Search - Vincenzo Bellini, Antonino Votto, La Scala Theater Orchestra :: Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Nicola Zaccaria, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

ONE OF CALLAS' MOST BRILLIANT EVENINGS

02/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Callas was in absolutely spectacular voice when she performed this "Sonnambula" in Cologne in July, 1957. It is really amazing to think that this magnificently scaled-down voice was equally capable of encompassing the roles of Norma, Medea, Gioconda, Tosca, etc. But Callas was, of course, Callas, and sounding as she does on this performance, no one can come within hailing miles of her accomplishments. The voice has an almost gossamer quality to it, and she negotiates the most intricate and difficult coloratura embellishments, which take her all the up to top E flat. Her lyrical Elvino, Nicola Monti, is the perfect tenor partner for her. Together, they make the duets sound as though they were being sung by teenagers. Amazingly, both Callas and Monti are heard on the studio EMI version of "Sonnambula", which was recorded a few months before this performance ---- but neither of them were anywhere near the form in which they are heard here. Even the usually stolid Antonio Votto musters up an eloquence he seldom achieved elsewhere. I find this "Sonnambula" superior to the 1955 Callas Bernstein version, first because the sound is infinitely better, and second because Callas seems much more relaxed (admittedly, she tossed off a few extra bravura embellishments for Bernstein that she eschews here) and polished.
I cannot recommend this wonderful recording too highly."