Sutherland's Mad Scenes were far superior. However In saying that, I do like Callas here, but Sutherland was a technician and a virtuoso. Callas too was a virtuoso, but in a much different sense. Her singing was an emotional experience. She allowed her voice to be colored by the mood of the music (often overly so but to great dramatic effect) but in doing so, her technique suffered. Sutherland could masterfully color any phrase as required, but unlike Callas, the technique was never in doubt.
This is by far my favourite recording of "Spargi d'amaro pianto", Callas is just perfect for this role, she can'r be exceeded, no matter how much other sopranos try, they will never reach this interpretation, obviously I know that there are other singers that also do it incredible, but not as wondrous as Callas. This is not about who reaches highest notes, that's pure frivolity, so @gordiam, try to appreciate other things such as technique, emotionality, interpretation in general [:
@gordiam Hehehe, I already know them, I looove them, speacially Yma Sumac, I really ADORE her, but in my opinion Callas' version is the best, her power, her technique, etc. It is not about how high you go, it's about how you do it. I think that each one of them has something speacial, for example my beloved Yma was the ONLY soprano that made the triple coloratura <3 Btw, you forgot María Barrientos, she was a excellent spanish coloratura soprano, search for some videos about her, she's wonderful
@gordiam You can have a singer with stratospheric high notes and an horrible interpretation!
Nothing against the singers you mentioned, what I am saying is that, Knowing the role of Lucia and the story of the whole Opera, I think what a singer really needs, is to be sensitive enough to use her voice qualities (timbre, agility, range control...) in the right ways to fit the character.
The high note at the end isn't even essential to make a good interpretation, although I like it too!
@gordiam It is not a contest of who can go higher. It is what is the correct note according to the score!!! If you really want to hear beautifully sang high notes up to A6 listen to Ingeborg Hallstein's Olympia with an Ab6 and Il Bacio with A6 beautifully executed
Callas was one of the most exciting singing actors ever but there were exciting virtuosic divas before she came along and there are exciting and gifted artist after her passing. She was great and unique but why attack others who are talented and have contributed great joy and beautiful music to a world run crazy with the mediocre and banal. We could be stuck hearing the limited ,undeveloped, so called voices of Justin Beiber or Gaga for Christsake. Thank God for Opera and Opera Singers.
Supposedly, her greatest Lucia took place in Chicago in November, 1954. Old timers here say that after the end of the Mad Scene, the performance was stopped for ten minutes as the audience went crazy. A veteran critic (Claudia Cassidy) said that one would have thought that Donizetti had scored the Mad Scene for the audience! Unfortunately, it was never recorded, which makes this Berlin performance of a year later the best Callas Lucia ever captured in sound.
@zurriussII - Callas made her U.S. debut in Chicago on November 1, 1954 with her Norma, which drew raves. After a few Norma performances, she did Violetta in Traviata, and again drew raves. Then, following a couple more Traviatas, she unleashed her Lucia di Lammermoor, which made all four critics here (including Claudia Cassidy and Roger Dettmer) proclaim her as the greatest opera diva of the Twentieth Century. Her impact here is still vividly recalled.
what on earth is wrong with that nebeshiku? And,people,how can you even adress to him directly and respond?His bitching on contemporary singers is not satisfying enough for his cheap insticts any more,and he needs to insult dead artists now? Oh,right,i forgot; The only artist ever lived on this planet was Callas. Maria Callas,though,would never act cheapy and bitchy,she was a lady.Some of her fans could start to imitate her and stop acting like hysterical little girls.
@vernadakieleni In case you didn't know, nebeshiku is the official Callas Queen Psychopath of youtube. He/she places that stupid comment abt. heaven and Joan Sutherland as the cleaning woman on every Callas posting.Poor Maria,didn't she suffer enough while she was alive without having these insane,sick "fans" dishonoring her memory 35 years after her death with their vicious and hateful remarks abt.other singers. The scarey part is, nebeshiku isn't even the worst of the lot.
@NEBESHIKU Stalker?! Darling, you post that stupid comment of yours on virtually every clip of Callas in youtube.Anybody who loves Callas, sees it at least three times a week. It's like stepping in dogshit in Central Park - you don't have to be a stalker to find it . It's everywhere!
@NEBESHIKU Ah,charming as always. Well, it's been lovely chatting with you, but now I've got to go. Run along and play little boy - the grown-ups have work to do.
@assindiastignani It's good that you know your place. I knew you were an illiterate fool but i didn't know to what extent but then you write "Me and Joan" and that makes it crystal clear...
