Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Fiorenza Cossotto, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

Vincenzo Bellini (Artist), Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala (Artist), Maria Callas (Artist), Nicola Zaccaria (Artist), Fiorenza Cossotto (Artist), Nicola Monti (Artist), Giuseppe Morresi (Artist), Antonino Votto (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 19, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000002RXR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,551 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #23 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Voices > Baritones
  • #37 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Callas, Maria

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tuneful, lyrical, gorgeous, September 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Fiorenza Cossotto, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan (Audio CD)

This is one of the opera CDs I pull out most often. If you don't know Callas except in her dramatic roles, you've got a pleasant surprise in store; her voice here is light and unfailingly beautiful. The tenor Nicola Monti is easy on the ears too, and their duets are sublime. Great "easy listening" opera.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars unfortunate to read the other reviews, February 27, 2001

By 

daniel vasquez (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Fiorenza Cossotto, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan (Audio CD)

there are only two reviews here and none are particularly encouraging. one reviewer cannot believe that callas, one of the formost belcantists of the last century, had "the nerve" to sing this. the other only thinks that callas is the only reason for this set. what is one to say. the idea of what bel canto is has been so shaken from its original roots that you get people thinking that sutherland is bel canto. thats almost like thinking that Native Americans are from INDIA because they are called "indians". (i.e. "bel canto MEANS beautiful singing") silly isnt it? perhaps some research should be done. figure out what kind of singers bellini wrote for, what their range was, what their VOLUME was like. take a look at the orchestration and then think about "is this something that should be sung by a big wagnerian voice like sutherland's?" also think about what kind of soprano callas is. forget about what you have read before. forget the "dramatic coloratura" tag that has been placed on her. read what rossini thought of full toned high notes, should the voice really be even through all the scales and all registers? or is the composer exploiting the sound of each different tone? ('madame pasta's voice is made of a wide variety of metalo'). consider that pasta, malibran, and viardot were NOT sopranos, but pushed up mezzos.....

then, after you do all that, tell me what you think of bel canto, and of this recording, which is perhaps one of the greatest testaments of callas' art.

daniel

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Sonnambula, February 20, 2005

By 

Pia - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Fiorenza Cossotto, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan (Audio CD)

La Sonnambula, like "Norma", was written for Bellini's muse Giuditta Pasta and hence casting chirpers in this taxing role is completely wrong. The role requires a dramatic soprano d'agilita with an ability to colour her voice in the lightest and airy colours WITHOUT chirping or tweeting. And that was there, right there in Maria Callas' voice. when this was recorded she was singing the role in Köln (Germany) and Edinburgh and had immense successes doing so. Her partner, Mr. Monti, may not be as amazing as Cesare Valletti (On the live-recording from 1955, also available on EMI, the BEST Sonnambula without a doubt) but he's adequate. Votto may not be a Bernstein or Serafin but he conducts with sensivity and Italianita. The "minor" roles are brilliantly cast with the young Fiorenza Cossotto and Nichola Zaccaria. A wonderful, if cut, studio-recording of Bellini's romantic masterpiece.