Callas live in London 1959,Mefistofele, "L´altra notte..

Maria Callas, live in London 1959, better than 1954(think so). The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Cond: Sir Malcolm Sargent

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mefistofele
• Arrigo Boito
• Maria Callas
• live

[SweetFiness]

@kgarmaker123 When I think about how vast her repertoire was, I say she managed to put 30+ years of work into 12!!! I personally dont care that she didnt spend 50 years on stage, in her case it was not necessary. I especially cannot consider talks about vocal decline in 1956 when I hear unrivaled performances like the 1957 Sonnambula and Anna Bolena. what else was left to prove after that????

[philipc67]

Superb, even if the highest notes aren't as polished as in her unforgettable 1954 recording with Serafin. The musicality and precision (those tight trills) are astonishing. The vocal timbre is just right for portraying the darkness and madness required. Listen how she ends the piece...no one can sing this like she has. She breaks your heart. Divina!

[TheWisemonkey8]

@philipc67 it is live singing... forget the studio stuff...

[zaygezunt]

What a voice! Such power and passion. She is immortal. All credit too is due to Sir Malcolm Sargent for his moving but unintrusive accompanying of La Callas.

[MCSQUARED31]

Callas, and ONLY Callas, reminds me time and again that True Art resists analysis....One can just marvel at her interpretative genius through totally unparallelled musicianship and voice; for me, she is not singing, but rather creating her voice as she portrays all the range of emotions in this relatively short but very tricky aria. Love both versions: live and studio one (1954, under T.Serafin), finding live one a bit more spontaneous and emotionally open. Thank you, Imogene, for posting!

[MCSQUARED31]

Callas, and ONLY Callas, reminds me time and again that True Art resists analysis....One can just marvel at her interpretative genius through totally unparallelled musicianship and voice; for me, she is not singing, but rather creating her voice as she portrays all the range of emotions in this relatively short but very tricky aria. Love both versions: live and studio one (1954, under T.Serafin), finding live one a bit more spontaneous and emtionally open. Thank you, Imogene, for posting!

[Phaedragon]

You know, she flubs the words of the second verse... I don't say that to be critical, only that it proves that she was, indeed, a mortal, and not the Goddess she sounds like... And it also shows that occasional mistakes, flubs, cracks and the occassional "lost note," doesn't invalidate a performance (as a working soprano myself, I appreciate this lesson!).

[zurriussII]

This was the first aria of Callas that made me cry. Exactly this one.

[babydrane]

This is a very difficult aria to sing properly. I can't believe it even as I am hearing it. I like her better live too so I'll have to agree with you imogene. From a technical point of view, I guess the earlier one was more polished. It might have been a studio recording.

[distefano13069609]

@kgarmaker123 you are right.. people often associate Callas's vocal decline to 1959, but she really stopped practicing in 1960-61, in 1959, all there was, was a bad cold during the concerts in haburg, etc. If you listen to her Pirata in NYC, there's no sing f decline whatsoever.