Maria Callas sings Al dolce quidami in La Scala (stereophonised)

[MrPipposiculo]

Scala. 14 aprile 1957!

Son passati tanti anni ma per me è come se fosse ieri, IL BELLO NON HA ETA'

[Ariadne7710]

@MrPipposiculo Da vero, come ieri!!. Anch' io l' ho visto le 20 Aprile 1957. Una serata meravigliosa, magnifica, indimenticabile. Lei ha ragione, tanti bellissimi momenti non hanno eta!!

[NEBESHIKU]

This is how it HAs to be sung. I was there when Netrebko butcher this opera, it was ghastly how she massacred it. The brain dead symdrome of the Met's audiance must be contagious because the audiance at the viena state opera applaud to NEtrebko's fiasco. Netrebko is spreadig that virus all over the world.

[Drelnis]

Oh now how can I bare to hear Netrebko or anybody else anymore!! Brava La Divina.

[LohengrinT]

@Drelnis

while listening to Netrebko's amateurisms, I got a desperate need to hear this

[Drelnis]

@LohengrinT Funny how it's the exact same situation when I purchased Netrebko's Lucia DVD and watched it, then when mad scene finished, I immediately uploaded 7 versions of Callas' Lucia on YouTube xD People need to always be reminded of quality, otherwise the bar will continue to sink and sink.

[LohengrinT]

@Drelnis

I dont particularly mind about the people (most find Callas' 1973 recordings better than this, other find her in full vocal decline in 1957, so you know...I dont care)...

I do care about my ears though :p which need to get it straight after hearing too many flaws :))

[Drelnis]

@LohengrinT by the way which year is this Bolena?

[Drelnis]

@Drelnis answering my own question - Bolena, La Scala 1957? Your audio is SSSOO clear! The recording I own is so muffled up

[LohengrinT]

@Drelnis

17 years ago, a series of analog tapes containing Callas' major Scala operas started circulate in the Classic Stores in Athens. I bought them all (unbelievably cheap). The sound was remastered and in some cases stereophonized from some people in Holland. Bolena was so good that I digitalized the sound and here it is.

I dont think the word "clear" describes it because there is some phhsss but "alive" and "vibrant" is more like it. Many times clearing of phhssss makes the sound dead.

[Homoclassicus]

One of the best examples of Callas' voice. The legato singing, the subtle modulations of tone and the extremely smooth and accurate scales (and also those beautiful, liquid trills) all show the near perfection Callas could attain when she was at her best days.

[Aspett0]

Everything's there: portamento, pianissimi, legato, trills, diction and before all emotion. She had it all. I don't think anyone will ever sing this Opera as close to perfection as she did. Brava Callas !!

[LohengrinT]

@bconsitt

fortunately she sang Bolena at her prime and although at moments she sounded like there was no breath in the entire world to support her her Al dolce quidami used to be very good at her prime (the really difficult parts were dreadful - Caballe has been booed in La Scala as Bolena)

[kgarmaker123]

This is truely divine Theo... I just shrug my shoulders.. NO ONE sings this music the way Callas did.. No one.

[LohengrinT]

@kgarmaker123

This is beyond perfection - it like coming from the creative fantasy dream of a Music Genius

[Ariadne7710]

@LohengrinT This is La Scala April 1957 live performance. There are two remastered versions of it. One from 1993 and the second from 1997. The second is much better and cleaner. By the way guys I was one of the lucky ones. I was there to hear her live in this performance in my teens while studying at Santa Cecilia. Yes I am that ancient!! The atmosphere was electric as with all her performances.

[LohengrinT]

@Ariadne7710

that makes your opinions very credible :)

[Ariadne7710]

@LohengrinT Thank you for your confidence.

[LohengrinT]

@bconsitt

the dynamics and fluidity of the vocal spin in this are truly phenomenal - more than phenomenal. Not even Caballe ever managed to spin a pianissimo like that

[MS77SB]

A REAL QUEEN, DIVINE !