Somebody took your comment off as "spam" which I think is outrageous. I put it back on. I really don't like the things you say, but you do have a right to say them. Censorship is censorship, and this is a free forum.BTW I ain't illeterate. I done gradiated college and can read and rite!
@dianaemanuel you are so right. I think that who loves opera admires Callas, and so I do . What i really truly dislike about callas is........ callas' supporters !
Some very nasty comments on here. Such a pity as Callas admired many singers - including Joan Sutherland. To call Sutherland the 'hired help' is horrid. It's very easy to say mean spirited things behind a veil of electronic anonymity. It's the cowards way in fact.
Right now Callas must be in heaven sitting on the throne as the queen goddess of opera while sutherland is cleaning house and doing dishes as Callas' hired help.
@NEBESHIKU Mostly likely Callas is shaking her head in astonishment, embarassment and shame over the fact that her "fans" seem incapable of expressing their love and admiration of her and her art, without at the same time feeling the need to write the most tasteless, insulting and ignorant things about her colleagues. As it happens Callas was a great admirerer of Dame Joan and when you write such things about her, you dishonor the memory and legacy of Callas.
@NEBESHIKU Del resto si dice "Lo Stupido." "Il Stupido" è sbagliato. But, I probably shouldn't confuse you with Italian grammar, you have your work cut out for you simply trying to put three words of English together without commiting seven spelling or stylistic errors. In any event, you waste my time. Bye bye.You poor thing.
@assindiastignani LMAO! How long did it take for you to write this!? Il Stupido, you disgusting piece of shit, you sure can talk about waste because that is all you are, and all your family. Please eat shit and die, so open your mouth and put your fist in it!
@NEBESHIKU Glorifying Callas does not mean destroying the fame and dignity of other sopranos. You do not need to kill others in order to proove that Callas was a very great singer...
@NEBESHIKU Callas was divinity in her own way and style but Joan was also a Diva of prodigious vocal ability who produced her own torrent of glorious vocal sound in this role and in Norma and in many other of the bel canto roles. She dos not need to be demeaned for Callas to be praised. She had a rich powerful, beautiful, incredible voice.Joan elicited adoring hysteria in her audiences. Sutherland was and will never be anyones vocal handmaiden.
Arguably her best Lucia, Berlin, September 1955, with Panerai, di Stefano and Karajan. He also conducted her in the role at La Scala in 1954 and Vienna in 1956, and they recorded BUTTERFLY in 1955 and TROVATORE in 1956 together. The ensemble cast and quality of this entire performance is indeed superb, her Mad Scene unsurpassed in vocal agility, musicianship, and dramatic truth.
@ArrigoPola Yeah, you can't say even Sutherland's Lucia was "bad" but it depends. I myself like Callas' version because she groups and unites every feelings of this person from beginning to the end and creates a real personality who lives even behind the curtains.
And then the audience goes mad! We will never see or hear her like again.Might this be the Berlin Lucia of 1955 where they have to encore the sextet? Haven't heard that in years.
hi, I've got some problems. I can't upload videos!!!! I press on Upload and there doesn't appear "chose" and so on... could you help and explain why happens it so? Thank you
I am not gifted for that but I think it results from your computer, I have no problem to download, thus I think it doesn't result from the site but I'm not sure.
( I hope that you understand me because my English is not very good)
PS: I think that Lohengrin is right, nevertheless I use explorer without problem.
@NEBESHIKU Ah, another of Callas' bitter trolls... The comment bellow is aimed at you and all others like you. Have a nice day :)
Cedricfollyman 3 days ago
Sutherland's Mad Scenes were far superior. However In saying that, I do like Callas here, but Sutherland was a technician and a virtuoso. Callas too was a virtuoso, but in a much different sense. Her singing was an emotional experience. She allowed her voice to be colored by the mood of the music (often overly so but to great dramatic effect) but in doing so, her technique suffered. Sutherland could masterfully color any phrase as required, but unlike Callas, the technique was never in doubt.
Cedricfollyman 3 days ago
She was just so truly incredible.
TheDieselmechanic1 1 week ago
Seems to me her voice surpasses the recording capabilities of the time.
rczapotinschi 3 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
This is by far my favourite recording of "Spargi d'amaro pianto", Callas is just perfect for this role, she can'r be exceeded, no matter how much other sopranos try, they will never reach this interpretation, obviously I know that there are other singers that also do it incredible, but not as wondrous as Callas. This is not about who reaches highest notes, that's pure frivolity, so @gordiam, try to appreciate other things such as technique, emotionality, interpretation in general [:
LacrimaLunaMortua 4 weeks ago
actually I prefer Mado Robin version, she went higher in very full voice.
gordiam 1 month ago
Callas is a Queen none greater
scott12061972 1 month ago
Who could do it better than Maria?
