The Maria Callas Thread

[whipped guy]

Sorry this is long winded...

I was waiting for a rainy day to do this… and yesterday was the day as wind and rain from the remnants of a tropical depression swept through the northeast…

 

Our recent discussions of La Sonnambula got me to check out Callas’ various complete versions as Amina… Bellini’s gentle sleepwalking heroine. (La Scala 1955, EMI studio, Cologne July 4 and 6, Edinburgh August 21 and 26.. all 1957.) I have them all complete except for the second Cologne performance of which I have excerpts. All are conducted by Antonino Votto except for the 1955 performance which is under Leonard Bernstein and is totally dissimilar from her later performances regarding tempi, cuts, embellishments, etc. Bernstein’s performing edition is much more complete and as such it is distinctive. Unfortunately it has the worst sound of all the preserved versions.

 

I know of no other performance of a Bel Canto opera dating from this period that is performed with most of the cabaletta repeats intact and so few internal cuts. Bernstein even includes the small aria for the secondary soprano plus the beautiful ensemble prior to the final sleepwalking scene. This ensemble does not include Callas, but it contains such a gorgeous melody that I can’t imagine why it would be cut. Also, the presence of Cesare Valetti in the tenor role is an asset… as he was one of the most aristocratic of performers and in spite of not possessing the high C necessary to sing the role as in the traditional printed score. (Bellini’s autograph has the tenor’s arias in even higher keys!) Still, Callas refined her interpretation and adjusted her embellishments… and mostly for the better for the 1957 revival under Votto… though I wish she had continued to perform the more complete and more interestingly embellished version of her opening cabaletta as with Bernstein. Still, the extra staccato flourishes that she employs in the last act cabaletta under Bernstein are quite exciting and electrify in an almost Sutherland-like manner and this in spite of not extending her cadenza just prior to the second verse up to the high E-flat as in the 1957 performances. Plus, Callas seems to be pulling out all the stops here to bring the opera to a rousing conclusion… in her later efforts she substituted a bit of under-statement for the flash… both approaches work… but ultimately she opted for elegance verses mere fireworks and given the gentle nature of the title character as interpreted by Callas they seem considerably more appropriate. Callas uses her “little girl” voice in this opera, and it seems to fit in naturally. Incidentally, Callas portrayed Anna Bolena in between the series of 1957 La Sonnambula performances and there she used a much larger sounding voice… it is grander and more lush sounding… as would befit a queen.

 

At any rate, while the Bernstein is in the worse sound, the studio recording naturally has the best sound. In spite of his many cuts, Votto actually paces the opera in a more sympathetic manner and in a more Bel Canto fashion than does Bernstein who tends to drive the music too forcefully at times… However, Bernstein is never dull and Votto can sound “sleepy”… but since it is indeed an opera about sleep his gentle and more poetic approach is really not out of place.

 

Regarding the other live performances… I find the first (July 4) Cologne performance somewhat over-rated… Still, the emotional impact made during the “D’un pensiero” ensemble near the end of the first act and the manner in which Callas articulates her trills quite beautifully in the duet “Son geloso” are not quite captured in the studio version. However, “”Ah! Non credea” is paced just a tad too quickly and there is a minor lapse in the final cabaletta. Also the way she articulates some of the embellishments in her opening cabaletta is a bit crude compared to her other outings and the penultimate note consists of an E-flat in alt that is not as convincing as in some of he other performances. Still, there are many subtleties of phrasing that are better achieved here than on the commercial recording… and Callas is indeed in great voice… so it’s a keeper as well. The second Cologne performance finds Callas back on track during her first act aria at least as far as the E-flat is concerned… but I have not heard the performance complete…but again “Ah! Non credea” is just a trifle too fast. During her final cabaletta she takes a breath before beginning the second verse which somewhat interrupts the flow, but otherwise it is vintage Callas.

 

Regarding the first (August 21) Edinburgh performance, she really does make a mess of her opening aria and cabaletta (her attempt at an E-flat in alt is indeed a disaster)… and while she does settle down after that and sings a beautiful and typical performance… the voice is never quite totally pure and never looses its “tired” quality. This could possibly be due to the bright recorded sound of this first Edinburgh performance that is characteristic of every version that I have heard. In that regard the second Edinburgh finds her sounding quite fresh and relaxed. It is said that the final performance was the best of all, but it was unfortunately not recorded. Still, there is something about this performance that is appealing once one gets past that opening aria… There is a certain passion and also a wealth of detail that only Callas could provide… a case in point is the manner In which she traces the second stanza of her final cabaletta… not wanting to place too much pressure on the voice, she actually sings much of it piano… and then pianissimo… the result being teeny weenie staccato embellishments that defy description. During her prime years Callas was often able to overcome any vocal shortcomings and turn liabilities into asses… at least that holds true in this performance.

 

As noted, Callas is in much better voice for the second preserved performance of August 26. The E-flat at the end of the first aria is rock solid and elsewhere she is mostly on target as well. However, she has a small lapse in a cadenza at the conclusion of the ensemble where the villagers relate the story about the ghost that haunts the village… Plus, while it is perfectly placed, she attacks the interpolated high E-flat at the conclusion of the first act a couple of measures too late… so it is a bit short in duration.

