Maria Callas & Franco Corelli in - Aida - 1964

[BetterLate5]

to hugoforth how do you know that franco was callas's favorite tenor?

[crete484]

caruso, lanza, corelli,kraus,pavarotti,doming­o,carrera, maria , an many others for your being. Who will fill these shoes waiting

[crete484]

crap forgot to add kraus

[crete484]

caruso,lanza,corelli,pavarotti­,damingo,caruso, what a blessing all have god given talent all have strengths an best song s just feel blessed to be able to hear them all love em love .

[jorgepda]

it always saddens me to hear callas's voice in this state. still, two extraordinarily gifted singers in an extraordinary opera.

[miglefitz]

A voice from the other side: I find it impossible to listen to Corelli: his self-indulgent exhibitionist mannerisms ruin for me any role that he sang.

[SatchmoSings]

How come whenever I do a search on Callas, I can never find any pics of her when she was fat?

[hugoforth]

Yes i know that she was extremely fond of DiStefano, but her favourite tenor was definately Franco.

[lateralex90]

Can't believe what my ears are listening...Callas, and Corelli...a dream...

[boedofalcon]

Alguin puede darme más datos de ésta Gloriosa versión de Aida?

Además de Calla y Corelli,quienes más cantaban? quien dirige,es realmante magnífica la versión orquestal...y Calla . Corelli...ya está todo dicho.

Gracias por compartir ésta joya.

[pieritlyon]

'Di Stefano non era uno dei preferiti di Maria Callas. Quando incontrati la prima volta e opera inerpretó Franco Corelli era felice e ha detto "posso finalmente agire da un tenore con la capacità di lui". In un'intervista con Corelli chiesto il tempo che ho agito con lui e ha lasciato il suo agire, perché qualcuno ha criticato, ha detto che era muto e non poteva, ha risposto che "aveva grande tecnica e capacità di voce seguire "ciò che si vede sia ammirato.

[sugarbist]

@pieritlyon Callas also said that she should have married DiStefano.She commented that he looked like aGod and sang like one too.

[pieritlyon]

Onegin65 thank you very much for sharing this recording MEGNIFICO GRAN MAESTRO FRANCO CORELLI, SUBLIME, AND GREAT AS ALWAYS MARIA CALLAS. (Some of the high notes do not like). Ees a valuable recording. How wonderful it must have been to see and hear live, very fortunate that they could do.

[Urthla13]

Corelli and Tebaldi the"GREATEST" for ever !!

[Urthla13]

Corelli and Tebaldi are the "GREATEST" for ever !!!

[pointemeout]

even though the psychotics like to talk about how her voice was in decline at this point, i still maintain that this is better than anything else available today. it's simply fantastic and magical. her precision is muy bueno and he is out of this world.

thank you so much for posting this Onegin65

[philipc67]

This is a test recording in 1964/5. Her voice is in obvious decline and she is careful with the higher and longer passages, but the expressivity is undeniable. She was a superb live Aida, and this duet with del Monaco in the Mexico broadcast from 1951 is magnificent, endless breath control and poetic spun phrases. She never sang the role again after Verona 1953, when a critic compared her legs to elephant trunks, and her 1955 recording with Serafin is mediocre.

[francesca7564]

Callas et Corelli ??? Diable !!!

Un morceau d'histoire !

Merci Oneguin65 une fois de plus ...

[tebaldicallas]

I heard Callas in better voice, but it still beautiful.

[almxx]

I don't know the fine points of opera singers, but I would wager that these two sing better than 50% of the comment posters. Especially, no leeway for those who no longer have their former excellence.

[VivaMariaCallas]

Obviously, her voice was not in prime condition. What is less known is that this recording was meant to be a test recording, so she was actually not singing in full voice. EMI therefore should not have released this.

Corelli and she were meant to do a duet album with duets from Aida, Ballo in Maschera, Puritani, Pirata, Poliuto, & Don Carlo, but Corelli walked out after this take.