LacrimaLunaMortua 2 months ago
@LacrimaLunaMortua mado robin, erna sack, yma sumac. search on google their stratospheric high notes!
gordiam 1 month ago
@gordiam Hehehe, I already know them, I looove them, speacially Yma Sumac, I really ADORE her, but in my opinion Callas' version is the best, her power, her technique, etc. It is not about how high you go, it's about how you do it. I think that each one of them has something speacial, for example my beloved Yma was the ONLY soprano that made the triple coloratura <3 Btw, you forgot María Barrientos, she was a excellent spanish coloratura soprano, search for some videos about her, she's wonderful
LacrimaLunaMortua 1 month ago
@gordiam You can have a singer with stratospheric high notes and an horrible interpretation!
Nothing against the singers you mentioned, what I am saying is that, Knowing the role of Lucia and the story of the whole Opera, I think what a singer really needs, is to be sensitive enough to use her voice qualities (timbre, agility, range control...) in the right ways to fit the character.
The high note at the end isn't even essential to make a good interpretation, although I like it too!
soundslikeblue 1 month ago 4
@gordiam It is not a contest of who can go higher. It is what is the correct note according to the score!!! If you really want to hear beautifully sang high notes up to A6 listen to Ingeborg Hallstein's Olympia with an Ab6 and Il Bacio with A6 beautifully executed
Ariadne7710 1 month ago
I have assisted at a recent performance at the Met. She was no Maria ..
celesteaida48 2 months ago
Callas was one of the most exciting singing actors ever but there were exciting virtuosic divas before she came along and there are exciting and gifted artist after her passing. She was great and unique but why attack others who are talented and have contributed great joy and beautiful music to a world run crazy with the mediocre and banal. We could be stuck hearing the limited ,undeveloped, so called voices of Justin Beiber or Gaga for Christsake. Thank God for Opera and Opera Singers.
intelegentable 2 months ago
and she was as skinny as a nail :)
DanyelHawkes 2 months ago
Supposedly, her greatest Lucia took place in Chicago in November, 1954. Old timers here say that after the end of the Mad Scene, the performance was stopped for ten minutes as the audience went crazy. A veteran critic (Claudia Cassidy) said that one would have thought that Donizetti had scored the Mad Scene for the audience! Unfortunately, it was never recorded, which makes this Berlin performance of a year later the best Callas Lucia ever captured in sound.
Zva26 3 months ago 13
@Zva26 You've shared a very interesting information. Thanks a lot.
zurriussII 3 months ago 3
@zurriussII - Callas made her U.S. debut in Chicago on November 1, 1954 with her Norma, which drew raves. After a few Norma performances, she did Violetta in Traviata, and again drew raves. Then, following a couple more Traviatas, she unleashed her Lucia di Lammermoor, which made all four critics here (including Claudia Cassidy and Roger Dettmer) proclaim her as the greatest opera diva of the Twentieth Century. Her impact here is still vividly recalled.
Zva26 3 months ago
@Zva26 And there is also the 1953 Studio recording, conducted by Tullio Serafin! Don't you find it Amazing as well?
Callas voice was at its prime there!
Thank you also for the information abou Claudia Cassidy! :)
soundslikeblue 1 month ago
Fantastic singing ! what a beautiful voice, nice and clean, pure and wonderful ! every note is fully in control !
pinkpearldiva 3 months ago
she looks like our English teacher minus the BEL CANTO voice!
shikikzter 3 months ago
An opera very well sung and mastered by two famous people like Callas and Karajan.
Calas at one of her best belcanto roles
akis1948 3 months ago in playlist Maria Callas
IMO Callas is a wonderful singer, with different qualities than Sutherland. Both are fantastic....and they are no religion!!!
1717PRO 3 months ago
wow
disneylandman66 3 months ago
what on earth is wrong with that nebeshiku? And,people,how can you even adress to him directly and respond?His bitching on contemporary singers is not satisfying enough for his cheap insticts any more,and he needs to insult dead artists now? Oh,right,i forgot; The only artist ever lived on this planet was Callas. Maria Callas,though,would never act cheapy and bitchy,she was a lady.Some of her fans could start to imitate her and stop acting like hysterical little girls.
vernadakieleni 3 months ago 3
@vernadakieleni In case you didn't know, nebeshiku is the official Callas Queen Psychopath of youtube. He/she places that stupid comment abt. heaven and Joan Sutherland as the cleaning woman on every Callas posting.Poor Maria,didn't she suffer enough while she was alive without having these insane,sick "fans" dishonoring her memory 35 years after her death with their vicious and hateful remarks abt.other singers. The scarey part is, nebeshiku isn't even the worst of the lot.
assindiastignani 2 months ago
@assindiastignani thanks for the laugh bitch! One more stalker that keeps track of what i post!
