Rossini - Armida - D'amore Al Dolce Impero (1952 Live)

[LazarNewDeal]

I believe that an "Extreme Adjectives Dictionary" could be written with what is said here in the comments (at least the positive adjectives)!

I wonder if she knew waht she meant for the art of the XXth century...

[bodiloto]

Magnifica !!!!

[MirtoP]

Fabulous. But of course nowadays everyone would be horrified at how the audience "ruined" Rossini's music at the end with their applause for La Divina.

;-)

[NEBESHIKU]

Phlegming wishes she cuold do this.

[saagua1953]

By the time she got to the Met her best days were almost over. She was miserably neglected in the US. She sang in Chicago before she was asked to the Met. I heard her do Madama Butterfly and I Puritani in Chicago, performances I have never forgotten.

[Ariadne7710]

@saagua1953 It was the Met's loss and our gain who saw her in magnificent performances at La Scala and elsewhere in Europe. Her Norma, Traviata, Bolena, Lucia, Medea and many others have never been equalled to this day and won't be equalled for a long time to come mainly because no other soprano has had the combination of a 3 octave voice range, superlative technique and musicianship to equal any other top musician around. Conductors were queueing up to conduct her performances which were epic

[lallanzinho]

Praise the gods for early live Callas recordings.

[Instrumotional]

I want this in HD, god damn it!

[Instrumotional]

The excitement! Every time I listen to this my blood pressure jumps up a hundred...

[danawinsor]

Brava Callas! You were the greatest of them all.

[mekarts2]

@kimancuo I don't know if Callas actually started as a coloratura. If I remember correctly, one of her first roles on stage (if not the first) was Tosca, at 18-19.

[NEBESHIKU]

Even with this some assholes dare say that Callas didn't have good technique and coloratura... Shows you how stupid some "people" are! So many sopranos have tried this role after Callas and they show just how inferior they are! Makes you wonder why Sutherland never dared this role.

[breton2]

@NEBESHIKU Very true.. And how can have she been compared to Tebaldi as well ????!!

[ditto21688]

It's a shame she never recorded the opera in the studio. By all accounts, these were among her greatest nights in her career. Luckily we have all the live recordings that capture a glimpse of what was.

[LohengrinT]

After all these years I still cannot believe what Callas does here.

This is how Federicko Fellini described in E la nave va as a Phenomenon of Catalysis of Energy

[Instrumotional]

I must write a word of praise to the conducting - it's not only the Callas - it's EVERYTHING that is superb! The tempo, the timing! Haven't found anything close to this perfection so far, in terms of HARMONY.

[ubedajils]

10 sobre 10 sobre 10... de rodillas a ver quién tiene las pelotas (o llos ovarios) de siquiera igualar esta actuación. Divina!

[GeneKLM747]

La Divina Callas è sempre una emozione ascoltarla. The unica and original. Thank you for sharing it. This is UN TESORO.

[debislo]

this is a percet example of what she could do... a wonderful «see how far I can pull it and weep!« .. SUCH MASTERY AND HEALTH.... let,S ALL just thank the skies such singer are here to show others the way.

[lesliecrescent]

what can one say absolutely amazing singing.

[MAPIAKALLAS]

@tklogan11809 ARE YOU KIDDING NOOO NEVER CALLAS IN THIS ROLE IS PERFECT THERE IS NOOOO SCREAMING ITS JUST PURE MUSCIANSHIP SO GREAT NO OTHER SOPRANO TODAY WOULD TOUCH HER IN THIS OPERA WITH ALL RESPECT GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT. THATS ALL THANK YOU

[Shahrdad]

@tklogan11809 Interestingly, if you read Chorley's writing about Pasta, Malibran, and Viardot, (especially Pasta), you would think that he was describing Callas. The similarity is actually uncanny. So most likely, THIS is exactly the type of voice Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini were admiring and for which they wrote their operas.

[pjdonagh]

@Shahrdad Could not agree more...a BBC Radio 4 programme (of some time ago) came to the same conclusion!!

[Shahrdad]

@pjdonagh Do you remember what the program was? Can you still find it on the Internet??

[pjdonagh]

@Shahrdad ...not offhand but given time my (never too reliable ) memory may jog back into life.All that comes to mind just now is that I came across part of the said programme on You Tube and remembered that I had heard it originally some time previously. I'm off to do a little sleuthing now ...will keep you informed if successful.

[Shahrdad]

@pjdonagh , Thank you! I can't wait to hear it.

[explorercur]

Collosal !!! Callas was a singing hurricaine. Respect !

[SweetFiness]

5:22-5:33 is ONE BREATH!!!!! She was just a freak of nature in these early years!!!

