Maria Callas as the Definition of Bel Canto and "Stato D'Animo" of the Composer

Highlighted comments from the commenters below:
-From Ali Offe:
The Bible of Bel Canto!
Disclaimer - I own nothing

[@gianerajohn436]

In a sense Callas is the Messiah of Opera. She came to share the truth with mortals. Too bad all her teachings were flushed down the toilet by these clueless modern “singers” who have literally no clue as to what Opera or Bel Canto are.

[@LohengrinO]

...and they hate her guts as if she killed their mother :D Callas was a Deity, a Divine Being who was hosted by the body of Maria Kalogeropoulou whom I dont think she understood Callas fully or liked her fully

[@gianerajohn436]

It must have been terribly consuming to be possessed by such genius. Actually it was. The constant struggle by the perfectionist with the innate sense of what was right, surrounded by so much mediocrity - though she had at times great colleagues. You can’t possibly dedicate all your life to this mission without either having a breakdown or dying of solitude no matter how strong Callas “parasite” was, the Maria “host” ended slowly being devoured by it. And that is what separates singers from legends.

[@LohengrinO]

@@gianerajohn436 exactly, Maria was destroyed by Callas... God bless the souls of Giulietta, dame Elisabeth, Luchino, Titto, Franco, Giuseppe and the rest of the people who loved Maria and supported her... she is the greatest example of what it means to be truly great, the cost you have to pay on all possible levels... because today, we see all these pseudo-great people becoming ultra succesful for the Imbecile Masses as the world slowly becomes more and more Communistic than ever... talentless people everywhere are being supported by Imbeciles and they become billionaires while extremely talented people stuggle more and more... As much as I love both Maria and Callas, I would never want to have such a talent... it was like a curse

[@gianerajohn436]

Lohengrin O do u think it’s pushing this idea of artistic schizophrenia too much to speculate on her very distinct singing voices? The fierce dramatic Callas, the young childish soft Maria?

[@LohengrinO]

@@gianerajohn436 ...yes it is because the Control under her interpretation was of Olympic levels and a schizo cant even put a glass of water out of his loss of focus... Callas was focusing her brain like Laser from Earth and hit a Mosquito on Mars!!

[@mezzosoprano4778]

Whenever I hear her , it feels like her voice surrounds me and she is right there near me . Her voice is a live animal and she is the only one who can change the atmosphere as the composer wished. How addictive her voice is ! When her gorgeously addictive voice causes the air in the room to vibrate , when her voice enters your auditory canal and the tymphanic membrane of your ear vibrates , you are no longer in your room .. you are transported to a special magical place . That's the Callas Magic !

[@LohengrinO]

..that vibration my God... and it is not related to the volume... u can have ti playing on headphones and the headphones near u (not on your head) and she can make your ear drums vibrate just like that...

[@stefanocautavera]

Even when she no longer possessed the vocal security and heft of her early years, she would never compromise with the score and her artistic goals. No subterfuges, no cheap trickeries, no unmusical effects were ever allowed in her performances. Her voice may have faded over the years, but her integrity as an artist stayed with her until the very end.

[@Ravenelvenlady]

Absolutely! Well said!

[@dominikwawer8186]

Even her speaking voice is bel canto

[@BrunoACFernandes]

So many present singers should memorize this...

[@LohengrinO]

...listening to this just made me sad for all the singers who made entire careers with over-Sliding, over-Slurring, over-Scooping just to maintain the health of their cords and be able to sing (horribly) at the age of 60 or 70... I mean it is a conscious decision and the singer's right but pls dont try to persuade us this is Bel Canto

[@sacre4618]

@@LohengrinO My life inspiration for opera

[@artdanks]

This is probably my favorite interview of Callas. First time I ever heard it was when I was in High School, in the early 70's, when she was still alive. What a true blessing and musical education.

[@NLidar]

One of the smartest people to have ever lived. Seriously..

[@LohengrinO]

..no slides, no slurs... by legato we dont mean Sliding!!!... pure attack of the note is the basis of bel canto

[@markdarenvillanueva7740]

she's not smart.... Divina is a Genius!

[@artdanks]

AMEN!

[@artdanks4846]

For me, probably one of her most exquisite moments, both musically and dramatically, is one that isn't even sung, but done with just a single breath! It is the breath she takes immediately following the phrase "Alfin son tuo!" (11:10 - 11:22) Gives me goose bumps every single time! That shows real artistry, when just a simple breath can have that kind of expressiveness!!

[@vinalandsford6966]

The Great Servant of Art, La Divina.

[@maryjanestomberg2097]

Maria Callas, the epitome of a beautiful Prima Donna, a talent deserving of our worship, the grande dame of opera, the dramatic soprano who captivated us all with her lyrical tones and theatrical enhancement, the queen of bel canto. What a lovely presence, whether singing or conversing. She stole our hearts and engaged our souls.

[@papaki88]

If there was a law that would apply what she said, half of the singers after her would never sing in front of an audience, period! Genious!

[@LohengrinO]

...and that is why they hated her guts so! much

[@pepitobenegas]

She was extremely knowledgeable about music

[@jmiller05]

15:27 You will never hear a more perfectly executed half-tone trill in your life.

