full voiced singing, and not with coloratura since it often makes it very heavy sounding; since Sutherland covered all the time, no matter what she was doing and knew how to use that cover to her advantage, avoiding the cover was not something she had to worry about)

What makes Callas great is her use of technique to bring out the drama she feels within, and there, she has no peers at all.

As for di Stephano, he is fine in this role, even if he is quite wrong for it. His D's are more than strained. His high F is not there at all but is replaced with a D Flat. Though that shows he couldn't handle the note Pavarotti can (and he wouldn't have sing that note in falsetto as Pavarotti did simply because at that time no one would have accepted it as proper at all, when in reality, Rubini, the creator of the role of Arturo sang everything above a G in a head voice), it hardly ruins the music, for the repeat of that high-lying phrase using the D flat instead of the F actually works better musically in some ways.

The basses were fine but I did find Rossi-Lemeni barks too often, and has a very rough legato line because of harsh blasting consonants.

All in all, it is a great performance, but if one wants a real representation of the opera, not just great singers (and in this case, mostly Callas) buy the recordings of Joan Sutherland/Pavarotti or Sills/Gedda and you will get the opera more complete (including all the reworked parts that are in the Malibran score). As for which is best? I really have no clue, as I love them all, and own them all, and listen to them all, depending on which mood I am in. If for emotional connection, I listen to Callas; if emotion with good technique, Sills; for just plain dazzling display, Sutherland.

My operatic world have room for them all.

The colour of tears, the colour of madness, the colour of joy.......2006-03-13

"I Puritani" is a splendid opera. One doesn't listen to it for a lifelike plot, after all, but for some of the most ravishing music ever written, and some beautiful characterisation which emanates from the music itself.

While this is my favourite Puritani, because of the marvellous Maria Callas in the role of Elvira, I also own and delight in other recordings of this opera. I see no point in downgrading other singers' performances - Callas's achievements do not need that. I do not need to despise other singers in the role - Callas's beautiful and emotionally powerful singing is not given anything extra by scorning others.

On the contrary... I adore all beauties in music, and respect all the work that great singers have put into bel canto music such as is found in Puritani. Beverley Sills is a marvellous Elvira; Anna Moffo is incredibly beautiful in the role; Mirella Freni is heartbreakingly lovely as Elvira; Joan Sutherland (particularly in her earlier recording) was stunning in the role; Gruberova is a dream Elvira... and it goes on.

For all that, Callas remains my favourite. I can hear the aching truth of Elvira's emotions in the voice of Callas. I hear Callas not as Callas, but as Elvira. There really is no better recording of this gorgeous opera, and each note, each phrase has meaning in the superb artistry of Callas.

Di Stefano is fine in the role of Arturo, and the other singers are equally adept. The conducting by Serafin is magnificent - I think no other conductor understands Bellini as Serafin does.

I refuse to part with any of my "Puritani" recordings - but this one, above all, is the most frequently played of them all.

A Supreme Elvira.......2005-06-03

It was fate that brought Elvira and Maria Callas together when soprano Margherita Carioso (who died only a year or two ago! Can you believe that?) was indisposed for the performance and was discovered by Serafin during her run of Walkures in Fenice. His wife had heard her singing the Qui la voce mad scene and immediately asked Serafin to give her a listen. He didn't realize that she didn't know the part yet, only the aria from her studies with Hidalgo, and to her complete surprise he signed her up for a run of Elviras in the middle of a series of Brunhilldas, and so the Callas legend began with this dramatic soprano who sang the leggero role of Elvira. But that is another story.

There exists a copy of her I Puritani in Mexico with di Stefano, which finds her in spectacular voice. However, as astonishing as the recording may be, it doesn't have the sensitivity that this recording with Serafin has. Under the baton of Guido Picco, the inner beauties of Bellini's score is not realized. Under Serafin, a greater dramatic canvas is laid out for Callas' genius. The many coloratura sopranos who handled the part before Maria sang the role to showcase the many runs and trills to impress the operatic audience, but Callas renewed the part with dramatic insight and a darkness that other sopranos could never explore. The mad scene alone is worth the price of this recording, and I find that it has more meat to it than the Cetra recordings. Her voice is freer in this recording than most of the recordings that she made for EMI in the years to come. Hers is an Elvira of madness, of delirium, something that only Callas can touch, and it is because of this that I would highly recommend it to you to listen to her Elvira. Accompanying her in this recording is Giuseppe di Stefano, a legendary lyric tenor who effectively sings Arturo's part with an ardour that he compensated for in the Mexico performances. The opera is conducted by Serafin, a master of bel canto, and I would just like to say that this recording is as essential as Puccini if you want to hear truly good music.

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