Callas teaches bass-baritone Willard White on Fiesco's aria

Another lesson at the Juilliard School, on Fiesco'aria in Simon Boccanegra. Callas inspires young Willard White (before he began his a great carreer) with some more authority, exact diction, urgency in the vibrato and phrasing, and talks about the relative pianissimo on an operatic stage.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Masterclass
• Maria
• Callas
• Verdi
• Simon
• Boccanegra
• Willard
• White

[JoanatNo29]

He impressed me when I first came across him, which can't have been long after he was at the Juillard. If memory serves me right he was singing the title role in Otello, though I know that seems odd because it's normally a tenor role. It seems so long ago I was saying to myself 'My God, how old must he be now ?' when I checked him out and discovered he's actually younger than me !! Great to know he's stilll singing though !

[foropera]

@JoanatNo29: well, as a bass I wonder how could he have sung Otello; but he played the role in the Shakespeare piece as you can see on Youtube.

[angelovocci]

The pathos for a bass IS NOT different!!! Pathos is pathos for all singers. I am trained through the line of Tettrazinni in Bel canto, and my master teacher, mia maestra interrupts me as often when needed. callas was demanding him to excavate the ample chest resonance and full appogio to convey the emotion! She's dead on!!!

[raigekimaru]

with someone as legendary as Callas the mere fact that she's willing to spend that much time on him means that she recognizes his talent. she's correcting him so much because she knows he has the potential to take this piece to a high level of excellence (hence the very specific corrections). she also knows that he can keep up with her as a talented vocalist.

[MegaGum1]

Thing about La Callas is that there is the deepest, broadest, most profound humanity in every single note she sings. So that even tho i have no idea what she is saying i know that for the character she is portraying it is a matter of life and death. EVERYTHING matters. This is the great artist.

[Macavity1900]

Is she playing the piano?

[raigekimaru]

"I'm a soprano...I can't...trying to"

she sounds pretty damn good to me. her chest voice would give those Verdian dramatic mezzos a round for their money

[hamb4]

The Vocal line, with expression is what I thought she was trying to pull out of him. He, I guess eventually found his legato. He was still searching for it at that point. The voice was rich and big, but lacked expression and legato at that time of his career. As I said, he found it. Not everybody finds it.

[hamb4]

@gspichuni2 This harsh voice you speak of also sang la Sonambula and quite sweetly. The same voice that sang Elvira, Violetta, She was decisive in all she did. Hence there was no iffiness in her voice. She could be the sweet little girl or the vengeful Lady Macbeth. It had it's sweet moments. Lord know, I wish she has sung the Earl King. It was not the most beautiful voice but, It made you listen.

[SuperOnri]

I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­

[nonnopirro52]

@gspichuni2 wow!!

[ininacsot]

@paintermezzo amen