Product Details

• Actors: Maria Callas, Nicola Rescigno, Georges Prêtre
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Angel Records
• DVD Release Date: October 26, 1999
• Run Time: 119 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305614377
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,522 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Maria Callas in Concert - Hamburg 1959 and 1962" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If Maria Callas had been born 30 years later, there's no doubt that she would be a multimedia star. Her vocal technique continues to divide critics decades after her death, and even at the peak of her powers it was rarely a voice that pandered to ideas of conventional beauty. But visually, she was mesmerizing. Callas was the first modern opera singer to act a role rather than just sing it and she exploited this ability to the full.

Proof is to be found in the precious few filmed performances that survive from the black-and-white era when she was at her best. Three years separate these recitals, which include tantalizing snatches of Bellini and Rossini, captured at the Hamburg Musikhalle. By 1962, the voice was on the wane but the passion and commitment to the roles were triumphant, as a selection of Carmen's arias proves. Today these concerts provide the key to an enigmatic reputation that survives into the 21st century, and remain essential viewing for all opera lovers. The DVD includes further information on the concerts and Callas's career. --Piers Ford

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable document, October 31, 2000

By 

klavierspiel "klavierspiel" (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Maria Callas in Concert - Hamburg 1959 and 1962 (DVD)

As another reviewer has already mentioned, Callas was never filmed in a complete opera. (Ironically, no less than three films exist of the second act of Puccini's Tosca, a role that she did not regard with particular favor.) So, these filmed live concerts of varied operatic repertory are particularly valuable as a document of a spellbinding performer practicing her art. The concert from 1959 finds her in more secure voice, though she misses a top C in the Macbeth aria and omits some interpolated high notes elsewhere. However, the earlier concert as a whole is a vivid demonstration of her dramatic intensity and the variety of her vocal art, ranging from the steely intensity of Macbeth, to the ineffable grief of the Don Carlo aria, to the flirtatious charm of the Barber of Seville. By 1962, she was in noticeable vocal decline and there are frequent instances of what became an all-too-familiar unsteadiness on top notes in the later concert. She also has difficulty remembering words in the Carmen excerpts in 1962. On the other hand, O Don Fatale, a mezzo aria, is mesmerizing. Anyone who wants to learn why Callas continues to exert such a powerful force on the world of opera need only view these concerts to know the reason.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An auditory and visual treasure. Superb!, March 9, 2000

By 

[e-mail] "[e-mail]" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Maria Callas in Concert - Hamburg 1959 and 1962 (DVD)

Maria Callas was a phenomenon. She evoked the strongest passions, pro and con, during her too brief peak period. Unfortunately she did her best work in the 1950's and 1960's when films and videos of opera were rare. That makes this DVD so important.

Here we see her in two recitals. Sadly she was never filmed in a complete opera (to the best of my knowledge). Like another one of the reviewers, I have watched these performances on laser disc for years and was especially pleased to see them come out on DVD. The quality of the picture reflects the state of the art of the time. But you will not buy this DVD for picture quality. You will get it as a visual and auditory record of the most interesting singer of the past 50 years.

There are many glorious moments on this DVD. Perhaps my favorite is Una voce poco fa from The Barber of Seville. Her recording of the complete opera on EMI is still one of the best versions of this opera, but her aria in this recital is the best of her several recordings. And what presence she had.

As a lover of opera it is a disappointment that I never got to see Callas perform live. This superb DVD will have to be my consolation.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DVD, the right medium for such an act, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Maria Callas in Concert - Hamburg 1959 and 1962 (DVD)

Without loosing hope, I none the less didn't expect such a great thing to happen so fast. I am talking about the Callas in Hamburg 59 & 62 concerts, which were released by a Dutch house on DVD. There's only another dvd (pure music*) issued by a Japanese company. In that case the price is fantastic (US$ 100 for 29 minutes of music!) and the quality is far from being good. This one is an elegant edition. Even the menu is made with care, showing nice live pictures of Callas. The image is perfect and the sound was remastered to digital, making this a unique opportunity to enjoy the concerts without fearing any tape damage. Arias can be selected at random, just as on a music cd, in case you don't want to listen to the whole concert in one sitting. I do recommend you'd buy it (I'm not working for the company who released it!) before it becomes obsolete. Most of us will have a dvd player one day, this is the new format to stay. I also bought mine when I had 5 titles in my collection, some are already out of stock. * there's Life and Art also available but haven't got that one.