Giuseppe Verdi - Aida

"Although Aida was one of the rôles which Maria Callas sang most, especially in the early years of her career, it is generally agreed that she was better suited to singing Norma, Violetta and Lucia. Nevertheless, when this 1955 recording was first released, Harold Rosenthal for Opera wrote: 'for dramatic intensity and moments of heart-rending pathos [it] can have few equals,' while Dyneley Hussey enthused in the Musical Times that it was: 'a great performance, splendidly recorded. Callas' dramatic power and her ability to shade the beautiful vocal line here find the best imaginable medium.' In, for example, the opening phrases of the Act III love duet with Radamès, 'Là, tra foreste vergini,' her voice has a limpidity which enables her to accomplish miracles of pianissimo shadings, singing dolcissimo as the score directs – one of innumerable occasions in which Callas renders the subtlest markings in the score so effectively." (From the liner notes.)

 

Performers: Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Tullio Serafin, Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Fedora Barbieri, Tito Gobbi, Giuseppe Modesti

1.1. Preludio

1.2. Atto I, Scena I: 'Sì, Corre Voce Che L'Etiope'

1.3. Atto I, Scena I: 'Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!... Celeste Aida'

1.4. Atto I, Scena I: 'Quale Insolita Gioia Nel Tuo Sguardo!'

1.5. Atto I, Scena I: 'Alta Cagion V'aduna, O Fidi Egizii'

1.6. Atto I, Scena I: 'Su! Del Nilo Al Sacro Lido'

1.7. Atto I, Scena I: 'Ritorna Vincitor!'

1.8. Atto I, Scena II: 'Possente, Possente Ftha'

1.9. Atto I, Scena II: 'Mortal, Diletto Ai Numi'

1.10. Atto II, Scena I: 'Chi Mai Fra Gl'inni E I Plausi'

1.11. Atto II, Scena I: 'Fu La Sorte Dell'armi'

1.12. Atto II, Scena I: 'Su! Del Nilo Al Sacro Lido'

1.13. Atto II, Scena II: 'Gloria All'Egitto, Ad Iside'

1.14. Atto II, Scena II: Marcia Trionfale

1.15. Atto II, Scena II: 'Vieni, O Guerriero, Vindice'

2.1. Atto II, Scena II: 'Salvator Della Patria, Io Ti Saluto'

2.2. Atto II, Scena II: 'Quest'assisa Ch'io Vest Vi Dica'

2.3. Atto II, Scena II: 'O Re, Pei Sacri Numi'

2.4. Atto II, Scena II: 'Gloria All'Egitto, Ad Iside'

2.5. Atto III: 'O Tu Che Sei D'Osiride'

2.6. Atto III: 'Qui Radames Verra!, O Patria Mia'

2.7. Atto III: 'Ciel! Mio Padre!'

2.8. Atto III: 'Pur Ti Riveggo, Mia Dolce Aida'

2.9. Atto III: 'Fuggiam Gli Ardori Inospiti'

2.10. Atto III: 'Aida! Tu Non M'ami. Va!'

2.11. Atto III: 'Tu! Amonasro!'

2.12. Atto IV, Scena I: 'L'abborrita Rivale A Me Sfuggia'

2.13. Atto IV, Scena I: 'Gia I Sacerdoti Adunansi'

2.14. Atto IV, Scena I: 'Ohime! Morir Mi Sento'

2.15. Atto IV, Scena I: 'Radames! Radames! Radames!'

2.16. Atto IV, Scena II: 'La Fatal Pietra Sovra Me Si Chiuse'

2.17. Atto IV, Scena II: 'Presago Il Core Della Tua Condanna'

2.18. Atto IV, Scena II: 'O Terra, Addio. Addio, Valle Di Pianti'

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Vincenzo Bellini - Norma

"Any performance of 'Norma' stands or falls on the performance of the title character, and this recording has one of the brightest superstars, Maria Callas, in one of her signature roles. EMI captured this performance just at a point when technical problems were beginning to take a toll on her voice, and while she may have less brilliance and vocal control than was apparent even a few years earlier, she still has plenty of stamina, her pianissimos are still floating, her coloratura is thrilling, and her long-held notes still sound effortless. She is occasionally less than fully secure in her lower register, though. Hers is a commanding presence, and she has the vocal personality and distinctiveness to make her a compelling high priestess. Callas' Norma is legendary, and this recording should be of interest to any fan of bel canto singing combined with burning dramatic urgency. Although Mario Filippeschi may not have the panache and vocal personality of some of his contemporary Polliones, but his is an entirely respectable traversal of the role, fully up to Bellini's technical demands. He has a large clarion tone, a heroic dramatic presence, a strong sense of passion, and he holds his own with Callas. As Oroveso, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni is dramatically authoritative, but he lacks the ideal vocal weight, power, and solidity for the role, and his pitch has a tendency to wobble and waver. Ebe Stigani is a very fine Adalgisa, but would have made a stronger impression paired with a singer less distinguished than Callas, in contrast to whose vibrancy she sounds somewhat matronly. Tullio Serafin leads the Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala in a proficient but routine reading of the score, without conveying a particularly strong sense of musical or dramatic shape, but he is fully sensitive to the singers, particularly Callas' expressive rhythmic suppleness. EMI's monaural sound is very fine for the period, with good clarity, fullness, and balance." (Stephens Eddins' review of the EMI issue of this recording. From AllMusic. See here.)

