This Week in Classical Music: November 29, 2021.Callas.Maria Callas – La Divina, as she was called by her adoring fans – was born on December 2nd of 1923 in New York.Without a doubt the most famous soprano of the 20th century, she was triumphant in the bel canto repertoire.Considering her tremendous legacy, it come as a surprise that at the best level of singing her career was short, not more than 10 years.Even though Callas was an American, her talent was first recognized in Italy when, in 1947, the conductor Tulio Serafin engaged her in the production ofPonchielli’s La Gioconda in Verona.Soon after she was singing in many Italian opera theaters, performing an unusually broad range of soprano roles, from Isolde, Kundry and Brünnhilde in Wagner’s operas to the bel canto role of Elvira in Bellini’s I puritani.Eventually she dropped the heavier roles, concentrating on the operas of Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi.Early in her career Callas was a heavy woman, but in 1953-54 she lost about 80 pounds.That completely changed her stage presence, transforming her into an elegant and beautiful woman, but many felt that the weight loss affected her singing.A rather heavy vibrato in the high register, occasional unsteadiness and harshness became noticeable.There were periods in the second half of the 1950s when the vibrato would almost disappear but then it would come back again.In the 1960s her voice deteriorated further, even though the emotional impact of her interpretations, her musicality, the intelligence of her performances all were intact.
In 1952, when our featured recording was made, Callas was at the top of her form.She had not yet made her American debut (that would come in 1954, in Chicago, where she sung Norma on November 1st of 1954 to an adoring audience of 3,500) but already famous in Italy and beyond.The recording was made during the renowned “Grandi Concerti Martini & Rossi,” the series of concerts broadcast on Italian radio RAI.Concerti Grandi were launched in 1936 under the sponsorship of the vermouth makers Martini & Rossi and over the years featured all major Italian singers of radio era, from Beniamino Gigli, Toti Dal Monte to the great singers of the 1950-60.We’ll hear the Mad scene from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della Rai is conducted by Oliviero de Fabritiis.
Maria Callas, 2021
This Week in Classical Music: November 29, 2021. Callas. Maria Callas – La Divina, as she was called by her adoring fans – was born on December 2nd of 1923 in New York. Without a
doubt the most famous soprano of the 20th century, she was triumphant in the bel canto repertoire. Considering her tremendous legacy, it come as a surprise that at the best level of singing her career was short, not more than 10 years. Even though Callas was an American, her talent was first recognized in Italy when, in 1947, the conductor Tulio Serafin engaged her in the production ofPonchielli’s La Gioconda in Verona. Soon after she was singing in many Italian opera theaters, performing an unusually broad range of soprano roles, from Isolde, Kundry and Brünnhilde in Wagner’s operas to the bel canto role of Elvira in Bellini’s I puritani. Eventually she dropped the heavier roles, concentrating on the operas of Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi. Early in her career Callas was a heavy woman, but in 1953-54 she lost about 80 pounds. That completely changed her stage presence, transforming her into an elegant and beautiful woman, but many felt that the weight loss affected her singing. A rather heavy vibrato in the high register, occasional unsteadiness and harshness became noticeable. There were periods in the second half of the 1950s when the vibrato would almost disappear but then it would come back again. In the 1960s her voice deteriorated further, even though the emotional impact of her interpretations, her musicality, the intelligence of her performances all were intact.
In 1952, when our featured recording was made, Callas was at the top of her form. She had not yet made her American debut (that would come in 1954, in Chicago, where she sung Norma on November 1st of 1954 to an adoring audience of 3,500) but already famous in Italy and beyond. The recording was made during the renowned “Grandi Concerti Martini & Rossi,” the series of concerts broadcast on Italian radio RAI. Concerti Grandi were launched in 1936 under the sponsorship of the vermouth makers Martini & Rossi and over the years featured all major Italian singers of radio era, from Beniamino Gigli, Toti Dal Monte to the great singers of the 1950-60. We’ll hear the Mad scene from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della Rai is conducted by Oliviero de Fabritiis.