NEBESHIKU 2 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Stalker?! Darling, you post that stupid comment of yours on virtually every clip of Callas in youtube.Anybody who loves Callas, sees it at least three times a week. It's like stepping in dogshit in Central Park - you don't have to be a stalker to find it . It's everywhere!
assindiastignani 2 months ago
@assindiastignani darling, i know every one steps on you all the time...
NEBESHIKU 2 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Ah,charming as always. Well, it's been lovely chatting with you, but now I've got to go. Run along and play little boy - the grown-ups have work to do.
assindiastignani 2 months ago
@assindiastignani yes, you have to go to flip some burgers or be the hired help at some else's home.
NEBESHIKU 2 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Yes, exactly! Me and Joan.
assindiastignani 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@assindiastignani It's good that you know your place. I knew you were an illiterate fool but i didn't know to what extent but then you write "Me and Joan" and that makes it crystal clear...
NEBESHIKU 2 months ago
Somebody took your comment off as "spam" which I think is outrageous. I put it back on. I really don't like the things you say, but you do have a right to say them. Censorship is censorship, and this is a free forum.BTW I ain't illeterate. I done gradiated college and can read and rite!
assindiastignani 2 months ago
@assindiastignani how civil of you. thank you.
NEBESHIKU 2 months ago
OMG! CALLAS REIGNS!
a1vocalcoachdotcom 4 months ago
Einfach unerreicht liebe Maria Callas!!!!!!!!
MultiZahl 4 months ago
@dianaemanuel you are so right. I think that who loves opera admires Callas, and so I do . What i really truly dislike about callas is........ callas' supporters !
anacleto2011 5 months ago
Some very nasty comments on here. Such a pity as Callas admired many singers - including Joan Sutherland. To call Sutherland the 'hired help' is horrid. It's very easy to say mean spirited things behind a veil of electronic anonymity. It's the cowards way in fact.
Dianaemanuel 6 months ago 4
@Dianaemanuel shut up. joan sutherland is high school musical talent at best.
amplifiedsilence 4 months ago
she knew what she was doing. Very competent.
Alce2008 8 months ago
Right now Callas must be in heaven sitting on the throne as the queen goddess of opera while sutherland is cleaning house and doing dishes as Callas' hired help.
NEBESHIKU 10 months ago 10
@NEBESHIKU LOL
zurriussII 10 months ago 7
@NEBESHIKU Mostly likely Callas is shaking her head in astonishment, embarassment and shame over the fact that her "fans" seem incapable of expressing their love and admiration of her and her art, without at the same time feeling the need to write the most tasteless, insulting and ignorant things about her colleagues. As it happens Callas was a great admirerer of Dame Joan and when you write such things about her, you dishonor the memory and legacy of Callas.
assindiastignani 9 months ago 5
@assindiastignani just the kind of this La stupida would write, guess that makes you il stupido.
NEBESHIKU 9 months ago
@NEBESHIKU ...whatever...
assindiastignani 9 months ago
@assindiastignani ... and il stupido/a has said "what ever".... LMAO!
NEBESHIKU 8 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Del resto si dice "Lo Stupido." "Il Stupido" è sbagliato. But, I probably shouldn't confuse you with Italian grammar, you have your work cut out for you simply trying to put three words of English together without commiting seven spelling or stylistic errors. In any event, you waste my time. Bye bye.You poor thing.
assindiastignani 8 months ago
@assindiastignani LMAO! How long did it take for you to write this!? Il Stupido, you disgusting piece of shit, you sure can talk about waste because that is all you are, and all your family. Please eat shit and die, so open your mouth and put your fist in it!
NEBESHIKU 8 months ago
@NEBESHIKU lol, hardcore Callas fans are the worst xD
spenzur 7 months ago
@NEBESHIKU
Im so agree with you
chilacanta 8 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Oh how dare you, you phillistine!! XDDD
xkyousukex 6 months ago
@NEBESHIKU how can you write such a thing
antwerpen1969 4 months ago
Comment removed
assindiastignani 2 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Glorifying Callas does not mean destroying the fame and dignity of other sopranos. You do not need to kill others in order to proove that Callas was a very great singer...
Julien
PopoliDiTessalia 4 months ago
@PopoliDiTessalia Very well said.
jewelmarkess 3 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Did Renata get fired? lol
RonaldBarone 4 months ago
@RonaldBarone ... no, she is too busy following Callas' dog and cleanig after it.