[reconditearmonie]

La Callas non va giudicata. va solo amata.

[Aetion]

@reconditearmonie Your comment is very nice and I totally agree. I do not speak Italian but I understand what you write

[LittlePasserotto]

sarà anche il fantasma di se stessa rispetto al 51 ma di sicuro rispetto a questa registrazione molte altre grandi aide nel pieno della salute vocale sono fantasmi

[carloge77]

Maria Callas M. Del Monaco Aida: Pur ti riveggo - 1951 (1)

ascoltatela qui che Aida portentosa é!!!

io sono un tebaldiano..

ritengo la tebaldi favolosa per Aida.

ma nel 51 la Callas rendeva il personaggio molto particolare.. qui invece è il fantasma di Aida

[carloge77]

Maria Callas non era certamente ideale per interpretare aida.

qui poi non ha più la sua voce, ascoltatela con Del Monaco nel 1951!! ha il triplo dello spessore vocale.. molto più piena e sicura.. un vero peccato abbia perso presto certe caratteristiche che la lanciarono come fenomeno vocale.

[lemagnificat]

Mr tklogan, I disagree with you, if anything she should have sung only the bel canto repetoire and stayed away from the things you mention. but the fact, is she could do anything, and she did, better than anyone else. but, not to insult anyone, of course, they are all great neronnenn, but Callas was greater!

[kampenwand1900]

great singing.con emozione !!

Bravi tuttidue !

[radameska]

Это просто потрясающе!!!!!!я в шоке!!!!!!

[hugoforth]

You will never hear that performance bettered, no wonder Franco was Maria's favourite tenor, what a perfect team.

[belcanto92]

@hugoforth I thought di Stefano was Callas' favorite, and vice-versa...?

[aforwood1]

hugoforth, di Stefano was Callas' lover in real life. They had quite a love affair that everyone knew about.

[mrluistena]

@hugoforth I thought that Maria´s fav tenor was Giuseppe di Stefano for the number of roles and perfomances they sung together. Regards.

[neronnenn]

scusa ma la Renata, che ho l'onore d'aver conosciuta, mi disse di aver impiegato parecchio per arrivare al do dei cieli azzurri perchè come ogni bellissima voce era una voce corta...comunque concordo per lei, la Price e la Arangi Lombardi, non per la mia adorata Monserrat....piuttosto che ne pensi di una certa Milanov o della Rethberg?

[tklogan11809]

Aida, Tosca, Butterfly were much better suited to Callas than Norma, Lucia and Anna Bolena, which were beyond her powers. By the way the pic above of both in costume is not from Aida but from Poliuto, which Verdi actually lifted a major melody from, for his triumphal scene in Aida.

[neronnenn]

La voce di Maria era l'ombra dell'ombra dello splendore passato (migliore Aida del Secolo...) ascoltate la performance del messico per avere un'idea, Corelli era all'apice e al solito un po' gigone...

[xafnndapp]

Beh, dire proprio migliore Aida del secolo...

Grande fraseggiatrice sicuramente, ma non credo che vocalmente e interpretativamente Aida fosse naturalmente nelle sue corde, anche nei live di Roma, Messico e Londra dei primissimi anni 50, nonostante grandi momenti.

[neronnenn]

Allora se vuoi indicami tu qualche cantante del 900 che l'abbia cantata meglio...grazie!

[xafnndapp]

Non si tratta di averlo "cantato" meglio (in ogni caso la giovane Price, la giovane Tebaldi, la giovane Caballe, la Arangi-Lombardi e varie altre avevano quel peso, quel "quid" vocale o per esempio la facilita' di salire al DO nei "Cieli Azzurri" che la Callas non aveva).

Se interpretativamente ne fece un' eroina bruciata dal tormento, credo le mancasse quella patina patetica di cui Aida e' anche perneata.

