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Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964
 
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Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964 (1994)

Starring: Maria Callas, Renato Cioni Director: Franco Zeffirelli Rating: NR (Not Rated) Format: DVD
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964 + Maria Callas - La Callas... Toujours + Maria Callas - The Callas Conversations (EMI Classic Archive)
Total List Price: $79.94
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964
76% buy the item featured on this page:
Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964 4.4 out of 5 stars (16)
$22.49
Maria Callas - La Callas... Toujours
9% buy
Maria Callas - La Callas... Toujours 4.8 out of 5 stars (17)
$26.99
Maria Callas: The Eternal Maria Callas
3% buy
Maria Callas: The Eternal Maria Callas 3.8 out of 5 stars (4)
$22.49

Product Details

  • Actors: Maria Callas, Renato Cioni, Tito Gobbi, Robert Bowman, Dennis Wicks
  • Directors: Franco Zeffirelli
  • Producers: Bill Ward
  • Format: Classical, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
  • Language: Italian (PCM Mono)
  • Subtitles: English, German, French
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rating: NR (Not Rated)
  • Studio: EMI Classics
  • DVD Release Date: August 13, 2002
  • Run Time: 70 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00006BSGZ
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,460 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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    #6 in  Movies & TV > Musicals & Performing Arts > Classical > By Performer > Callas, Maria
  • For more information about "Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Special Features

  • Verdi Don Carlo, Act IV: Tu ch le vanita; Bizet Carmen Prelude, Habanera, Entracte, Seguedille; orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Georges Pretre
  • Puccini Tosca, Act II; with Tito Gobbi (Scarpia), Renato Cioni (Cavaradossi), Robert Bowman (Spoletta), Dennis Wicks (Sciarrone), orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Carlo Felice Cillario, stage designer and director Franco Zeffirelli
  • Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 11/4/62 and 2/9/64

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The second half of this recording is an important item in the too-scanty video discography of Maria Callas. Matched with another great singing actor, Tito Gobbi as the lecherous, hypocritical Scarpia, she participates in a textbook demonstration of how Act II of Tosca should be performed. There is a subtlety and nuance in their interactions that one seeks in vain in later, technologically more advanced videos. With a murder onstage, torture offstage, sexual harassment, and deep anguish (beautifully expressed in "Vissi d'arte"), this act provides rich opportunities for these performers, and they take full advantage. You may hear it better sung; you are not likely to see it better acted. The first half, a 1964 recital, offers less scope for acting, and Callas's voice is slightly past its prime, but she performs impressively in the mezzo range in two arias from Carmen. --Joe McLellan

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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars O My Goodness!, March 21, 2003
By Jim Player (Rochester, NY, USA) - See all my reviews
I first heard about this performance (Tosca) nearly 30 years ago when I was a teenager and new to the world of opera. Since then it had stuck in the back of my mind, occasionally being brought intensely to the forefront whenever a snippet of it was shown during the occasional documentary.

Here it is, after three decades, it's going on 2 a.m., and I've had one of the most profound experiences in recorded opera.....whew!

First of all, this is a barebones dvd: Chapter list and some brief but interesting notes in the accompanying liner.

Then there are the performances...Callas in concert at Covent Garden in 1962. "Tu che la vanità" from Don Carlos, plus the Habanera and Seguedille from Act 1 of Carmen. Callas sings with the expected intensity in the Verdi, and with atypical jovolity and coyness in the Bizet, which are all ably conducted by the young Georges Prêtre. If this were the entire content of this dvd, it would be worth the cost.

But along comes Act 2 of Tosca, from two years later. Holy Toledo! Renato Cioni sings Cavaradossi just adaquetely, and not really serving a whole lot of dramatic purpose with a standard performance. Robert Bowman as Spoletta and Dennis Wicks as Sciaronne are better in their acting, but not very impressive vocally. The conductor, Cillario, leads without much insight...again, standard opera fare.

Obviously, the big bucks went to Callas, Gobbi, and Zeffirelli who all certainly earned their pay. Callas and Gobbi had seen better days vocally, especially Callas who, though in pretty good voice, sounds downright nasty here and there. But those very few exceptions are far and few in between.

Here are two masters, two artists at the very top of their craft, two legendary performers giving a definitive performance of sight and sound. From the beginning of the act, Gobbi dominates with a presence that few could ever hope to do. And when Callas finally enters, the sparks fly. Nearly every gesture, every vocal inflection, every subtle nuance carries weight that cannot be measured. There are very very few moments of stage mannerisms, so complete are their portrayals. While not always pretty vocally, they show off to the world why they dominated the opera stage during their prime. The intensity they create together is incredible, seldom letting up in the cat and mouse game they play.