NEBESHIKU 4 months ago
Comment removed
assindiastignani 2 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Callas was divinity in her own way and style but Joan was also a Diva of prodigious vocal ability who produced her own torrent of glorious vocal sound in this role and in Norma and in many other of the bel canto roles. She dos not need to be demeaned for Callas to be praised. She had a rich powerful, beautiful, incredible voice.Joan elicited adoring hysteria in her audiences. Sutherland was and will never be anyones vocal handmaiden.
intelegentable 2 months ago
@intelegentable the adoring hysteria from La Stupida's audiances was because their iqs were lower than hers.
NEBESHIKU 2 months ago
@NEBESHIKU Molto divertente!!!
celesteaida48 2 months ago
@NEBESHIKU you forgot about Tebaldi :D
8Goldie 1 month ago
Superb
tolomia1 10 months ago
Is it "Spargi d'amaro pianto"?
IroNSol88 1 year ago
@IroNSol88 Yes, it is.
zurriussII 1 year ago
Arguably her best Lucia, Berlin, September 1955, with Panerai, di Stefano and Karajan. He also conducted her in the role at La Scala in 1954 and Vienna in 1956, and they recorded BUTTERFLY in 1955 and TROVATORE in 1956 together. The ensemble cast and quality of this entire performance is indeed superb, her Mad Scene unsurpassed in vocal agility, musicianship, and dramatic truth.
philipc67 1 year ago 16
@philipc67 Terribly agree.
zurriussII 1 year ago
@philipc67
the last sentence in your comment almost drew a tear from my eye. you're soooooo correct dear friend
pointemeout 5 months ago
@philipc67 Totally agree I doubt she sang a better one before or after. This was an all stars cast. This is one of my favorite recordings ever.
balletfanRGA 3 months ago
THE BEST NEVER AGAIN TO BE SEEN OR HEARD BY ANY SINGER MY SENTIMENTS WISH I COULD HAVE MET HER TO HELP ME WITH MY PIANISSIMO
khamikins 1 year ago
i love the evil square that comes to haunt her at 3:49 !! It's a return of the ghost that earlier had appeared in her dreams
belcunto 1 year ago
@belcunto Thanks and BTW how do you make link on time (3:49). Please, help :)
zurriussII 1 year ago
I also like Moffo and Gencer as Lucia, but none comes close to Callas. Absolutely great!
ArrigoPola 1 year ago
@ArrigoPola Yeah, you can't say even Sutherland's Lucia was "bad" but it depends. I myself like Callas' version because she groups and unites every feelings of this person from beginning to the end and creates a real personality who lives even behind the curtains.
zurriussII 1 year ago
De punta se le pone a uno el bello...
scarlatti8 1 year ago
And then the audience goes mad! We will never see or hear her like again.Might this be the Berlin Lucia of 1955 where they have to encore the sextet? Haven't heard that in years.
CarloQuinto 1 year ago
@CarloQuinto yes, it is that version. Conducted by Karajan.
zurriussII 1 year ago
Maria Callas did not sing Lucia in 1958 with Karajan... If she was directed by him, it had to be 1955 in Berlin or 1956 in Vienna...
breton2 1 year ago
La stupenda, meravigliosa, incomparabile voce di Callas.
This is also an good recording. I can't hear the distortion mentioned below. Le ringrazio.
barugna 1 year ago 9
very true
buyatoy 2 years ago
I think the audio transfer to youtube raised the pitch EVER so slightly. Magnificent performance though.
ShamusMacGuffin 2 years ago
Thank you both. I'll try boh Explorer and Mozila ;)
zurriussII 2 years ago
Thank you. It's been so long after my last visit that I've even forgotten the date of Callas' recording :)))
zurriussII 2 years ago
It's not in 1958 but in 1955!
ioSonoCallas 2 years ago
I'm so happy to be BACK!!!!! Hello YouTube!...
zurriussII 2 years ago
You are welcome again zurriuss!
ioSonoCallas 2 years ago
hi, I've got some problems. I can't upload videos!!!! I press on Upload and there doesn't appear "chose" and so on... could you help and explain why happens it so? Thank you
zurriussII 2 years ago
use Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer
Lohengrin 2 years ago
I am not gifted for that but I think it results from your computer, I have no problem to download, thus I think it doesn't result from the site but I'm not sure.
( I hope that you understand me because my English is not very good)
PS: I think that Lohengrin is right, nevertheless I use explorer without problem.
ioSonoCallas 2 years ago