Callas & Gobbi in "Salvatelo!" from Tosca Act 2 Paris 1958

[Ellinidara]

Aksexasth,kaimenh Maria,pote brikes thn alitheinh agaph,kai gia'uto pethanes.:-(

[GeddaGirl]

Callas and Gobbi are the best Tosca pair; you can feel their chemistry beyond the script. Gobbi is the only Scarpia I've seen with masculinity and command.

However, if I were Callas, and Scarpia were Gobbi.... I'd let him do me. In a heartbeat.

[Aetion]

Maria Callas is gorgeous, as always. Tito Gobbi incarnates the evil. I think that his Scarpia is unrepeatable.

RIP both of you!

[34fgsfgsdtu48w7qtaqt]

I migliori Tosca e Scarpia ina ssoluto. Bravissimi.

[63Attila]

Scarpia won the Marquis de Sade prize pure and simple. He neither loves nor hates. It is pain and conquest which heat his hormones.

Callas is wondeful here. I think when she was in good form vocally, Tosca fit her vocal and acting talents better than any other role she sang.

[jeffreypick57]

No-one could say Callas was not superb in this role. If your partner was being totured you may be nervy too ! Someon has posted Callas and Tebaldi singing together - that is fascinating. Heard seperately you may say they are equal. Heard together, Tebaldi dissapears into the distance. Her lack of personality and drama becomes makes her fade from your view. You want to hear the drama of Callas. Who can compare with Gobbi in this role ? He is pure nastiness !

[adremoid]

tito gobbi, a great actor but as great baritone. I do not like his way of singing. Too unbecoming.

[saverioorlando]

In effect,Tosca-Callas was nervous:fearfull for Mario and deranged by Scarpia! I 'm taken by surprise!

[kraechr]

Seen that this recording is almost 50 years old and results from an period when live TV recordings were very difficult to produce, I believe that this incredibe important document remains until today an interpretation nobody is able to top.

[Orfeus80]

Gobbi's irony is great but I didn't feel that he loves Tosca. London and Guelfi convey this superbly. London especially, with Tebaldi truly shows how much he wants her. Callas is too nervous for my taste (besides her thin voice) and her jog made me laugh but she is never indifferent on stage.

[jwbtenor]

I've never thought that Scarpia "loves" Tosca - he wants her - he lusts for her. And he is used to getting whatever he wants, however he has to get it. He is showing his pwer and control over everyone - Tosca included. Gobbi and Callas play this beautifully.

[Orfeus80]

No he doesn't you're right, wrong choice of words. Lusts for her is more accurate.

[martafloria]

Of course scarpia does not love tosca!! If you listen tothe words of his little monologe at the beggining of this act he tells you exactly where he stands!!He compares women to wines and says that he wants to have his fair share of beatiies!!! He wants to have them and then promptly discard them!! Anyway Callas is perfect in this part!!! It suits her perfectly!! I love it!! And titto is great to!! But who had the great idea of showing us the orchestra during such a dramatic moment!!!

[tonym911]

Who cares about the storyline? This is MUSIC, in its purest form. I'm almost totally ignorant about opera but the power of Gobbi and the emotion of Callas get the hairs up on the back of my neck every time. Just astonishing.

[operacommentator]

Jog? To what are you referring? If you feel that Gobbi does not lust for Tosca, perhaps you might prefer the '65 recording of Tosca (Carlo Felice Cillario conducts) with Callas at Covent Garden. Gobbi gives a good interpretation there.

[ksol1460]

In the Te Deum soliloquy he uses the word "amor" instead of "passione", as something he hoped -she- would feel. Here, he tells her that her hatred for him is what turns him on (he says hate and love aren't all that far apart) -- and makes it quite clear he intends simply to possess her. Zeffirelli explains this in 'Callas' by John Ardoin.