Customer Reviews

Callas: La Divina [Limited Edition]

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I do not pretend to be an expert but I love her singing. It's beautiful, dramatic and brilliant. Esp. her middle-range is fantastic. My favourites are Callas as Norma, Aida and Tosca.

People who don't understand opera cannot appreciate Callas. Opera is much more than a "pretty voice". Opera is drama, passion, and musical coloring. In this realm, Callas reigns supreme. To compare Callas with other sopranos, one must understand differances in vocal types. Sumi Jo is a COLORTURA SOPRANO, very high, lighter roles. Bartoli is a MEZZO SOPRANO, lower,a deeper voice. Callas was a unique voice type, a "DRAMMATICA AGILITA", a dramatic soprano with the agility to sing a very wide range of roles. This type of soprano comes along once in a century. This cd is the best of Callas. It shows to anyone of intelligence and taste why Callas was the supreme operatic artist of the 20th century.

Maria Callas is, with no doubts, the best soprano of the 20th century. Many people say she didn't have a beautiful voice, but this collection shows how wrong this opinion is. Callas is one of the few singers that can show us what is happening during the aria she is singing: you don't have to understand Italian or French to feel the emotions she passes with her voice. Her versatility is shown by the great number of different arias she sings - from arias for mezzosoprano to soprano coloratura ones. Besides, the CD with interview is a wonderful class - a "Master Class", I would say - for people who take singing classes.
DIVINA is the right word to name Maria Callas!

I'm not going to pretend that on recording, Maria Callas' voice is perfect; sometimes harsh, sometimes shrill, it was an imperfect instrument. But that imperfect instrument is what makes her the greatest artist. There's a story that Beethoven sat down at a harpsichord so out of tune that no one could make anything beautiful come out of it, he of course did, that's one of reasons that Beethoven is so great. Can we say that Beethoven was awful because he played an imperfect instrument? Of course not! The same is true of Callas. Hans Hotter said that to be a great opera performer one needs to be four things: a singer, an actor, a musician, and an artist. Maria Callas was better than anyone at three out of four of those things: she was the greatest actor, musician, and artist the opera world has ever seen. Her singing? Because we talk so much about the superior beauty of tone possessed by Sutherland, Tebaldi, Caballe, and all the other Iron Women of Opera, because we Callas fans make constant apologies for our diva we overemphasize the imperfections. At its best, Maria Callas had a voice of great beauty, at its worst it was somewhat harsh, hooty, wobbly, and shrill. On average, it was average! Still, average on singing but awe inspiring, a standard bearer on everthing else is not bad! This set illustrates the point perfectly, ranging from beautiful to imperfect, but always communicating the feeling and drama of the moments in a way that nobody else ever has! Moving beyond words. Enough! No more apologies for the vocal imperfections of Maria Callas! She is what she is, was what she was! This boxed set is an important document of an artist who changed the way opera is performed, interpreted, and appreciated. Who else, besides Caruso, can we say that of in the 20th century? In this boxed set you will find out why bel canto was revived in the middle part of the 20th century. Prior to Callas, bel canto singing meant "singing very pretty," Callas brought back the idea that performers: singer, conductor, orchestra, are servants of the composer. That the notes in the score are not just a background for a beautiful voice to show off too. This music has meaning and depth, and the words should be sung expressively and dramatically, as the composer intended, in line with the music! Yes, Joan Sutherland could impress with her breath control, but could you understand one word she ever said? Can you imagine her playing anything without that goofy smile on her face? Yes, Sutherland impressed us that she didn't have to contort her face to hit the notes, but did the notes mean anything? The same is true of Tebaldi, Caballe, etc. Maria Callas was THE singing actress of the twentieth century, maybe any century. She could sing anything, German repertory, verismo repertory, Puccini, etc. But her crowning acheivement was the return of bel canto, who would have thought of putting a dark dramatic soprano in the bel canto repertory, and yet someone did, and it was a revelation! Thank God for Maria Callas and for her teacher, Elvira d'Hildalgo, and her mentor, Tulio Serafin, for seeing the potential of this repertory, and this singing actress, and making beautiful, sophisticated art. This boxed set is an account of the work of one of the greatest artists who ever lived.

I am a devout Callas fan, and only recently discovered this collection, but purchased it immediately. EMI does a wonderful job of tracing the Callas legend through its triumph and failure. Although some of the arias were not taken during her prime, they are nonetheless sufficient for us mere listeners to form a fairly complete idea of why Callas was the ultimate prima donna of Italian and French opera. Not only was she capable of singing nearly any role in the French and Italian repertoire (from Turandot, to Lakme, to Carmen, to Dinorah. . . . you get the idea!), but she succeeded in building convincing and innovative characterizations of every one of them!

I believe that whether you like the Callas tone quality or not is simply irrelevent to appreciating her as an artist. If you do not like her sound, I can not guarantee you will like this collection. However, if you are looking for an introduction to her art, or wish to expand your collection, this is a wonderful sampler of her work. However, this is an aria collection, and it is also important to note that Callas shone in many other areas of opera besides the arias, infusing every note with a highly realistic mode of acting.

The jewel of this set is the interview with Downes, which I consider an invaluable asset to anyone studying voice or seeking to learn more about Callas, the woman. She was truly a "servant of art." Buy this collection if you've ever doubted her power and talent, or have not had the benefit of experiencing her yet!

