Callas's 1958 Dallas Medea: Finale in GREAT SOUND

The one and only Maria Callas sings the finale to Luigi Cherubini's Medea in Dallas on November 8, 1958. Jon Vickers is Giasone, and Nicola Rescigno conducts.
The audio source used in this video is the best in existence, even better than the widely praised Myto release.
Additionally, I have cleaned up a few clicks, removed some low-frequency hum, and equalized the sound in order to get a fuller, clearer, and more natural sound.
Enjoy!

[@matOpera]

Support the channel by purchasing select restored recordings on Bandcamp! matopera.bandcamp.com/

[@josefhussek790]

Einzigartig, unüberbietbar.

[@CallasfanRecordings]

Maria Callas in unmatched in this role, to this day. Others put on the face of Medea, but only Callas wears it in the true sense,

[@mariangelacatto1460]

La miglior medea della Callas . E di tutte le alttre

[@mk5244]

…Immer wieder liest man in Rezensionen, wenn aktuelle Sängerinnen mit Maria Callas verglichen werden, wenn auch nur in Teilaspekten. Es war und bleibt sinnlos. Wer sich mit Leben und Werk dieser Frau beschäftigt, kommt nicht auf die Idee. Es kann also nur Unwissen sein. Was diese Versuche nicht besser macht. „ Es gibt nur die Zeit v. C. und die Zeit n. C.“ Franco Zeffirelli. Damit müssen wir uns begnügen und den Aufnahmen, gerade den Live-Aufnahmen lauschen, die etwas von der Faszination dieser unvergleichlichen Künstlerin auf das Publikum wiedergeben. Mi piace moltissimo

[@mariangelacatto1460]

Di un altro pianeta

[@NLidar]

It is absolutely fascinating how incredible you remastered this. This performance.. it's just.. inexplicable.

[@matOpera]

Thank you! The source was wonderful to begin with, so with a little EQ, the final product sounds very clear and natural. And of course, I don’t need to speak of Callas here-nothing less than her performance is worthy to describe her performance.

[@grig035]

What was the source? Would love to know. Thanks!

[@matOpera]

grig035 I suspect this is either from the original tapes or a great first-generation copy

[@grig035]

What source were you using?

[@matOpera]

grig035 an MP3 transfer which was available on a music group a while back. I cannot exactly remember where :/

[@user-sp9rg6uq1u]

Благодарю!

[@raffaeleviggiano4901]

❤

[@matOpera]

See here for an *even better remaster of the 1958 Medea.* kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5OpZ5iwp99gotk I ended up finding an even better source and did some more advanced sound work.

[@vivianbelissima]

,👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@NLidar]

I'm still in awe of this remastering..! I wish we had full operas of hers in this sound

[@Tkimba2]

What about having at least a few videorecorded operas with her...

[@NLidar]

@@Tkimba2 Yes ofcourse.. if only

[@violinovoce]

This is the same source as Myto 00164: a CDR of the original tape housed in the Omega Opera Archive. Nice re-EQ here: upper bass boost for more depth, HF (where the distortion lives) down, yes? Myto just issued it without touching it. Have you done the rest? Please do.

[@matOpera]

violinovoce I have the Myto CD, and the sound is worse than the source that I’ve used here. It sounds like the tape used for the Myto edition had deteriorated more than the transfer heard here, but it could indeed be worse equalization. I can’t quite remember what I did for this recording off the top of my head, but I can check. What you’re describing sounds about right, though I’ll admit I’m timid as far as decreasing HF since it can kill clarity.

[@violinovoce]

@@matOpera The Myto was the best to its time, and it is based on a CDR of the only existing tape, made professionally, in-house, by the son of the person with whom Callas was staying in Dallas. It may have been re-EQed badly by Myto, the tape used played at the wrong equalization (like RDP Lisbon Traviata) or even cloned badly. Myto is careless and CDRs from Omega Opera Archive, then under the direction of the aged Irwin Elkins, came out badly. What is your source--it sounds like it must be an actual analog copy of the original tape--which Elkins also made for people and where he knew what he was doing, which does indeed sound superior, and have you done the whole thing? If so, it should be made available for this important performance.

[@matOpera]

violinovoce Thank you for all the insight! I have a 320kbps MP3 mono transfer of the tapes. I’m not aware of either who is responsible for the tape copies (if this transfer is indeed from a copy) or the transfer, but I do know that it even pre-EQ the sound beats the Myto CD, which as you say is said to be sourced from the best available tapes. I have not equalized the entire opera (though I think I may have done the whole third act), but I hope to do so sometime soon, at which point I’ll definitely post it.

[@violinovoce]

@@matOpera This is very exciting. I have only heard a snippet of the ending sourced directly from the original tape, sent from the Omega Opera Archive by its curator Irwin Elkins (who I don't think is living any longer) and it is, as you say, far better than what Myto did with an apparent CDR copy. They must have had a bad CDR or EQed it stupidly. The original, as I said, was made professionally by the son of Justice Clark (I couldn't think of his name before), with whom Callas was staying. If you have, as it seems, a fine copy of the original, it needs to be circulated more widely than youtube, where it is only noticed by chance. I suggest contacting Pablo Berruti who runs Divina Records (divinarecords.com). This is something we have all wanted literally for decades. Is there any way we can communicate other than back-and-forth notes on youtube? Thanks. --Robert E. Seletsky

[@matOpera]

violinovoce Wow, I’m excited to be talking to the Robert Seletsky! I’ll send you my email in another comment. Also, if you check the Divina Future Releases, Pablo Berruti seems to already have a tape of the Dallas Medea which he finds satisfactory for release-which usually means it’s the best in existence.

[@SSBMsounds]

Is the finale all you have?

[@matOpera]

SSBMsounds No, the entire opera exists from this source

[@SSBMsounds]

@@matOpera Is there a way for me to get it? :)

[@matOpera]

SSBMsounds I will equalize the whole thing and post it sometime soon