Maria Callas's 3-Octave Range!

[CockneyRebel1979]

I once hit that High A, live onstage, in her pitch, (in Falsetto, of course), but now, I reckon the Highest I could get in Falsetto'd be the Middle F, at about thirty seconds in.

[caltrask51]

What year is the high Eb from in the Lucia recording?

[SsteinwayS]

@caltrask51 I believe it's the 1959 studio recording, if I remember correctly...

[lalox3001]

CALLAS 3 OCTVS,, YMA SUMAC 5 OCTVS

[SsteinwayS]

@lalox3001 But Yma is not an opera singer, the instruments are completely different...

[LacrimaLunaMortua]

It's not the same to have 4 or more octaves range and that your highest notes suck and can hardly be heard, than to have a 3 octaves range FULL OF MAGNIFICENT UNHUMAN POWER like La Divina, even in her highest notes she paralizes you!!

[SsteinwayS]

@LacrimaLunaMortua So true!

[dziady1]

upper range sounds as if stepping on cats tail and wobble all over the place

she had about four good notes

[childofthe70s2]

amazing voice

[loko2468]

@SsteinwayS hi are you going to be doing this kind of video/recording for notable male voices too? the basses, baritones and tenors throughout recorded history

please consider it :)

[SsteinwayS]

@loko2468 I will, but I am so incredibly busy with life, and with answering all these comments! :) We'll see... :)

[Rafka20111]

Hey guys, witch of them are chest notes? I mean notes between (on piano D5-B5)

Plz respond! Ive always interested aboutvocal range, thx!

[aynottdead]

The Best Anna Bolena !!!

[anteaus71]

I think she had more than 3! 1000!!

[SsteinwayS]

@anteaus71 Maybe! This is all that was recorded at least!

[Pjotr1414]

the one and only

[TheWisemonkey8]

She could have had a career :). Hehehe...

[Kibouo]

Would have thought her voice went lower than G2 (doesn't sound like an F sharp to me)

[TheDianabana]

Incredibilie, but true. Grazie for sharing.

[deville49]

@@



[divadevotee]

Used in a post on my blog about Callas' vocal range. Thanks so much for creating

[SsteinwayS]

@divadevotee Oh wonderful! You're welcome! :)

[hobo1975]

she had an ugly voice,never liked her.

[SsteinwayS]

@hobo1975 This is what I thought first listening to her, but over the years, I realized that she is so much more than just the voice...

[Doooku]

There is no High B--High B is above High A, above High F...hehe...Mado Robin has High B

[SsteinwayS]

@Doooku But Callas has the power and the fire...

[Doooku]

@SsteinwayS

yes

[SsteinwayS]

@brayanm787 Ummm no she didn't. :P And she's not alive anymore, unfortunately. Though she had one of the most incredible and probably the most unique voices in the world!

[JJLopesz]

F#3-E6 isn't 3 octaves, it's almost 3 octaves xD

[SsteinwayS]

@JJLopesz Hahaha...it's rumoured Callas could sing high F too! :P

[baritonebynight]

@SsteinwayS I'm sure she had top F and F#, but she chose not to use them in public.

[SsteinwayS]

@baritonebynight Just like singers like Bartoli & Fleming have them but rarely use them...it's not a comfortable region for their voices and usually there is not much opportunity to use them in the repertoire they sing. Plus for Callas the high register was not particularly "pretty"...

[ferrykalos]

really amazing video!

[SsteinwayS]

@ferrykalos Thank you! :)

[MrStpendouslvforjo]

I HAVE RARELY HEARED SUCH A CLEVER AND GLORIOUS TRIBUTE ABSOLUTELY THAT WAS TERRIFIC!!!!!!!!!! DO ONE FOR JOAN SUTHERLAND IF YOU NEED A HIGH F FROM JOAN DONT FORGET THE IMPRESSAIRION BY MOZART AND OF COURSE THE OZITTRE NICHT FROM ZAUBERFLOTE GOOD JOB MY FRIEND!

[SsteinwayS]

@MrStpendouslvforjo Thank you! I will try to do more when I have the time!

[iwantwatermellon]

My ears exploded at 1:16.

[SsteinwayS]

@iwantwatermellon Hahaha!

