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Callas, what opera is all about!

Dan Barksdale III | 05/31/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not going to pretend that on recording, Maria Callas' voice is perfect; sometimes harsh, sometimes shrill, it was an imperfect instrument. But that imperfect instrument is what makes her the greatest artist. There's a story that Beethoven sat down at a harpsichord so out of tune that no one could make anything beautiful come out of it, he of course did, that's one of reasons that Beethoven is so great. Can we say that Beethoven was awful because he played an imperfect instrument? Of course not! The same is true of Callas. Hans Hotter said that to be a great opera performer one needs to be four things: a singer, an actor, a musician, and an artist. Maria Callas was better than anyone at three out of four of those things: she was the greatest actor, musician, and artist the opera world has ever seen. Her singing? Because we talk so much about the superior beauty of tone possessed by Sutherland, Tebaldi, Caballe, and all the other Iron Women of Opera, because we Callas fans make constant apologies for our diva we overemphasize the imperfections. At its best, Maria Callas had a voice of great beauty, at its worst it was somewhat harsh, hooty, wobbly, and shrill. On average, it was average! Still, average on singing but awe inspiring, a standard bearer on everthing else is not bad! This set illustrates the point perfectly, ranging from beautiful to imperfect, but always communicating the feeling and drama of the moments in a way that nobody else ever has! Moving beyond words. Enough! No more apologies for the vocal imperfections of Maria Callas! She is what she is, was what she was! This boxed set is an important document of an artist who changed the way opera is performed, interpreted, and appreciated. Who else, besides Caruso, can we say that of in the 20th century? In this boxed set you will find out why bel canto was revived in the middle part of the 20th century. Prior to Callas, bel canto singing meant "singing very pretty," Callas brought back the idea that performers: singer, conductor, orchestra, are servants of the composer. That the notes in the score are not just a background for a beautiful voice to show off too. This music has meaning and depth, and the words should be sung expressively and dramatically, as the composer intended, in line with the music! Yes, Joan Sutherland could impress with her breath control, but could you understand one word she ever said? Can you imagine her playing anything without that goofy smile on her face? Yes, Sutherland impressed us that she didn't have to contort her face to hit the notes, but did the notes mean anything? The same is true of Tebaldi, Caballe, etc. Maria Callas was THE singing actress of the twentieth century, maybe any century. She could sing anything, German repertory, verismo repertory, Puccini, etc. But her crowning acheivement was the return of bel canto, who would have thought of putting a dark dramatic soprano in the bel canto repertory, and yet someone did, and it was a revelation! Thank God for Maria Callas and for her teacher, Elvira d'Hildalgo, and her mentor, Tulio Serafin, for seeing the potential of this repertory, and this singing actress, and making beautiful, sophisticated art. This boxed set is an account of the work of one of the greatest artists who ever lived."

Whew! Buy this now!

Kate | 05/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a devout Callas fan, and only recently discovered this collection, but purchased it immediately. EMI does a wonderful job of tracing the Callas legend through its triumph and failure. Although some of the arias were not taken during her prime, they are nonetheless sufficient for us mere listeners to form a fairly complete idea of why Callas was the ultimate prima donna of Italian and French opera. Not only was she capable of singing nearly any role in the French and Italian repertoire (from Turandot, to Lakme, to Carmen, to Dinorah. . . . you get the idea!), but she succeeded in building convincing and innovative characterizations of every one of them! I believe that whether you like the Callas tone quality or not is simply irrelevent to appreciating her as an artist. If you do not like her sound, I can not guarantee you will like this collection. However, if you are looking for an introduction to her art, or wish to expand your collection, this is a wonderful sampler of her work. However, this is an aria collection, and it is also important to note that Callas shone in many other areas of opera besides the arias, infusing every note with a highly realistic mode of acting. The jewel of this set is the interview with Downes, which I consider an invaluable asset to anyone studying voice or seeking to learn more about Callas, the woman. She was truly a "servant of art." Buy this collection if you've ever doubted her power and talent, or have not had the benefit of experiencing her yet!"