Performers: Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Alla Scala, Tullio Serafin, Maria Callas, Mario Flippeschi, Ebe Stignani, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni

1.1. Sinfonia
1.2. Atto I: 'Ite Sul Colle, O Druidi'
1.3. Atto I: 'Dell'aura Tua Profetica'
1.4. Atto I: 'Svanir Le Voci'
1.5. Atto I: 'Meco All'altar Di Venere'
1.6. Atto I: 'Odi! Suoi Riti A Compiere'
1.7. Atto I: 'Me Protegge, Me Difende'
1.8. Atto I: 'Norma Viene'
1.9. Atto I: 'Sediziose Voci'
1.10. Atto I: 'Casta Diva'
1.11. Atto I: 'Fine Al Rito, E Il Sacro Bosco'
1.12. Atto I: 'Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna'
1.13. Atto I: 'Sgombra È La Sacra Selva'
1.14. Atto I: 'Deh! Proteggimi, O Dio!'
1.15. Atto I: 'Eccola! Va, Mi Lascia'
1.16. Atto I: 'Va, Crudele'
1.17. Atto I: 'Viene In Roma'

2.1. Atto I: 'Vanne, E Li Cela Entrambi'
2.2. Atto I: 'Adalgisa!... Alma Constanza'
2.3. Atto I: 'Oh, Rimembranza!'
2.4. Atto I: 'Ah Sì, Fa Core E Abbraccia Me'
2.5. Atto I: 'Ma Di L'amato Giovane?'
2.6. Atto I: 'Oh Di Qual Sei Tu Vittima'
2.7. Atto I: 'Perfido! Or Basti'
2.8. Atto I: 'Vanne Sì: Mi Lascia, Indegno'
2.9. Atto II: Introduzione
2.10. Atto II: 'Dormono Entrambi'
2.11. Atto II: 'Me Chiami, O Norma!'
2.12. Atto II: 'Deh! Con Te, Con Te Il Prendi'
2.13. Atto II: 'Mira, O Norma'
2.14. Atto II: 'Cedi... Deh! Cedi'
2.15. Atto II: 'Sì, Fino All'ore Estreme'
2.16. Atto II: 'Non Parti?'
2.17. Atto II: 'Guerrieri! A Voi Venirne'
2.18. Atto II: 'Ah! Del Tebro Al Giogo Indegno'

3.1. Atto II: 'Ei Tornerà. Sì...'
3.2. Atto II: 'Squilla Il Bronzo Del Dio!'
3.3. Atto II: 'Guerra! Guerra!'
3.4. Atto II: 'Nè Compi Il Rito, O Norma?'
3.5. Atto II: 'In Mia Man Alfin Tu Sei'
3.6. Atto II: 'Ah! Crudele, In Sen Del Padre'
3.7. Atto II: 'Dammi Quel Ferro'/'All'ira Vostra'
3.8. Atto II: 'Qual Cor Tradisti'
3.9. Atto II: 'Norma!... Deh! Norma, Scòlpati!...'
3.10. Atto II: 'Deh! Non Volerli Vittime'
3.11. Atto I: 'Ite Sul Colle, O Druidi'
3.12. Atto I: 'Meco All'altar Di Venere'/'Me Protegge, Me Difende'
3.13. Atto I: 'Sediziose Voci'/'Casta Diva, Che Inargenti'/'Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna'
3.14. Atto I: 'Sgombra È La Sacra Selva'
3.15. Atto II: 'Mira, O Norma'
3.16. Atto II: 'Ah! Del Tebro Al Giogo Indegno'
3.17. Atto II: 'Deh! Non Volerli Vittime'

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Gioacchino Rossini - Armida

"In April 1952, when she sang the title role of Rossini's 'Armida' under Tullio Serafin at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Maria Callas was just twenty-eight-years old. Her international renown came later. But the febrile applause that greets her first entrance on this recording indicates that, in Italy, she was already a sensation.

