Maria Callas, The art of becoming a great singer

[charmedone43]

"From the least talented pupil you can learn something" Powerful life quote, never stop learning. There is no doubt of why she was so great... she was wise.

[HeidelbergSoprano]

I love her speaking voice it is diva :)

[cccorsetti]

callas was so incredibly beautiful,as the picture shows

[babydrane]

Listen to Callas, young singers, when she said that bel canto is not about keeping it light so much as about flexibility and, I would add, maintaining a fluid legato line throughout the range. Each gesture must have meaning or purpose. This second part has given singers after her, Sutherland included, the most problems because embellishments are still seen as tricks or tasks to be done rather than as elements to, as Callas said, serve musical expression.

[Qbendanny]

Thank You Primo for this post, it is an important post because it contains words of wisdom for the generations that follow. Callas was a genius who taught even the rabid Italians at La Scala how opera should be sung. Callas's name in Opera is like saying the *Padre Nuestro* in church. They go together. Callas had no rivals,though many needed the publicity associated with that. You know who they are. No need to name them.What Callas had you can't buy it or sell it, it is a gift from God.

[AfroPoli]

Callas was a real artist - intelligent, gifted, serious about what she was doing. Today, we have singers like Netrebko who cannot speak either English or German (even though she is "Austrian") not to mention Italian and French, still sings those languages (even though nobody understands the words), she sings flat and she does not care, she does not study. And by that, she insults the audience, the composers and her profession. Callas was the exact opposite. A completely different race.

[primohomme]

@AfroPoli

What happens nowadays is that the standards are much lower...can you imagine that some actually think Gruberova and Devia are the true queens of bel canto? LMAO.

[AfroPoli]

@primohomme Small minds enjoy small things I guess...

[Zizibello]

@primohomme

Gruberova and Devia - the true queens of Bel Canto??

Whoever said that should be slapped repeatedly!

[HeidelbergSoprano]

@AfroPoli Anna Netrebko is from Russia, but lives and is a duel citizen with Austria.

[foratti]

@cuoredeinidi : and Callas died at 53 poverina and not even she had a grave to rest , her ashes were thrown into the sea

[primohomme]

@foratti

Bitch you will not come to my video and disrespect Callas, you better take a motherfuckin' seat coz you don't know what the fuck you are talking about. Callas did not die in poverty AT ALL, at the time of her death she had a fortune of $8 m, which considering inflation now would be well over 40 million dollars.

And she REQUESTED that he ashes were dispersed on the sea, so shut the fuck up and die you idiotic fucking CUNT! Callas owns your life!

[caleche78]

@primohomme : Its true, you Callas fans, you are missing fans.Poor Maria she was so unhappy and she had such a miserable life she not even had a place to rest, as every wise man has his/her grave.

[primohomme]

@caleche78

Duplicate account? LMAO. Callas in her "sad life" inspired more people and changed the world of opera, something your faves could never. #Bye ignored!

[suman2135]

maria sounds more like a contralto while speaking but boy does she hit the highest notes!

[primohomme]

@suman2135

Her low and middle registers were very much contralto-like

She was a soprano sfogato, an Assoluta

[ROMAYATENEA]

ascolate Lei 'e imparare, e anche 'e rendersi conto di quanto desinterese c'e in giro, quanta gente che canta INUTILMENTE! jajajajaja

Bella , unica Maria,,,,, What artist! love Ruben

[primohomme]

@cuoredeinidi

Please link me to that interview, I'm most curious to see it for a laugh

[LohengrinT]

@cuoredeinidi

as Fleming said once, I dont mind the looks when someone is truly talented vocally - problem with Dessay is not that she is very ugly it is that she behaves in most of her operas like a prostitute - and a cheap one - and worse she calls that acting! There is absolutely no style or sense of art or intelligence on what she does on stage - it is just stupid cheap

[LohengrinT]

@cuoredeinidi

well I wouldn't say for anyone that they should be dead or not singing - but I would say that Robin was never an opera singer (the way she was stretching her head up when she was reaching the stratosphere was so ridiculous - like a hairdresser who has just proven her hair is better than the next's).

