Customer Reviews

Callas at Juilliard: The Master Classes

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In 1971-72, several years absent from the operatic and performing stage, Maria Callas appeared in a series of master classes at Juilliard, which attracted attention far beyond the world of the admittedly famed music school at which they were held.

There were several reasons for this. At the time Callas was still the most famous opera singer in the world, as much for her entanglement in the lives of Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy as for her vocal and dramatic artistry. The format of the master class is a peculiar hybrid of individual lesson and public performance, both for the students and the teacher. As Ardoin and others have pointed out, whatever her concern for imparting her knowledge and experience to students, Callas undoubtedly saw the Juilliard classes as an opportunity to test the waters--appearing and even singing, under the guise of demonstrating, in public again to see if she could handle a possible return to her career.

Minus the extramusical baggage that surrounded them, and the excitement Callas' personal presence and vocal illustrations must have created, what remains of these master classes? These faithful transcriptions of many of the sessions give as good an idea as can be had without actually listening to tapes, and show that Callas was a scrupulous, detailed and demanding musical taskmaster. To operatic connoisseurs, there is much interest in the variants, cuts and cadenzas she suggests, illustrated in many musical examples which really need to be compared with published scores in order to obtain the clearest idea of her suggestions. One problem with the original edition was that the excerpts were riddled with printing mistakes--it remains to be seen how much, if any, of this has been rectified.

One is struck by the businesslike tone of much of the instruction, not at all like the embroidered scenarios of McNally's play, and how much Callas invokes her own teachers, such as Tullio Serafin, giving a real sense of the musical traditions of Italian opera. Ultimately, this book is mainly of interest to those who appreciate Callas the musician, not Callas the legendary diva. For such readers it repays careful perusal, though probably not all in one sitting. Amadeus Press is to be thanked for restoring this volume to the print catalogue.

Callas provides good musical guidance on many famous soprano arias. Reading the book almost brings her back to life.

This is a good book if you're looking for some musical insights from one of the greatest musicians. She talks about technique, expression, and the characters themselves. This book would probably not interest you if you're looking for a biography of Callas. This book is more focused on the music and her insights.

I apologize for any english mistakes I'll probably commit, I'm brazilian, but I really like to say what I find in this book... because it's not only useful to singers, but to all musicians, it's a lifetime lesson... this woman saw music beyond the printed paper... she made art, and all of us must learn from her.

"CALLAS AT JULLIARD..." is a magnificent companion for any singer of any level. One can follow the classes as a basic and fundamental course to the existing video and audio samples almost as if one were one of the performers during the course.Callas at Juilliard: The Master Classes

Although this book is reserved for music majors and/or aspiring opera singers, one does not need to be either to be interested in what makes the talent and genius that is "Maria Callas" tick.

This "masters series" came about during a period when Callas was in semi-retirement. It was a hectic period in her life: Her public fights and eventual breakup with Ari Onasis; photos of her exiting cabs without underwear, etc. So in a real sense this series was as much therapy for her prior to any contemplation of a comeback, as it was her way of "giving back" to the field that had given so much to her.

My interest in this book grows only out of profound respect for the immensity of her talent, which can only be classified as genius. It is also a singular expression of my love for her immense talent. Although I was once a musician and still enjoy and try to stay atop of the best of the musical genres, if I were to be completely honest, except for Callas, opera is way down on my list of musical interests. However, once one has listened to Callas, ones perception of the world of music is forever altered -- altered in the same way that it might change after having listened to Miles Davis or John Coltrane, or Sting. Listening to Callas is a transcendental experience of powerful porportions.

Callas in the same way as do Coltrane and Miles, communicates directly to the soul, her vocal interpretations go directly to the emotional dimension of ones very being. They alone place her in the Pantheon of the musical gods. And as a result, one cannot listen to her and remain emotionally neutral, or remain in a purely academic mode (as I do for most opera). Every Callas song, every Callas aria is an event in itself -- a singular new creative contribution to the world -- that makes the emotions stand at attention. Her musical interpretations are themselves a force of nature.

Intuitively, the mind of the listener knows this before hand and prepares itself for something big about to happen. She rarely disappoints. Here the master of her instrument, the voice, shares with 23 carefully selected students at Julliard what it is about her technique that gives her an edge over the competition (and that puts her in a class to herself). And what we learn from this book (as it seems is always the case) is that: rising to the level of emotional catharsis is as much about careful training, being carefully mentored, careful observation and practice as it is about musical genius. Callas is not so much "idiosyncratic diva" as she is a deep student of many musical traditions. (Why should we be surprised to discover this?)

Thank the gods for ipods, so that as I read, I can just "dial up" the relevant pieces and listen to them privately as she explains what she is doing. Life does not get much better than this. Five Stars.