There is no sense in trying to "sell" Callas ---- she aroused debate during her prime, and continues to do so to this day. It really doesn't matter. The contents of this recording allows the facts to stand for themselves: there is not a soprano -- either living or historical --- whose studio and stage repertoire encompassed such a panorama of operatic diversity.
The voice was an acquired taste -- some never took to it, while many others embraced it. One thing for sure: Callas was never, NEVER dull -- and her way of phrasing and shading words is to this day unequalled. Of course there are sopranos to listen to who possessed more luscious instruments, but Callas had something that none of them could even hope to possess -- she WAS music.
Yes, there are some top notes that can make one wince, and yes, there are moments when one is convinced that her voice is coming out of a bottle -- but who CARES when all other sopranos wither in the light her her genius. To be sure, there are many moments of vocal beauty and security, but this isn't what Callas was about. Those who don't cotton to the Callas art are those whose asthetic feelings about music do not go beyond vocal sound. The observations of one previous reviewer who said that Sumi Jo and Cecilia Bartoli are better, is so stupid that they don't even merit consideration.
I am a great admirer of Tebaldi, Sutherland, Caballe, Milanov, and other super sopranos. They were all great sopranos, to be sure. But Callas was in a class by herself --- and she should not be compared to anyone else. We will not see her like again. That she continues to arouse such interest is proof enough. She is to opera what Elvis Presley was to rock, what Marilyn Monroe and James Dean were to film, and what Al Jolson, Sophie Tucker, and Judy Garland were to entertainment.
She stands by herself!

LA DIVINA ENCAPSULATES THE VERY HIGHEST QUALITY OF OPERATIC SINGING IN THE WORLD OF THIS CENTURY, MAYBE EVEN THE LAST TWO CENTURIES. MARIA CALLAS HAD EVERYTHING IN HER VOICE, THE COLORATURA, THE PURE LEGATO LINE, THE WEALTH OF BEAUTIFUL INTONATION AND PHRASING, THE SUPERIOR HIGH NOTES WITH THEIR EDGE OF PATHOS AND RING OF JOY, HER VOCAL TEMEPERAMENT, WHICH GIVES SHARP DEFINITION TO HER INTERPRETATIONS AND TO THE NOTES AS SHE SINGS THEM, THAT CARRY THE CHARACTER TO YOUR EARS AND TO YOUR VERY BEING; SHE CANNOT BE MATCHED BY ANYONE. ALL VOICES SOUND BLAND BESIDE CALLAS. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS MUCH TO LOVE IN CABALLE, SUTHERLAND, SILLS, SCOTTO, FRENI, AND A FEW OTHERS, THEY ARE FAR DOWN THE LIST. SUMI JO IS A CHIRPER, AND BARTOLI IS ALL THEY HAVE NOW AND SO SHE'S PUSHED; NOONE WAS IMPRESSED WITH HER AT THE MET, AND SHE'S A MEZZO. WHO CARES ABOUT THESE TWO?

CALLAS IS GREAT HERE IN THIS WONDERFUL BOX SET AND ON HER PIRATED RELEASES AS WELL, ESPECIALLY HER NORMA OF 1955 WITH SIMIONATO AND DEL MONACO, CONDUCTED BY VOTTO..GET THAT!

BUT GET THIS TOO, AND LISTEN AND SEE WHAT WORDSWORTH MEANT WHEN HE SAID WE MUST "GO INTO THE LIFE OF THINGS." IN CLOSING, MARIA CALLAS DOES EVERYTHING A BELLINI PRACTIONER SHOULD..SEE COMMENTS ON THIS BY EVERY OTHER GREAT SINGER OF THE CALLAS ERA. CALLAS WAS AND IS BEL CANTO.

An awesome collection of the most supreme voice in the world! Brava La Divina!!!!!

I guess the greatest singers, critics and conductors would neither work with nor praise a "highly overrated" singer. Zeffirelli spoke of an era A.C. and B.C. --> Before Callas and After Callas. The fantastic Belcanto-Revival we owe to her, she cleared the path for all the great ones following her: Sutherland, Sills, Horne, Gruberova etc. But loving Callas doesn't mean one should listen to her only. This collection is supreme, showing why Callas still reigns supreme as a soprano sfogato in the tradition of Malibran and Pasta, Bellini's and Donizetti's muses. And if those ignorant Callas-Bashers knew ANYTHING they'd know that both Pasta and Malibran were adored for being "imperfect"! Bellini wrote his Norma for Pasta, Donizetti his Anna Bolena. What this must have been like we hear in Callas and later on in Sills who recorded the most complete Belcanto-operas. Buy this collection and be swept away by a passion, an ardour that is more than just singing: It was her life!

There is little one can say about Callas that has not been said already. Having been one who saw her in person, and had the experience of actually witnessing her performances, I find that the CD's never represent her as I remember her. Yes the voice was not beautiful, but there was so much more there than mere sound and notes. This said, the CD is most enjoyable. Whether one likes the Callas sound or not ( it is not always good to the ear, and I must admit there are days I just cannot listen to her --bottled low notes, choked middle, squalid hight notes, she at least didn't play favorites, she could be bad in all parts of her range ) one cannot leave a hearing of her without having been totally moved in some way or other. Even in performance when she hardly moved at all, one was entranced by the total involvement, not only of her, but of oneself.

As I said, the music has been commented on and everything has been said. The real treasure in this set is not so much the singing, but the interviews with Callas herself. Hearing her explanations for her life, what she did, how she was trained, etc, are most revealing. Unlike most singers, who we never are privileged to hear discuss the "secrets of their art", Callas shares much. Perhaps to the average person this is not so important, but to those who study singing it is quite a Revelation. I certainly recommend this set for all it has to offer, not just the music.