"This 'Armida' [...] makes it amply clear what the fuss was about. She’s astonishing throughout, but especially in the opening salvo of the work’s finale. The sorceress Armida has just learned that her lover Rinaldo is abandoning her, and she responds with a series of runs, turns and octave leaps that would defeat all but the most technically accomplished singers. Callas’s singing here doesn’t register just as a technical tour-de-force but also as a searing portrait of rage. Her voice remains at full, torrential strength through even the most intricate passagework. Each note is sounded as cleanly as if on a piano, her attack giving the passagework, for all of its rapidity, a sculptural quality. Other singers have been as fleet, but none has been able to articulate coloratura with the same astounding force or ferocity. The passage is as phenomenal a two minutes of operatic performance as exists on disc. 

"In a role that consists mostly of coloratura, Callas offers an encyclopedic display of the expressive variety that florid singing can achieve. In her Act II duet with Rinaldo, it serves as a means of seduction. The sounds she makes aren’t exactly dulcet: the voice’s resin was a defining quality throughout her all-too-short career. But the way she binds those sounds into shapely, alluring phrases makes mere mellifluousness seem beside the point. 'D'amore al dolce impero,' Armida’s showpiece rondo, not only dazzles the ear but demonstrates the sorceress’s supernatural capability for erotic enchantment. Still, Callas makes every bit as overwhelming an effect in the andante central section of the finale, when the writing forsakes coloratura in favor of simple declamation: Armida here has the nobility of a Gluck heroine.

"The rest of the cast is significantly less impressive. Armida calls for no fewer than seven tenors; when the Met staged the work in 2010–11, it mustered a uniformly stronger male contingent than can be heard here: the Rossini tenor, in happy abundance in our own era, was thought extinct in the middle of the last century. Francesco Albanese’s lyric approach suggests Rinaldo’s pliancy, but the florid writing is either simplified or simply excised. Gianni Raimondi, early in his career, is double cast as Eustazio and Carlo, and he’s thoroughly likable in both roles. But the leather-lunged dramatic tenor Mario Filippeschi makes such a hash out of the warrior Gernando’s music that one can only be thankful that his Act I aria fell victim to Serafin’s pruning shears.

"The Florence orchestra does not sound as polished as the La Scala forces do elsewhere in this collection, but Serafin has the measure of the music. His tempos tend to be statelier than we expect today in Rossini performances, but the whole is wonderfully buoyant, and the synergetic support he gives his prima donna demonstrates why theirs was a momentous collaboration. Previous editions of this 'Armida' have been so congested as to border on the unlistenable; though Warner’s remastering hasn’t exactly made the performance easy on the ears, it has brought a new degree of spaciousness to the sound, allowing us to hear Callas in all her blazing intensity." (Fred Cohn. From the Opera News review to the Warner Classics reissue of this recording. See here.)

Performers: Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Tullio Serafin, Maria Callas, Francesco Albanese, Mario Filippeschi, Gianni Raimondi, Alessandro Ziliani

1.1. Sinfonia
1.2. Atto I: 'Lieto, Ridente Oltre L'usato'
1.3. Atto I: 'Ah! No. Sia Questo Di Tregua Il Giorno'
1.4. Atto I: 'Arditi, All'ire Farem Ritorno.'
1.5. Atto I: 'Si, Guerrieri, Fian Sacre'
1.6. Atto I: 'Germano, A Te Richiede Donna Real'
1.7. Atto I: 'Signor, Tanto Tuo Nome'
1.8. Atto I: 'Sventurata! Or Che Mi Resta'
1.9. Atto I: 'Or Che Farò? Ceder Dovrò?'
1.10. Atto I: 'German, Se Togli Al Campo'
1.11. Atto I: 'Per Me Proprizioil Fato'
1.12. Atto I: 'Cedei Guerrieri È Ver'
1.13. Atto I: 'Com! A Dudon Costui Succede?'
1.14. Atto I: 'Non Soffrirò L'offesa'
1.15. Atto I: 'Grata Quest'alma, Costante La Memoria'
1.16. Atto I: 'Amor... Possente Nome!'
1.17. Atto I: 'Vacillaa Quegli Accenti'
1.18. Atto I: 'Ah! Non Poss'io Resistere'
1.19. Atto I: 'Cara, Per Te Quest'anima'
1.20. Atto I: 'Ecco Il Guerriero Il Duce'
1.21. Atto I: 'Se Pari Accenti'
1.22. Atto I: 'Che Terribile Momento!'
1.23. Atto I: 'Sappia Il Duce Il Caso Orrendo'
1.24. Atto I: 'Deh! Se Cara A Te Son Io'
1.25. Atto I: 'Vieni, O Duce, Punisci L'errore'
1.26. Atto I: 'Un Astro Langue'
1.27. Atto II: 'Alla Voce D' Armida Possente'
1.28. Atto II: 'Sovr'umano Potere'
1.29. Atto II: 'Di Ferro E Fiamme Cinti'
1.30. Atto II: 'Ebben, L'istante È Giunto'
1.31. Atto II: Introduzione
1.32. Atto II: 'Dove Son Io!...'