Technically, the picture is good, but not great.Pretty good by early 60's television standards. The camera work for the most part is well done, save for a few instances of poor angles or exclusionary closeups that can be pretty frustrating.Overall, it is quite good.

Zeffirelli, the ultra conservative, directs a wonderful production,but when you go back in time, you see how little he really changes over the years.

For all it's relatively minor shortcomings, this is one of the greatest operatic moments on film. The earlier clips are priceless, but after a (literally) hair raising Tosca, you may barely remember them! 5 stars to the 10th power! Thank you EMI!

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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tosca, finalmente mia! ..., September 1, 2002
By J. Meija (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Finally we have the 1962 Covent Garden concert on DVD (previously it was available only on VHS). Of course, for many Callas fans, the coulomb lapse at the end of "tu che vanita" is piece of cake, but this is not the only reason to have this sound document. Maria is relaxed and her voice is is good condition (you will not hear any problems in the upper register here). She is happy and that's all we need from and outstanding artist. One should physically see the young Georges Pretre (with whom Callas recorded in these years Carmen). He conducts in the very extraordinary way, especially the I and III Act preludes from Carmen. The (1964) II act of Tosca with Gobbi and Cioni is an valuable material where Callas shows that she is still THE Queen. Gobbi is a little in rush and one can see that he was getting old. You cannot compare this performance with the 1958 Paris Gala concert (also with Maria, available on DVD). There is not that charm anymore... But despite all the pros and cans, this DVD is an additional step in the journey of the Callas appreciation; and you know that video is always a big deal in opera. Buy it today and you will be fascinated with the presence of Callas!
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33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars LEGENDARY., October 6, 1999
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Of her Met performance of 1964, Rudolf Bing said,"There never was such a Tosca." After seeing the video of Act 2, I must agree. Every note, every phrase, every movement is perfection. She IS Tosca, and we are humbled and grateful to have witnessed her performance.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars History!
I give 5 stars to this DVD for the 1964 Tosca's place in La Divina's history. You just must have it! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Claudia N. Davidsen

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST HAVE for Callas fans.
I give this DVD five stars because no one sang Carmen or Tosca like Maria Callas and this DVD shows us exactly why. Read more
Published 7 months ago by tom h.

3.0 out of 5 stars Maria Callas - At Covent Garden
The disc is OK - but the sound leaves something to be desired. However, I have a tape of the same concert and the sound is equally poor, so we have to blame the old-fashioned... Read more
Published 18 months ago by C. Nielsen

4.0 out of 5 stars Callas was Callas in the proper time, in her case - very important.....
EMI has done wonderful restoration work on this disc. Those of us who had it on VHS can be grateful for the wonderful digital work that brings superb clarity. Read more
Published on August 9, 2007 by Impostazione

5.0 out of 5 stars Maris Callas- At Covent Garden
Excellent. Makes me cry everytime I watch her. She is the benchmark for all opera singers. Get it!!!!
Published on July 13, 2007 by Sam

5.0 out of 5 stars As rare and priceless as an ancient treasure
EMI released a real treasure with this DVD. You can read a lot about it, but go straight to Tosca's Act II track and you will feel the same excitement, I wonder, Ludwig Borchardt... Read more
Published on April 22, 2007 by Dino Starcevic Rivera

3.0 out of 5 stars only a few arias
Callas only sings 4 arias on this dvd. This is the reason I gave only 3 stars. But sung of the finest possible voice, better than on other dvds availlable. Read more
Published on August 22, 2006 by G. Heroux

5.0 out of 5 stars Next best thing to being there
The 1962 appearance is more like the best of. We hear:
Verdi: Don Carlo (Atto IV) Tu che le vanita
Bizet: Carman
Prelude
Jabanera (Acte I)
Entr'acte... Read more
Published on July 31, 2006 by bernie

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable document
This is a conflation of two rare televised appearances of Callas from Covent Garden. The first was filmed in 1962 and Callas is in surprisingly good voice, considering she had... Read more
Published on December 12, 2005 by Mr. P. H. Murray

5.0 out of 5 stars Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964
The Act Two of Tosca is a very rare and treasured live performance being to my knowledge the only one of Callas live on stage in an opera. Brava! Read more
Published on October 22, 2005 by James W. Eiler

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