[Rory1956]

Credo lei abbia ragione: io adoro la Callas ma bisogna pur ammettere che, in certe cose, altre cantanti hanno dato prove forse preferibili. Certo, in qualunque cosa la Callas cantasse, c'era sempre qualcosa di diverso ed ineffabile, specialmente nei recitativi. Ma bisogna amarla ad oltranza per preferirla ciecamente a tutte le altre per sostenere che in Aida fosse veramente nelle sue acque (Bellini, Donizetti, primo Verdi, Rossini).

[iriisblue]

Yadda yadda. Stop popping ludes and read some of the biographical information. It's a FACT that Onassis almost ruined her financially. He was a little Greek asshole, but he did once remark cruelly, if accurately, to Callas, "all you have is a whistle in your throat and it doesn't work anymore."

[adremoid]

i did not know this. If it true he was a real cruel man! Poor Maria

[lanesville]

I don't understand why so many critics to Callas in this recording. She's still great - and she was great until the end of her life, even if the voice wasn't the same as before.

Once she said: "The artist is always there.". And that's true: Callas always were and will always be Callas.

[iriisblue]

callas unwisely went back into the recording studio in the early 60's because she was nearly broke after her onassis debacle. the voice is a shambles in all of these sessions, equally so here. she's just 40-41 and sounds 65. dreadful.

[Aetion]

She never was broke. She had a broken heart only.

[KORINADAVA]

due idoli intramontabili...!

[ilbacioditosca]

Poor CAllas?would she be poor because she is not singing as before? are you poor because never will sing like her? do you consider yourself a looser because you'll never sing like that?

[Matt54e]

Poor Callas, she is well well past her best here. He sounds truly splendid

[malamutet]

nel canto eroico corelli era veramente il migliore.

[tripleaxell]

what happened to callas in this song???? she sounds like shes out of breath

[MarquisDePosa53]

Corelli at his peak and La Callas on the downside, still if only for Corelli, an extra-ordinary recording. He likely sung this role with less competent Aidas who were in their prime. He was the best Radames in history

[v2eqi]

Corelli was not yet at his peak here(That would have to be 1967-1969)but yes he was approaching it.The best Radames in my lifetime were Corelli for his pianissimo on Bb and Bergonzi.One thing,for me at least is without doubt,Franco is number 1 in the 20th century.

[vincitor]

just out of curiosity an I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but how do u know his prime was between 1967-69? :) or is it just your opinion....

[v2eqi]

I was there.

[profgv]

I would agree that his prime went to 1969 but it started much earlier. Seeing him in Ernani, Trovatore, Turandot at the beginning of that decade.

[hiyadroogs]

Corelli was past his peak here. His best singing with his voice at its most freely produced prime, was between approx 1956 - 1962. After that his singing became progressively more forced & hard work. His singing is already too open & strenuous in this example, as a result, his vibrato is already becoming slower & less free flowing.

[65attila]

@MarquisDePosa53

Even if he were the best Rhadames to have left a complete performance, from excerpts I think he was NOT in Caruo's class and I loved Franco as Rhadames.

He actually showed up once out of the -3- times I bought tickets to hear him as Rhadames

[sugarbist]

@MarquisDePosa53 CALLAS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE DOWNSIDE BUT SHE WAS STILL CAPTAVATING TO LISTEN TO . SHE UNDERSTOOD EVERY WORD SHE WAS SAYING AND ALWAYS HAD THE ABILITY TO INTERPRET HER ROLES PROPERLY. WHEN SINGING LYRICALLY HERE, SHE DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB .

[Alce2008]

@sugarbist

I COULD NOT AGREE MORE!!!!

MY BEST REGARDS.

ALCE2008

[sugarbist]

@Alce2008 Thanks Enjoy

[Alleeexoscm]

Maravillosa ¡¡Estupenda!!♪ ♪

Incoparable Corelli, monumental. Y ni que decir de Callas, tan arrogante y soberbia con su inigualable voz.