 

So which is the best recording??? For the casual listener I would get the commercial recording and supplement it with either the unique Bernstein or one of the Edinburgh or Cologne versions in spite of the lapses mentioned above.

 

Callas also recorded both of her big scenes commercially with Serafin conducting… The voice is quite fee and fresh, however she includes only minimal embellishments which, except for a ringing E-flat in alt at the conclusion of the first aria makes these performances sound uninteresting in comparison to her other versions… which is probably why Callas initially suppressed their release.

 

One footnote… There is a film of Callas singing “Ah! Non credea” (minus the cabaletta) from 1965 that is simply mesmerizing… It shows that Callas was capable of being in complete command of her voice even at that late date…. It is among her best versions of the aria. I doubt that she would have been able to be as successful if she had tackled the cabaletta, but at least it shows that her ability to sing a seamless legato was indeed intact.

(Aria only... other posted versions include the long opening recitative as well.)

 

As one might guess I simply love this opera… Another fascinating performance is Sutherland and Gedda under Varviso from the MET 1963. It can be heard complete at www.metplayer.org I wish Gedda were more stylish and less of a bull in a china shop, but he is exciting and the voice is vibrant and effervescent. Sutherland simply outdoes herself… and she is in even better voice than on her first commercial recording. The trills in the cadenza with which she concludes the opera simply have to be heard to be believed. A separate greatness! Yes, Sutherland here is indeed “La Stupenda”, while Callas certainly lives up to being “La Divina”.

 

Still, in spit of all that Sutherland and some others have accomplished in this most beautiful of Bellini’s operas… Callas is ultimately and most definitely the most divine of all. She simply is Amina… and if you don’t believe it listen to how she phrases her little recitative when she makes her entrance toward the beginning of the last act… “Reggimi O buona madre”… She touches the heart as no other singer can in this seemingly throw-away moment… Here Callas gets to the essence that is Amina thus making this small moment the centerpiece of the entire opera and telling us more about the fragile Amina than would have been thought possible given the simplicity of the moment. Only Callas could have accomplished so much with so little…

[+ Italiano]

Loved your review, whipped guy!

[whipped guy]

More Sonnambula...

 

As an addendum to my La Sonnambula post above I just learned that the "complete" version of the July 6 Cologne performance that was originally released by Divina Records in 1997 was withdrawn several years ago because it contained material that was identical to the performance of July 4... Still, the excerpts that I have heard (Eklipse EKR P-12) are definitely from a different performance as far as I can determine... So possibly the jury is still out regarding if the entire Performance of July 6 was recorded. To complicate matters there are even rumors that the dress rehearsal was recorded as well... It will be interesting to see how this ultimately plays out as Divina records promises a new release of the July 6 performance.

[Guest alanm]

I am thinking of doing some early holiday shopping this weekend before the rush. I read all the comments again, and they are extremely helpful in every way.

 

I understand that it would be unfair to always keep this thread near the top of this forum, but I hope it doesn't get buried on the second page. Not likely with Wipped Guy around!

[whipped guy]

alanm made me do it!

The Callas Holiday Gift Giving Guide

The essential items featuring the composers with whom she was most closely associated listed in alphabetical order. I have selected the works that are mostly representative of Callas during the period when she was in her best vocal condition. Of course choosing the absolute best performance of a given opera is probably impossible and others will certainly have different recommendations, but I have tried to balance such factors as sound quality and performance factors… and that includes conducting and the supporting cast as well.

Bellini:

I Puritani – DiStefano, Panerai – Serafin EMI

La Sonnambula – Monti, Zaccaria – Votto EMI (See above posting for alternative versions)

Norma – Simionato, Del Monico – Votto Live La Scala 1955 (Divina Records has best version) (See above posting for alternative versions of Norma.)

Donizetti:

Lucia di Lammermoor – DiStefano, Panerai – von Karajan Live Berlin 1955 (See above posting for alternative versions of Lucia.)

Anna Bolena – Simionato, Raimondi – Gavazzeni Live La Scala 1957 (Divina has the best version.)

Puccini:

Tosca – DiStefano, Gobbi – DeSabata EMI (A classic by any standards.)

Rossini:

Il Barbiere di Siviglia – Gobbi, Alva – Galliera EMI (Proof that Callas could excel in comedy as well… though she is even better as in the same composer’s Il Turco in Italia.)

Verdi:

La Traviata – DiStefano, Bastianini – Giulini Live La Scala 1955 (Alternate versions: Lisbon 1958 and Covent Garden 1958. Pass on the 1953 studio version.)

 

Un Ballo In Maschera – DiStefano, Bastianini – Gavazzeni Live La Scala 1957

 

 

Other interesting items to consider:

 

Bizet:

 

Carmen EMI (Recorded late in her career and past her prime, but Callas is Carmen.)

 

Cherubini:

 

Medea EMI (Plus a variety of live versions. Being Greek Callas certainly identified with Medea.)

 

Rossini:

 

Armida Live Florence 1952… Poor sound, a poor representation of the opera itself… but Callas has to be heard to be believed. (Again Divina has the best version that I have heard.)

 

Recital Discs:

 

“Lyric/Coloratura Album”

“Mad Scenes”