Dessay though is not the same category - she was the greatest coloratura soprano of the 90s and one of the greatest ever - that is why what she does is not forgivable

[LohengrinT]

@cuoredeinidi

well that was always her "aim" ... in her famous interview to mr Charly Nobody (well known for his incredibly stupid remarks about Callas) she implies that Callas wsnt such a good singer and Sutherland not a good actress, but she herself has both!!! (hallucinations of superior level)

But what do you expect from a coloratura soprano (1st element of stupidity) who happens to be French (2nd element of stupidity)

[primohomme]

@cuoredeinidi

She did an opera more than 10 years ago in which she gets eaten out and reaches an orgasm (represented by an F#6). The woman is obviously starved for sex, it's ridiculous.

[WhitneyElizabethH]

Simply Breathtaking :)

[Drelnis]

This is great! Who is this interview with??

[CyprusHot]

A true legend

[LohengrinT]

I truly believe we are entering the modern Dark Ages

[LohengrinT]

A trill that always means something hmmm

In our days it is a trill that never means absolutely anything

and indeed it is incredibly stupid But she makes a mistake stupidity is tolerated and supported by the audiences today In fact it is being cultured more than ever

[primohomme]

@LohengrinT

I think I will do a video from the rest of the interview called "Callas' advice for Dessay", in which she talks about how an artist should move on stage, making every gesture meaningful and not move too much unless it has a purpose, etc.

[LohengrinT]

@primohomme

yes and after Dessay sees that video she will swallow two Seroxat and go naked onstage starting rubbing her pussy lips and begging the tenor to lick her nipples! There should be a psychiatrist for opera singers who lose their voices and their mind as well

[primohomme]

@LohengrinT

OMG, LMAO, that had me rolling on the floor laughing

[verdinfishy]

@LohengrinT Hey, those are not nice words :(

[LohengrinT]

@verdinfishy

which very literally describe what Dessay's been doing on stage for God knows what reason and God knows why her fans (??) tolerate that -

[verdinfishy]

@LohengrinT

I can't call myself fan of Dessay. I have one cd of hers and I don't really like it. Her voice, to me, is boring except for the very high notes and the difficult coloratura. About her "acting skills" I think she is VERY exaggerated and even vulgar at times. So, I could agree with you.

I personally find it repugnant that a gentleman expresses himself so hard of ANY woman. But we all have the right to express ourselves the way we feel like.

Don't mean to start an argument. Cheers.

[LohengrinT]

@verdinfishy

I suppose that is the way her friends and colleagues think too and never tell her the truth about the way she looks on stage. If I had personaly gone mad and started showing my tits or having people eating my pussy on an operatic stage I would consider real! friend the person who would actually come forth and shake me up with cruel words. I would also consider all the rest watching and not saying anything the worst enemies ;)

[verdinfishy]

@LohengrinT

I suppose if anyone has her pussy eaten on the stage we are not talking about opera lol I really ignore if Dessay showed her tits (that could have happened, maybe?) but I'm pretty sure she did not have her pussy eaten on a stage LOL Im literally laughing just writing

The thing is that I agree with you in most part but disagree on using some words. That's all. I actually sometimes find ur comments funny and (except for coloraturas) we share similar musical taste.

Have a good one Teo.

[LohengrinT]

@verdinfishy

-there is always an element of humor in my comments, at least someone gets it :))

-I will quote -and I dont know where you come from- a greek romantic poet who lived in the 19th century, his name was Andreas Kalvos, he had said:"There arent vulgar words, only vulgar people".

-I ciriticize the tend to make coloraturas sing all the assoluta roles which have 10 bars of coloratura in them, not coloraturas themselves - they are naturally born stupid so it is not their fault :)))

[primohomme]

@verdinfishy

Natalie was fabulous in the 90's, her Mozart albums are very good and even her "Vocalises" album

But nowadays she just sounds strained and tired, the high notes are not easy for her anymore and the coloratura has lost accuracy

[verdinfishy]

@primohomme

Sad but true; her voice is not the same on the top and for the coloratura technique, I agree completely with you.