[lloydsk]

Is this voice humanly possible how does shes run through the scales without sliding over the notes so quickly she hits everyone luminously. Her voice is so powerful it feels as if its going to break the sound barrier.

[ditogam]

So true and well said!!! Even, If we had only this one recording, we could tell that she is la Divina.

[arturo8402]

OMG, this is one of the many reasons why this woman is a legend!

[FarnaceVISTA]

Réellement anthologique! impressionnant en dépit de la prise de son...

[LazarNewDeal]

This unblieveble perfomance finds a parallel only in 1957's Ana Bolena... More speciffically in the "Judge's" scene. Anna Bolena was also written for a soprano Sfogato and despite being without these strenuous vocalization, she shines in full splendor in 1957 (I repeat) almost 4 years after her weight loss. It is a pity that the reffered scene was erased from Youtube and if cannot find it after I write this, I am going to upload it (gladly I downloaded it).

[Liwah]

It would be very nice of you if you uploaded the Anna Bolena excerpt, Lazar.

If you should do so, PLEASE email and lemme know. Thanks! :)

[Operaphile]

Simply phenomenal!!!!! Whenever I listen to this I shake my head in disbelief - disbelief at the sheer audacity and visceral magnificence of her singing!!!! Brava la divina!

[Kievest]

A sorceress of the vocal kind! Who but

Maria Callas would possess the virtuosity

and dramatic power to rip off the eye-

brows of the patrons in the first twenty-

five rows as Armida. Thank you for

posting Maria, The Magnificent Alchemist!

[LazarNewDeal]

... and without mentioning the D flat at 6'23''

On the first time I listened to this I thought that at 5'39'' was an E flat

[MrJuan541]

I know what I mean. I don't need some know it all half my age to tell me anything. I meant to say three high D's because that's what she sang. The high Eb's are elsewhere in the opera.

[doremicde]

This is an example of exellence, no other words

[stomachpunch]

particularly at 5.00 -vocal genius -musical -no other classical artist has achieved this display of sheer muscianship- virtourousity and excitement

[velazquez2009]

pure miraculous electricity! One of the greatest vocal things I have heard. Such a heavy voice singing one of the highest notes!

[MrJuan541]

I've heard folks refer to the high F that she sang in Armida as a high E sharp, a high F flat....on and on they debate. To my ear, even with that snap, crackle and pop of the radio broadcast, I hear high F. The hum and buzz that her voice contained during this period of her art fascinates me endlessly. Just enough metal to be exciting and electric; and the power, and above all the confidence in her singing. No wobbles, no flaps, no bouncy vibrato; incredible singing here.

[MrJuan541]

This performance is electrifying from start to finish. She delivers 3 high D's here that are nothing short of amazing. They are incredible and buzz like electricity. Every time she opens her mouth, a 2 1/2 octave scale passage flies out capped with a ringing top note, long and well-supported. If you find this recording, buy it and tolerate the poor sound quality. The incredible singing and the wild audience give it, in spite of the static, an extremely exciting atmosphere.

[Liwah]

You mean three Ebs.

[MrJuan541]

Callas sang as if she had a turbocharger implanted in her throat!! I've listened to my recordings of her live performances as well as from the studios of Cetra and EMI from those glorious early years. Fire and brimstone coloratura and a true connection to great singing from the 19th century. This live Armida from 1952 is a hair raising, mind-boggling performance with her knocking out high E flats and high E naturals at forte all night long. She even delivers a high F ! La Divina

[glummdelclitch]

A truly remarkable performance, Mr Juan. It reminds us of what was lost when she lost all that weight and power. Callas five years later is already a shadow of what she was here. Incidentally there has always been some dispute over whether that high F is actually an extravagant E flat. I have heard so called experts haggle over it ad nauseam on other sites. But we have her voice here, when she was such a voice, so it's a moot point.

[MrJuan541]

I've heard folks refer to the high F in that she sang in Armida as a high E sharp, a high F flat....on and on they debate. To my ear, even with that snap, crackle and pop of the radio broadcast, I hear high F. The hum and buzz that her voice contained during this period of her art fascinates me endlessly. Just enough metal to be exciting and electric; and the power, and above all the confidence in her singing. No wobbles, no flaps, no bouncy vibrato; incredible singing here.

[Shahrdad]

You must mean E-flat. E-Sharp is the same as F-natural. F-flat is the same as E-natural. Some people have mentioned an F, but I don't think she sang higher than an E-natural in public. I did read in her early days, she could go as high as an F-sharp, but her teacher speaks of her voice as going up to high E-natural. On some recordings of Armida, because of the wrong speed, the note does come out closer to an F though.

