Maria Callas: The Legend [Original recording remastered]

Vincenzo Bellini (Composer), Georges Bizet (Composer), Alfredo Catalani (Composer), Gaetano Donizetti (Composer), Umberto Giordano (Composer), Christoph Willibald Gluck (Composer), Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Gioachino Rossini (Composer), Camille Saint-Saens (Composer), Giuseppe Verdi (Composer), Alceo Galliera (Conductor), Franco Ghione (Conductor), Georges Prêtre (Conductor), Tullio Serafin (Conductor), Victor de Sabata (Conductor), Jane Berbie (Performer), L'Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise (Orchestra), La Scala Theater Orchestra (Orchestra), Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra (Orchestra), Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Jane Berbie
• Orchestra: L'Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise, La Scala Theater Orchestra, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française
• Conductor: Alceo Galliera, Franco Ghione, Georges Prêtre, Tullio Serafin, Victor de Sabata
• Composer: Vincenzo Bellini, Georges Bizet, Alfredo Catalani, Gaetano Donizetti, Umberto Giordano, et al.
• Audio CD (October 24, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00004ZDL4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,167 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

What's the reason for all the fuss about soprano Maria Callas, whose life story is like a study in Greek tragedy? Her great gift was not purity of tone or emission, reliability, or sheer loveliness; it was, rather, her ability to change her vocal color and style to suit not only particular periods of opera but to get under the skin of the individual characters she portrayed: Bellini's priestess Norma performing a sacred rite; Puccini's sweetly hopeful Mimí from La Bohème and his innocent Butterfly; Verdi's courtesan Violetta; Bizet's sultry, adult Carmen; Donizetti's raving Lucia, and many others--and you'll believe them all. Much--though not all--of the program is identical to the 1993 anthology La Divina, though there has been some remastering since then. It's a perfect way to sample the art of Callas and begin to understand why, decades after her death, she remains one of the opera world's most revered performers. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the Callas compilation to buy!, December 4, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Maria Callas: The Legend (Audio CD)

Most Callas compilations are from the late period in her career when she was well past her prime or were of the prime period, but the recording sounds terrible. This one catches one of the great voices ever right at her peak and is beautifully mastered to sound as fresh as if it were recorded today. If you an keep a dry eye all the way through this one you're tougher than I am. Everyone expects to be stunned by the Puccini selections, but wait untill you hear Saint-Saens' Mon couer s'ouvre a ta voix!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greats....buy this CD!, January 3, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (richardson, tx United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maria Callas: The Legend (Audio CD)

I bought this CD and was worried about the sound quality...whether the CD would sound old and scratchy or if it would be in fact mastered and polished. To my great satisfaction, it was the really beautifully mastered. I have never heard a voice so beautiful, and as a result I play this CD almost every morning to start off my day! The selections really show off Callas' marvelous voice and techniques, and one feels transported to beautiful places when listening to this CD. As far as vocal character goes, I must say that Callas is unsurpassed. If you are already a Callas fan, you need this and if not yet, you soon will be!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 6 Stars!, April 5, 2005

By 

BLee "bpslee" (HK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maria Callas: The Legend (Audio CD)

Is Callas' voice per se exceptionally beautiful, bearing in mind that once upon a time the standard was gracefulness and pleasentness to the ears? Before Callas, we have Tebaldi and Schwarkopf...

Nevertheless with Callas, we surely have a most incredible voice of the century. Incredible in the sense that she could cover literally a range of 2.5 octaves with ease (not even Caballe could do that), and she could change her timbers anytime and at any register. Coupled with a profound understanding of the characters that she sings, this makes her suitable for almost all opera parts. That explains why her singing could be so moving, so powerful and so full of drama.

But Callas with really beautiful recorded sound is not easy to come by, leave alone those recorded when she was in her prime. This is exactly such an album. Furthermore, most of the arias here are from famous operas, quite a few from what people would name the "top ten" operas. Last but not the least, Alfred Brendel, one of the topmost pianists, used to listen to Callas a lot partly to see her phrasings! Highly recommended for all opera, in fact all music lovers.