2.1. Atto II: 'Mio Ben, Questa Che Premi'
2.2. Atto II: 'No; D'Amor La Reggia È Questa'
2.3. Atto II: Canzoni Amorose
2.4. Atto II: 'D'amor Al Dolce Impero'
2.5. Atto II, Ballo: Marziale
2.6. Atto II, Ballo: Andante
2.7. Atto II, Ballo: Allegro Moderato
2.8. Atto II, Ballo: Vivace
2.9. Atto II, Ballo: Coda Orchestra
2.10. Atto III: 'Come L'Aurette Placide'
2.11. Atto III: 'Oh Quanto, Amico, D'Ascalogna Al Saggio'
2.12. Atto III: 'T'inganni. A Noi Sen Viene'
2.13. Atto III: 'Fuggite Infernei Mostri'
2.14. Atto III: 'Soavi Catene'
2.15. Atto III: 'O Mio Rinaldo, Ammira'
2.16. Atto III: 'Lo Splendor Di Que'rai'
2.17. Atto III: 'In Quale Aspetto Imbelle'
2.18. Atto III: 'S'hai Cor Bastantein Petto'
2.19. Atto III: 'Unitevi A Gara Virtude, Valore'
2.20. Atto III: Musica Di Trasformazione
2.21. Atto III: 'Sia Lode Al Cielo, Da Quelle Inique Mura'
2.22. Atto III: 'Ed È Più Vero?...'
2.23. Atto III: 'Se Al Mio Crudel Tormento'
2.24. Atto III: 'Dove Son Io!... Fuggi!'
2.25. Atto III: 'Vendetta...'
2.26. 'D'amor Al Dolce Impero'

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Vincenzo Bellini - I Puritani

"Together with Donizetti and Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini stands as one of the great masters of operatic composition during the first half of the nineteenth century. Whereas Rossini sought vocal agility and Donizetti dramatic vigour or unrestrained musical high spirits, Bellini was a painstaking craftsman whose seriousness of purpose and sincerity of utterance gave his works a unique character unmatched by those of his rivals. Born in Catania in Sicily in November 1801, Bellini studied at the Conservatory in Naples. Here one of his teachers, Zingarelli, encouraged him to concentrate on melody, the origin of his fondness for long, beautifully moulded vocal lines set above a simple orchestral accompaniment, Two operas written in Naples were sufficiently successful for Bellini to gain a commission from La Scala in Milan to compose his first mature opera, 'Il Pirata' (1827). After two less successful works, he then composed the operas on which his reputation was founded: 'I Capuleti e I Montecchi' (1830), 'La Sonnambula' (1831), 'Norma' (1831), 'Beatrice di Tenda' (1833), and 'I Puritani' (1835). He died unexpectedly in Paris in September 1835, of an internal inflammation.
 
"'I Puritani' was commissioned by the Théâtre Italien in Paris in 1834. This new work was to be based upon the play 'Têtes rondes et cavaliers' by two French authors Ancelot and Boniface, itself based upon Old Mortality by Sir Walter Scott, whose novels were then very much in vogue. The libretto was supplied by Count Carlo Pepoli, replacing Bellini’s usual partner Felice Romani, with whom the composer had temporarily fallen out. First performed on 25th January 1835, 'I Puritani' was an immediate success, overshadowing another work new to Paris, Donizetti’s 'Marino Faliero'. The action of 'I Puritani' takes place in the middle of the seventeenth century, towards the end of the English Civil War. England is divided between the Royalists, faithful to the Stuart monarchy and leaning towards Catholicism, and the Roundheads, the supporters of Oliver Cromwell and siding with Puritan religious views. King Charles I has been executed and his wife Queen Henrietta has escaped in disguise. The setting is Plymouth, a Puritan stronghold.