[MrJuan541]

Las óperas italianas del género del dramático, y del lírico, me dan ganas de sentir la luz de los cielos que brillan por mi alma humilde. Las óperas líricas y dramáticas en el genero del bel canto me hacen sentir tan contento que quiero compartir mis rayos de alegrías con todos los fanáticos de la ópera. Saludos y mucha alegría a todos los hispanohablantes.

[2252greg]

They ask why we still talk about Callas. THIS IS WHY!! We will not hear anything approaching this level of vocal excellence when this is interpreted by Ms. Fleming next season at The Met. Way beyond her scope. Her Thais last seaon was a huge disappointment. This is from a live performance given on April 26, 1952 at the Florence May Festival. The conducton is Serafin. This was available in stores throught the "Opera D'oro-Callas Collection". Maybe it can still be found.

[quakercub]

All of Callas' recordings studio and live have been re-released on CD through EMI (including her Cetra sets) and the sound has been enhanced as much as possible. Wonderful production values and music! And, of course, Callas!!!

[jjcbss]

Sorry, my comment was directed at that of pedrorcabral

[altanotte]

I think she learned this role in a matter of days, just like she did her first Medea. Amazing singing, with colors, accents, unequalled phrasing, etc. Unfortunately, Callas made everybody who sang this role after her sound mediocre even if they were actually good. A standard yet to be surpassed.

[Instrumotional]

Ha, how I wish I was THERE! Ah, those lucky people... I'm soooo jealous...

[agnellodei]

How I wish this would have been recorded with better quality, her range is just enormous! amazing low G to high Eb.

[Instrumotional]

This will never stop fascinating me. Mortal people don't sing like this. Don't know if she was divine, but she definately was more than just human... - sovrumana :)

[LazarNewDeal]

The sfogato's last year. Pathos!

[LazarNewDeal]

Serafin: "Abbiamo un sfogato. Avremo Norma" - 1949 - Verona

[Instrumotional]

1952, Firenze. I continuously keep on forget the conductor, shamefully... :(

[ciociosan]

when and where was this? who was the conductor? i have to get a copy!!!

[Instrumotional]

I guess it's T.Serafin.... maybe :/

[Instrumotional]

LOVE this opera!!! LOVE this aria!!! LOVE this woman!!!

[cornucopia2]

Meravigliosa "oltre ogni umana idea" !

[Instrumotional]

This is so far THE most exciting performance in all of opera I have ever heard... The second in the list wopuld probably be her Macbeth...

[Klassizismus]

You are absolutely right!!!!! No one after her ever reached this level of dramatic expression and ultimate perfection!! I couldn't imagine any singer who sings this as exciting as La Callas! Brava!!

[Orfeus80]

The Callas I adore! Ideal role and music for her.

[stomachpunch]

whatever superlative adjectives can be said of this phenomenal singer actress-has been documented by all--Callas IS Opera-enough said-

[TreblesBasses]

THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE POWER OF HER VOICE IS SOMTEHINg!

[LazarNewDeal]

From 4:55 to 5:45

"Dunque godete amanti

De' i liet'istanti,

Or che vi ride in volto

Di giovinezza il fior."

She does not run away from the lyrics

[sevoflurane]

An example of what Garcia, Tosi and Mancini used to call "canto fiorito di bravura". Unique!

[jjcbss]

What an awesome comment..!

[sicuro75]

Rossini wrote this for the singer to really show off their best skills and limitations as a singer where as whatever you can do i can do better and boy has she crowned her glory here.

[meinfb]

Marchesi taught Melba 10 complete operas, schooled her in several languages and after NINE MONTHS with Marchesi, Melba made a sensational debut as Gilda at the Monnaie in Brussels. She saw her first opera less than one year before her debut. She learned Desdemona (Verdi) in three days. Pretty amazing.

[meltzerboy]

The trajectory of Patti's career is thought to be even more remarkable since she learned and performed more than ten operas by the age of 16 or 18. Of course, Patti came from a musical family, parents and sisters all opera singers. But still....

Melba gives little or no credit to her voice teacher before Marchesi, who taught her the rudiments of singing. Some say Marchesi did no more than polish Melba's technique, but considering the change in her voice observed by Herman Klein, I'm not so sure.

[meltzerboy]

Aside from her unwise singing of Brunnhilde (perhaps, in part, to compete with Nordica), Melba was careful in learning roles that matched her vocal resources, and also not pushing her voice too hard. The same could be said of Patti. Callas, on the other hand, sang certain roles she may not have been ideally suited for, while soon leaving them behind. Singers like Callas and Sills stretched their voice to its limit, even in appropriate roles. They paid a price though opera lovers have benefited.

[Shahrdad]

I think the deterioration in Callas' voice was all caused by her rapid weight loss and her failure to adjust her technique appropriately to her new body and diminished physical strength. While she was heavier, her voice didn't show any decline whatsoever, bus in 1954, immediately after the weight loss, it was a different voice. Several people including Bonynge and Fleming and Curtin have said as much also.