[profgv2011]

It's amazing..but how could it not be?...it's Callas

[SsteinwayS]

@profgv2011 Sounds like a great advertisement...too bad Callas was...priceless! :)

[voceangelo]

Fabulous job! Brava to you and to Callas' gift!

[SsteinwayS]

@voceangelo Thank you! Callas takes all the credit! :P

[magicmonkichi]

....wow....Thanks for taking the time to make this :D And labeling what opera it's all from...amazing...simply amazing.

[SsteinwayS]

@magicmonkichi No problem...a very cool project to do :)

[bpicaud1]

And this is only what is recorded; Renata Scotto and Elvira de Hidalgo testified that Callas could sing the top G with the same huge voice. And when we hear her masterclasses, she sometimes sing around the low D, so, the total is: 3 octaves and a half !

[SsteinwayS]

@bpicaud1 I know...truly astonishing!

[gustopheles]

@bpicaud1 The low D - do you know in which masterclass recording she sang it?

[SsteinwayS]

@gustopheles No!!! I did not know that! Super cool...she did do masterclasses with tenors and baritones too, after all...

[Alleeexoscm]

@bpicaud1

Wow, Callas singing a G, these was magnum!!

[SsteinwayS]

@Alleeexoscm Yes, definitely!

[Cleoxxxx]

1:15 amazing

[SsteinwayS]

@Cleoxxxx 1:15 or the whole thing?  lol...what a voice!

[flako1983]

Excellent job on the editing of the video! love it! Thanks for sharing!

[SsteinwayS]

@flako1983 Aww you're welcome! And thank YOU for the nice comment!

[lekkerejongen]

This is SO FREAKING COOL!!!!

[SsteinwayS]

@lekkerejongen Merci! :)

[Paddy818]

Really got a kick out of that! Great job! Viva Callaa!

[SsteinwayS]

@Paddy818 Yes definitely! Viva Callassss!

[0137890]

ci credo che a 40 anni non aveva più voce! °_°

[SsteinwayS]

@bconsitt Too true...it's a voice that is so much more than just a voice!

[mellynumerounoo]

she stops at E6?

[SsteinwayS]

@mellynumerounoo Why should it matter? It's how she uses the rest of her voice that we care about :) But people rumour that she sang high F, but I don't think it's true and plus, high notes aren't everything anyway! She things the mezzo repertoire phenomenally...I like Callas's low notes much more! :P

[LohengrinT]

This video gave me chills on how equally and strongly was supported by her - no thin weak tones, from top to bottom the same power

[SsteinwayS]

@LohengrinT Pure power...

[CuddlyBadger]

You've done a fine job compiling these. Thanks for that!

[SsteinwayS]

@CuddlyBadger Oh thank you *blush*! And you're welcome! :)

[vandikofilos]

what's the last one?

[SsteinwayS]

@vandikofilos "Lakmé" by Léo Délibes...the Italian version of the "Bell aria" from that opera. High E! And normally light, high colouratura repertoire! To think she sang this as well as Puccini, Wagner...Gluck, Mozart...Callas was encyclopedic!!

[primohomme]

@SsteinwayS

She was an Assoluta ;)

[SsteinwayS]

@primohomme She could do everything! Super-woman! :P

[ezev8logos]

excellent video!!!

[SsteinwayS]

@ezev8logos Thank you! :) Glad you enjoyed it!

[marylambcarter]

bravaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[SsteinwayS]

@marylambcarter And now we know why she's La Divina... :)

[Levomerin85]

Callas had much better and impressive high E flat's and high E to hear...

[SsteinwayS]

@Levomerin85 They are amazing, aren't they!

[gustopheles]

Bothersome of me to comment again, but I have to say this video has become indispensable as a way to understand Callas' voice and her range - and I'm speaking as someone who is obsessed with opera but can't read music. I've determined what three of the recordings are - the high D, Eb and E natural, and I'm trying to figure out the rest.

Thanks again!