I just find her style a bit boring; but that's my personal taste. I do admit that she was a wonderful coloratura. Question of taste I guess.

But let's leave this Dessay's "controversy" behind and let me finish telling you that I really like this interview with Callas. Very interesting and very good excerpts of the full interview. As always, Thank you Agnello

[LohengrinT]

omg she discusses the increase of difficulty depending on what precedes and follows a difficult fioritura OMG OMG I have never heard anyone else talking about this

[kgarmaker123]

I wish Richie and Joanie had listened to this, because many of Joan's improvised cadenzas and fiortura were idiotic displays of merely vocal virtuosity.... Thats why I love Callas.. She has all the tricks, the flexibility, etc.. and she kept it simple.

[LohengrinT]

@kgarmaker123

-indeed it resembles the violin much more - extremely easy to make a slip out of tune

-imagine calling the chest tones necessary for the bel canto out loud lol I wonder what devia gruberova and sutherland did when they heard this interview Smashed their chinas onto the first Queen that entered their room? :)))

[kgarmaker123]

@LohengrinT No they lined up their "queens" to attest to the fact that their idols sang E's and F's galore!

[LohengrinT]

@kgarmaker123

the "E and F galore" phrase belongs to Niel Rishoi, Edita Gruberova's biographer... All my years in opera this is the second most vomiting phrase a gay has ever used to describe Opera - the first one was in the Sutherland mid 60s documentary where the fat DECCA gay guy says: Oh Joan how I adore listening to you sing while I zip my tea!!!

[primohomme]

@LohengrinT

Not only calling chest voice necessary for bel canto, but necessary for bridging the middle voice and building from then up! That's a concept none of today's current sopranos, and most contemporaries of Callas, understood.

[hidalgo699]

Agree, no chest voice at all in most sopranos. Callas was the absoluta, an alto, a mezzo an a soprano in 1 voice

[KarineRibbens]

@LohengrinT Did those three not believe chest tones to be neccesary for Bel Canto? I know Sutherland said so!

[LohengrinT]

@KarineRibbens

how could have Sutherland said so since she didnt have a chest voice- as for the other two, they have sung everything transposed upwards so that there isnt a single tone from the chest voice. If you had the slightest idea what Gruberova has done to Roberto Devereux and Norma (molest is too mild word to describe). But Sutherland was a great bel canto singer who unfortunately didnt have a chest voice.

[KarineRibbens]

@LohengrinT I meant Sutherland said that she left her chest voice underdeveloped .as her choice...as it was not needed for her roles ;)

Why is Edita G so famous then?

[LohengrinT]

@KarineRibbens

famous Edita became in her classic coloratura repertoire, in her recent efforts to sing the roles where chest voice is needed she has become a ridicule Very few people (mainly opera Queens=old gays who are crazy with coloratura) like Gruberova as Norma, Elisabetta and Bolena.

I dont think it was a choice in the case of Sutherland. Her chest voice was atrophic like malformed I dont think she could develop that

[KarineRibbens]

@LohengrinT Hahaha! Yes, That is what I thought- like her Zerinetta!! Thank you!

[babydrane]

@LohengrinT Interview confused me for Joan shouldn't discuss strong chest tones or bel canto. Neither she nor her husband could move past a superficial conception and a literal translation of bel canto. Beautiful voice, impressive technique, knows to make the music serve her voice but is less able to serve the music. Chest tones are not as dazzling or as pretty as a warm middle voice and shimmering high notes. I suspect, to be honest, that that's why they weren't that important to him or her.

[magicmonkichi]

Thank you for the post :D I love her saying "the more you learn, the less you know that you have learned" lol. so true.

[KyoHanjin]

You wrote "Mariah" in the video description! LOL!

[primohomme]

@KyoHanjin

LOL, I always do that! Freudian slip