[doremicde]

Oh, she had to adjust her tecnique because she lost weight??? I didn't know that the tecnique is different from a "little" person to a "big" one....could you explain me something about it?

[Shahrdad]

It's all a matter of simple physiology. All heavy people have a certain degree of what in medicine we call "restrictive disease," meaning the body always wants to push the air out out of the lungs. This lends a degree of breath support without muscular effort. Also, when losing weight without exercise, about a 1/3 of the weight loss is in muscle, which would decrease the physical strength of the singer. (see continued)

[Shahrdad]

(Continued) When you lose the support provided by the weight, you need to replace is with support provided by the muscles. When you have also lost muscle strength along with the weight, you can get into trouble. In late videos of Callas, you can see how she compensates by bringing her shoulders forward during high notes, since she no longer had the "strength of a young bull" as her husband used to call it. (see continued 2)

[Shahrdad]

(Continued 2) Debra Voight who also lost a lot of weight said: "I have to remind myself to keep my ribs open. I have to remind myself, if my breath starts to stack. When I took a breath before, the weight would kick in and give it that extra Whhoomf! Now it doesn't do that. If I dont remember to get rid of the old air and re-engage the muscles, the breath starts stacking, and that's when you can't get your phrase, you crack high notes."

[Shahrdad]

And lets not forget that she learned and performed Armida in just a few days, as she did with Puritani, Medea, and Andrea Chenier. How she could achieved this defies belief.

[agnellodei]

3 marvelous high Eb's.

[meltzerboy]

Callas once again defies categorization. Is she a dramatic soprano, a dramatic coloratura, a mezzo coloratura, or an example of some other fach? The answer is who cares. Her voice is in marvelous shape here and she performs splendidly what must surely be the most florid aria she ever sang. Yet it is not sung as a mere technical display, but with the proper dramatic expression.

[LazarNewDeal]

The last superacute cannot be described in English:

"C'è in quell'suono i violini delle voce e desie D'Áquille. Cinque, credo"

[LazarNewDeal]

Am I the only one who hears "sobbing AHs" violins on the superacute FIRE FLAMES AND A WHOLE ORQUESTRA in her voice. The precision of a HIGH MUSICIST on the coloratura with FIRE. Callas should be forbbiden: is a strong and addictive Divinity

[LazarNewDeal]

Critics and fans alike appear to differ in the "tone" of their disagreeing: What Callas ýou like (or don't)?

From 1949 to 1953 a FORCE OF NATURE in both Macbeth and Armida... from Gioconda to Elvira: One "SOPRANO SFOGATTO"

From 1954 to 58 Un soprano ASSOLUTA. From 1958 to 1965 uN "CHARACTER TRAGEDIÈN" and a marvelous 'sounding Carmen'.

I like the 1957 ANNA BOLENA: the AMPEX of 'the whole"

[00ceroalaizquierda00]

Perdón quise decir a partir del min 6:00 ^_^

[00ceroalaizquierda00]

Me encanta como suena la voz de María en el rol de Armida, es magnífica y la grabación la muestra en un buen momento vocal. Adoro este aria, la adoro, no puedo parar de escucharla... especialmente la última parte, a partir del min.4:38, suena magnífica!!!!

Siempre que puedo,mejor dicho siempre que youtube me deja te pongo las 5 estrellas ^_^

GRACIAS

[paddymusic]

she is the queen .... a god!

[agathosj]

Impecable! I must admit that eventhough I m Greek, I couldn t understand her art and value. Eventually I see her as one of top 5 sopranos of the 20th cen. Hope I had seen her live... too bad I m younger:-)

[operacallas]

Absolutely unbelievable, technically perfect

[fantasual]

Woww! what a hell of a D sharppp!

[Elisabetta611]

THAT is why she is LA DIVINA! Simply BREATHTAKING!

[dugbin]

Wow! Absolutely stunning! Amazing! Wonderful! Callas will never be paralleled! Brava, Madame Callas! Brava, La Divina!

[Lohengrin33]

a kind of virtuoso singing this world hasnt seen and never will see again... extreme technical level of singing and unbelievable interpretation...

[VivaCallas]

BBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAA­AAAVVVVVVVVVAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!

Simply the best! The size, agility, control, range, and brilliance of Maria's voice demonstrated throughout this highly-energized performance is simply beyond description... not to mention that she sang that high E- the single greatest high note I have ever heard- to cap it off. Simply unbeatable.

[VivaCallas]

Sorry, I meant high-D

[Xxxavier12]

Très très impressionnant!! dommage que le son soit si mauvais...

[jjcbss]

Wow...