[20478]

La miglior aida mai sentita!!!!Meravigliosa!!!Insu­perabili!!Emissione perfetta,interpretazione magistrale!!Non ci sono parole!!!!

[tomzoricic]

Fantastic, but hear Aida from 1951. Mexico city Callas + MDM. That's mad. Singing on life and death

[Thechandos]

I love to read the remarks of so many extraordinarily well informed people (on the whole!). I think in 1964 Corelli was at his height & untouchable but I'd agree that Callas, great actress though she was, was past it here & if she didn't want this recording released, I can understand why.

[jorjikia]

fantastic!!!i think one of the most,most exciting voices are singing:corelli "the best radames" and callas "the best aida"!!!

[Gigglingatagas]

Even though the middle voice is a bit thinner here, Callas still uses the text and intention to deliver a real punch. She is always a fire-eater, always pure electricity. Corelli's voice is also one of the most exciting voices - an incomparable pairing!

[frine1947]

Grande Corelli Radames, grande Callas Aida. I migliori, i migliori, i migliori. Grande tecnica e grandi voci. E per tutti noi grandi emozioni

[pearlmuth3]

Yes Onegin, correct and I will see EUGENE Onegin this weekend in Chicago last run of the season with Lopardo as Lenski and Kwiecien as Onegin, Hovorostovsky did the first ones.

[emonticel]

One of the best pieces of Music I have heard.

[canzonettasullaria]

I know many disc-performances of Corelli, but this is the best I've ever heard of him. He was in his prime at that time, wasn't he?

[Samurai9]

Ten years too late for Maria.  The voice had deteriorated badly from her best years.

[Onegin65]

I do not agree, they knew that a sorpano without hight notes doesn't do a mezzo-sopran.

Both were soprans: a thing is record something like mezzo and another one sing on stage a complete opera times and times like mezzo

[operamagnus]

Both Callas and Tebaldi had unusually strong lower registers, allowing them both to sing mezzo parts had they wanted to. They both recorded amazing Carmens - Callas the full opera, Tebaldi some arias.

[VivaMariaCallas]

Yes, but I doubt Callas would have consented to singing performances of Amneris when Aida is the star. And in terms of Tebaldi, she even refused to sing Sieglinde to Callas's Brunhilde at La Scala, exclaiming that it was a 'second-donna' role (I fully disagree with her).

[Lohengrin]

I fully agree with both callas and tebaldi. Both of them could sing mezzo roles easily (callas had sung Santuzza many times on stage) but indeed most mezzo roles are donna-seconda roles.

[Onegin65]

Santuzza is for a dramatic sopran.

[Lohengrin]

well it is a very low role. The middle and lower register voice is enormous in Santuza. That is why it is mostly sung by dramatic mezzos.

[Lohengrin]

I will quote Nicola Resigno to answer to your belief that Callas couldnt sing mezzo roles: "Callas could sing as soprano, mezzo soprano or contralto whenever she wanted" (live interview)

[Onegin65]

She could sing in all those registries, at cost squandering her vocal capital, how thus she happened,unfortunately. Santuzza is for a dramatic sopran, if you don't agree me sight Mascagni' score

[Aetion]

@Onegin65 Yes, it is, but can be sung by a mezzo-soprano too. I don't think that Callas has "squandered her vocal capital" by singing soprano, mezzo soprano and contralto. She could also sing light and heavy roles, so that others believe that due to this she damaged her voice. There are many opinions about this. On the other hand, Tito Gobbi, among many other, argued that Maria never lost her voice!

[VivaMariaCallas]

You're absolutely correct. It seems that Callas (like Tebaldi) viewed mezzo roles (in the operas where there is a major soprano role) as 'second-donna' ones.

[VivaMariaCallas]

Corelli's in stunning voice, but this recording was ill-advised on Callas's half (that's why she did not allow it to be released in her lifetime). L'aborrita rivale would have been much more successful.

[olgamarga]

¡Eran jóvenes,bellos y cantaban tan bien,qué buena versión.Gracias.