[SsteinwayS]

@gustopheles Not at all! Your comment really made my day! Feel free to ask! High D is as Rosina in Rossini's "Il barbiere di Siviglia" with Tito Gobbi, high D-flat is from the Italian version of "Ombre légère" (Ombra Leggiera) from Meyerbeer's "La pardon de Ploermel"/"Dinorah" and the E is from the Italian version of Délibes "Clock song" ("Ou va la jeune Hindoue") from Lakmé. :) Something interesting is that I tried include pictures of Callas in the role she was singing whenever possible :)

[gustopheles]

@SsteinwayS Yes and I think the E flat is from a 1959 recording of "Spargi D'amaro Pianto". I can't figure out the year of the high D. I think It's from a 1958 "Fortunati affetti miei", but her voice sounds insanely strong, like a lazer, and I wouldn't have guessed she would be in such great voice that year, considering she was starting to lose her high notes in the late 50s.

I LOVE the pictures you chose - I haven't seen most of them, and always the shots of her as Medea are astonshing.

[SsteinwayS]

@gustopheles Yep I you're correct about Lucia...it's with Serafin conduting...and the high D is from "Dunque io son" from a 1957 performance in London :) Thank you! I spent a lot of time gathering them from various sources :) Medea is INCREDIBLE...as usual!

[zurriussII]

Thank you so so so much fro this! She really deserved to have this kind of video!

[SsteinwayS]

@zurriussII No problem! :) I think it's time we heard her full range! It's incredible!

[gustopheles]

I love how her vibratto grows increasingly wider, the higher she sings. And that E natural at the end - amazing!

[SsteinwayS]

@gustopheles Trademark Callas :)  She had a glorious voice!

[WestVoice]

Amazing.

[SsteinwayS]

@WestVoice Ditto!

[TheSuperChrisMark]

Armida Armida Armida... you have to include it!

[SsteinwayS]

@TheSuperChrisMark It's not really a high F!! Plus, the recording quality sucks...the Lakmé high E makes a much a better ending :)

[mozarthaydn]

Genius, both Callas and this video maker :)

[SsteinwayS]

@mozarthaydn Aww thank you :) Madame Callas deserves all the credit though! :)

[belcunto]

very interesting!!

[SsteinwayS]

@belcunto Interesting indeed!

[SsteinwayS]

@cariston1950 Good question! If you listen to her voice, her low notes have a distinct, strong quality to them very different to her more gentle middle range, different again from her piercing high notes. Each part of her voice has a very distinct character, but of course the way she colours her voice in each register in a particular aria or phrase changes the sound too...but I think her voice naturally had very distinct regions, almost like three voices put together!

[eliaschcjs]

there is an top F above the top C in Armida

[SsteinwayS]

@eliaschcjs Well...I didn't include it because it's such bad quality and also it's supposed to be a high E at that point in the opera, so it's doubtful it actually is a high F. I would have included it, but I thought the high E from Lakme would make a better ending :)

[CyprusHot]

thanks for this.. are there any other videos like this?

she is the best..

[SsteinwayS]

@CyprusHot I did one with Natalie Dessay's 3 octaves :)

[Whistlelover14]

Low Bb is Bb2?

[SsteinwayS]

Ummm...no...that would belong to a bass...it would be Bb3 I believe :)

[tneprescintr]

The picture shown just before the last (Medea) gives me the goosebumps every time I look at it.

[SsteinwayS]

Well, her Lucia has always remained one of her most affecting roles...and every glance, every gesture she made came from her very SOUl - that is the core of the magic La Divina - her incredible, incredible soul!!

[tneprescintr]

@SsteinwayS I can't remember what I wrote... so I can't really reply. Though I believe I have no negative thoughts on callas' lucia

[SsteinwayS]

Hahaha...you said that "The picture shown just before the last (Medea) gives me the goosebumps every time I look at it."...and it happened to be Lucia...I was just so happy that you were touched by even a photograph of her in one of her best roles!

[DessayBestSingerII]

really nice video! Good job Mr Watson! ^^

[SsteinwayS]

Merci, merci, Sherlocka! :)

[sapemi08]

Simply incredible

[SsteinwayS]

That's why she's La Divina! :)

[DanBarthy]

Brava!

[SsteinwayS]

x2!!!

[turnipoverlord]

great video, excellent choice of clips :)

[SsteinwayS]

Thank you! I tried to cover most of her renowned roles :)

[FoxyGrandpa]

@turnipoverlord i agree. wonderful!