Maria Callas RARE 1969: I Lombardi: "Oh madre del cielo" (Inedito EMI)

[Ariadne7710]

Bellissimo lavoro, Grazie.

[MultiZahl]

Wundervolle MARIA CALLAS-Primadonna assoluta für alle Zeiten!!!!!

[ubedajils]

En 1:00, ¿garraspea??

[colonia3059]

These "rehearsals" weren't supposed to come out to the audience; the cadenza at the end is just insinuated by Callas, and sung and octave lower, one hears the conductor and so on... however, how beautiful some phrases are, particularly at the beginning of the aria, and the vocalise, taken her to a D flat.... Even when she is just reading or marking, the lesson is there, the musicality, the taste, the genius.

[MrTythompson]

Amazing how musical this lady was!

[distefano13069609]

there are alot of Callas versions of this aria. For instance, I could make many combinations of the many takes of this aria... I have the whole rehearsal

[rdsteyer]

Thanks so much for this fantastic piece of music that you gave us. It is a rarity. Thanks

[agladd]

@zizzu3782

Grazie per il bel lavoro e per averlo pubblicato

[roeslerswiss]

And this the time when she lost the voice?! Compare this with her contemporary high staff, even the current ones!!!

Still Superb! Superior!!!

She had not only the voice

Maria, almost Supernatural!!!

[du6053]

A real treasure. Thank you so much

[crisepica]

Perfect!

[Ellevius]

Such beauty...

[YaelBerman]

I can´t believe the beauty of this! The sweetnes of her voice... One of the best and most beautiful things I´ve heard from her (and I´ve heard a lot). Thank you so much for sharing :).

[ViardotVSGrisi]

I dont think of those post 1964 records as part of her singing legacy in terms of "her career". They're not curiosities either. If you really listen as she said "with your heart and with your ears": she POINTS to what she wants to do (even when she cant do it.). Maria was an incredible creature of instinct, and here, not being able to do it, she points. Its pretty unbeliveable. Today we have capable singers who dont know where they're going. They would be smart to see this lady pointing.

[Turand0t]

@ViardotVSGrisi Very , very intelligent comment. She is is the best example of true musicianship and intelligent acting imbedded in one. Even though she doesn't necessary manage to do exactly what she wants with her voice, it is easy to hear the intention, her direction. Maria Callas deserved and still deserves her nickname La Divina. :D

[primohomme]

Posting these does not good to the legacy of Maria. But even with half a voice, she is still the greatest artist I've ever heard, the greatest voice of the 20th century, maybe a full 100 years will have to pass befor another such miracle like her comes along, perhaps it never will.

[sillyboydeux]

She knew enough as a musician to keep the melody moving along, even though there isn't much vocal security above staff. Still, there are some lovely effects. To my way of thinking, she doesn't need to defend herself at this stage of her life. Already with 90 Normas, 60 Medeas, and about the same of Traviata, no one could touch her. I don't believe, as that annoying biographer, John Ardoin did, that these efforts "tarnished" her image. As proved by the 76 Ah perfido, she was still the queen!

[mariasarda]

Toujours le meilleur du Chant. Merci Maria pour ton amour et ton travail accompli !

[pjdonagh]

I am reminded here of the often quoted remarks of Pauline Vairdot on hearing Pasta at her ill advised "Farewell" concert long after her voice had collapsed.."It is like the Cenacola of da Vinci at Milan - a wreck of a picture, but that picture is the greatest picture in the world"!!

[otfried]

I am impressed by her mezza voce, especially at 2:54-55. Her cadenza or coloratura in the aria sounds so naturally that one even is not aware of sing fast notes. I think this is a sign of her artistic maturity, i.e. when people no longer feel that an opera singer is singing, but rather talking in music.

[xafnndapp]

@otfried I think that more than a mezzavoce it's a way of shifting the voice in a sort of unsubstained falsetto. Not really technical very valid, there is too much break between the two registers. But it's somehow effective.

[antonellacolaianni]

"La Maria" è sempre un mito, anche quando la voce non è ormai più la stessa si avverte quel brivido inconfondibile che solo lei sa dare. Brava Maria!

[Unvraiparisien]

Questa e una rara e interessante foto de la gran Maria, sempre Divina e bella!!!

[xafnndapp]

Compliemtni.

Comunque sapevo che la famosa puntatura "pianissimo" al Re bemolle sovracuto pubblicata nel 64, venga da un take del 69, non dimentichiamoci che l'LP dove c'era quest'aria comparve solo nel 72 se non sbaglio, e si chiamava "Callas Inedits".

Stranamente, non c'e' traccia di quel Re bemolle nei take del 69 recentemente "pubblicati"...

[Operalover12002]

As an ardent fan of hers, I always lament how La Callas kept on torturing herself. She was peerless in both singing and acting; she should have lowered her goal. Anybody seeing this clip would appreciate her artistry if they truly adored her. I recognize this clip as another gift for us by the Diva!

[SleepingTurtle1]

Extremely impressive singing, though there seems a pretty clear patch at 2.54. I´d not heard this before... Oh all the "if onlys" that it inspires.

[manyhernandez16]

Sorry, is that a patch? Isn't it a piano? The only thing I hear is that the following note after that one is most shaky... But I think that was piano.

[SleepingTurtle1]

there is a break in the legato. Compare it to 3.16. That said there was something similar at 3.21. I´d still go with it being an edit after a cracked high note. But who cares? High notes don´t make artistry.

[manyhernandez16]

I agree with that one: high notes are not the reason why we listen to Callas' recordings... Thanks!

[kgarmaker123]

Maybe you do, but her recordings in the 50's had abundant good high notes, spectacular as a matter of fact.

[condeceprano]

The voice sounds so much better than every recording she made at the beginning of the sixties; well after all, she was only 46 y/o when Callas made this one... If she only had taken enough time to rework her voice at that moment, we could have more Callas in great shape untill seventies... A true pitty

[xafnndapp]

Let's not exagerate...

Her voice "sounds" better than a few years before, but she has lost the muscles of her diaphram, her breathing support is no longer there, and she can't support either high tessitura unless it's in that "new" spot of falsetto that she had just "discouvered" and using.

if you listen to the whole takes of these sessions, it's very painful how her voice doesn't respond anymore.

I really doubt she could have had the strenght to go on.

[babydrane]

ahh...this was pretty bad. I can't say much else.

[Fairpavel]

Vocal struggles (An opera version of Star wars). In the end Callas wins :)