"In July 1952 the head of artists and repertoire of EMI’s Columbia label, Walter Legge, signed the latest operatic sensation in Italy, Maria Callas, to a contract with his company, although she was also to make two recordings during the next fifteen months with the Italian company CETRA, of Ponchielli’s 'La Gioconda' and Verdi’s 'La Traviata'. She quickly entered the recording studios for EMI, initially during February 1953 in Florence with Donizetti’s 'Lucia di Lammermoor'. This was quickly followed in March and early April of the same year with this recording of 'I Puritani'. Both these recordings were produced by Dino Olivieri, and 'I Puritani' was to be the first of the many recordings in which Legge arranged for Callas to record with the choral and orchestral forces of La Scala, Milan, Italy’s pre-eminent opera house, and itself a stroke of marketing genius which benefited all concerned. The recording was notable for many reasons: it was both the first recording of this opera, and the first operatic set to be issued with Callas on EMI’s new label Angel in the USA, appearing two months before the Florence 'Lucia'. It represented the start of the rediscovery on record of the bel-canto repertoire, which took place partly as a result of the development of the long-playing record, and partly through the totally new character which Callas gave to the operas of this repertoire with her smoky tone, vocal agility and dramatic intensity. Previously bel-canto had been viewed in terms of coloratura sopranos, epitomised for instance by the Italian soprano Toti dal Monte and the French diva Lily Pons, the Metropolitan Opera’s Lucia for many years. Finally this recording and the earlier 'Lucia' reunited Callas with her constant mentor, the conductor Tullio Serafin, who had encouraged her to sing the role of Elvira for the first time in extraordinary circumstances several years earlier." (David Patmore. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Tullio Serafin, Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Rolando Panerai, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni

1.1. Sinfonia
1.2. Atto I, Scena I: 'All'erta! All'erta!'
1.3. Atto I, Scena I: 'O Di Cromvell Guerrieri'
1.4. Atto I, Scena I: 'A Festa!'
1.5. Atto I, Scena I: 'Or Dove Fuggo Io Mai?'
1.6. Atto I, Scena I: 'Ah! Per Sempre Io Ti Perdei'
1.7. Atto I, Scena I: 'T'appelan Le Schiere... Bel Sogno Beato'
1.8. Atto I, Scena II: 'O Amato Zio, O Mio Secondo Padre!'
1.9. Atto I, Scena II: 'Sai Com'Arde In Petto Mio'
1.10. Atto I, Scena II: 'Odi... Qual Suon Si Desta?'
1.11. Atto I, Scena II: 'Ad Arturo Onore'
1.12. Atto I, Scena II: 'A Te, O Cara'
1.13. Atto I, Scena II: 'Il Rito Augusto, Si Compia Senza Me'
1.14. Atto I, Scena II: 'Cavalier!... Se Ti È D'uopo Di Consiglio'
1.15. Atto I, Scena II: 'Son Vergin Vezzosa'
1.16. Atto I, Scena II: 'Sulla Virginea Testa'
1.17. Atto I, Scena II: 'Ferma. Invan Rapir Pretendi'
1.18. Atto I, Scena II: 'Dov'è Arturo?'
1.19. Atto I, Scena II: 'Oh Vieni Al Tempio: Fedele Arturo'
1.20. Atto I, Scena II: 'Ma Tu Già Mi Fuggi?'

2.1. Atto II: 'Ah... Dolor! Ah, Terror!'
2.2. Atto II: 'Qual Novella?'
2.3. Atto II: 'Cinta Di Fiori E Col Bel Crin Disciolto'
2.4. Atto II: 'E Di Morte Lo Stral Non Sarà Lento'
2.5. Atto II: 'O Rendetemi La Speme'
2.6. Atto II: 'Qui La Voce Sua Soave'
2.7. Atto II: 'Vien, Diletto, È In Ciel La Luna!'
2.8. Atto II: 'Il Rival Salvar Tu Dêi'
2.9. Atto II: 'Se Tra Il Buio Un Fantasma Vedrai'
2.10. Atto II: 'Riccardo! Riccardo!'
2.11. Atto II: 'Suoni La Tromba'
2.12. Atto III: 'Son Salvo, Alfin Son Salvo'
2.13. Atto III: 'A Una Fonte Afflito E Solo'
2.14. Atto III: 'Qual Suon! Alcun S'appressa'
2.15. Atto III: 'Son Già Lontani!'
2.16. Atto III: 'Fìni... Me Lessa'
2.17. Atto III: 'Ch'ei Provò Lontan Da Me?'
2.18. Atto III: 'Vieni Fra Queste Braccia'
2.19. Atto III: 'Alto Là! Fedel Drapello'
2.20. Atto III: 'Credeasi, Misera!'
2.21. Atto III: 'Suon D'araldi?'

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