[@LohengrinO]

...just saw Grace Bumbry in Abigaile's entrance... she cracks twice :D if they cannot sing a role, why do they sing it... so much ambition

[@jmiller05]

Lohengrin O So much delusion. Did you ever hear the recording Scotto did of Abigaille? Lol, an actual joke. Everyone tried copying Callas, usually under a ludicrous belief that they could do better, but the difference was that Callas could actually sing these roles! You hear all the usual sly bitching about how Callas had such a bad technique, uneven voice, etc, but who could actually sing these roles better than her? You know there are some people on here who say Tebaldi is a better Tosca than Callas? Makes you wanna weep with laughter.

[@LohengrinO]

@@jmiller05 Scotto and later Gruberova were mentally ill... seriously and especially Scotto envied Callas so much it was a disease from the start

[@susanelizabethbrown2506]

It happens to every great singer in the world that their voices crack onstage, in A houses. Singers are human, as Callas herself often said in interviews.

[@cosimoepicoco7022]

Non comprendo l'inglese,ma la divina era inarrivabile.Metto mi piace.Grazie.

[@BellaFirenze]

Il mio stato d'animo è sempre meraviglioso quando sento la sua voce, sia che stia cantando o parlando. Il dolce suono mi colpì di sua voce, ah, quella voce è qui nel cor discesa... Maria, io ti son reso.

[@morganchan2465]

Hahaha~ Callas cannot be interrupted

[@elsaasta5164]

Non mi importa se non capisco nello specifico quello che sta dicendo Maria Callas... una cosa è certa che sta spiegando a chi di dovere, immagino ad uno studente di canto oppure ad un intervistatore tutte le fasi che vi possono essere nell' esecuzione di un brano.. come abbellimenti, diminuendo, crescendo e così via. Lei è la Regina di questi meccanismi e nulla e nessuno può competere con la sua arte. Lohengrin se poi di tutto quello che ho detto non ne ho azzeccata una, ti prego intervieni tu oppure dimmi di stare in silenzio ed io ti darò retta... intanto che commento.. ascolto questa delizia di voce della Maria Callas e mi ripago di tutto.. anche se rimango nella mia ignoranza!! Però Lohengrin un saluto ed un grazie da parte mia sempre.. sempre. Tu Callas se indimenticabile.. ❤️❤️❤️❤️Elsa

[@LohengrinO]

Callas: "La base per cantare sia che si tratti di Wagner, Mozart, Verdi o Puccini, devi saper cantare ... Bel Canto significa la grande scuola, la stessa scuola dei violinisti, i pianisti, tutti gli strumentisti che passano attraverso ... non importa come drammaticamente canti, il Bel Canto deve esistere, è una scuola, non è bello cantare ... l'approccio all'attacco della nota, la nota deve essere sempre attaccata puramente senza legature, senza diapositive .. se il compositore voleva un glissando, un legato lo avrebbe scritto ... il puro attacco della nota è la base di Bel Canto ..."

[@LohengrinO]

"...The Legato, la frase deve essere Legato, di Legato non intendo scorrere ... e c'è una distinzione tra Legato, Portato, Portamento ecc. Ma è un duro lavoro, anni di scolarizzazione, anni di sforzi per dominare la voce in modo che il la voce fa quello che sarebbe un violino ... ecco perché dobbiamo rispettare l'acacatiura, gli abbellimenti per esprimere un'emozione o uno stato d'animo particolare ... I cantanti allora erano soliti comporre e fare tutto ciò che volevano mostrare la propria voce ma i compositori direi: per favore !!! dicci cosa vuoi mostrare con voi vocalizzi e possiamo collocarli all'interno del nostro stile nel nostro Stato D'Animo..."

[@elsaasta5164]

Lohengrin O... Ti ringrazio tantissimo Lohengrin per avermi spiegato un po' di cose, capisco che non è facile, per chi come me spesso non capisce perché la musica ed il canto sono cose astruse però mi aiuto un pochino con la mia curiosità ed il mio bisogno di sapere, tu veramente sei stato molto carino e disponibile e perciò hai la mia gratitudine.. ti ringrazio ancora e ti mando un affettuoso saluto. ❤️❤️❤️Elsa

[@mezzosoprano4778]

'It is not beautiful singing , it's the way you sing' Someone tell this to all the delusional fan boys who think their favourite diva is better than La Divina because they have prettier timbres (LOL) and the stans of canary birds who think their faves are superior because their faves could sing D6's till they were 60 .

[@wagnerfan2908]

You can't deny that sing a high note at those age is a great achievement, because a good vocal technique mantain the voice in good state until as possible. What wasn't the Callas case. See Flagstad, she doesn't had a D6, but she sang with a powerful, huge, rich voice with autority and command near 60th years old. She's a Wagnerian, sang the most heavier roles ever her entire career. You can check her Brünnhilde and Sieglinde from 1957 under Solti and Knappertsbusch when she was just 62! *I have sure if Callas had achieved a high note at that age, their admirators would use this in her favour.

[@mezzosoprano4778]

@@wagnerfan2908 for me , high notes alone don't equal great singing. There are so many singers who have good high notes but the rest of the voice is woefully underdeveloped . Sutherland is a fine example - atrophied chest voice , bad vowels , mask singing , her legato wasn't great either. My point is there's more to singing than just high notes and singing unwritten 6th octave notes doesn't make one a legend when the rest of the diva's voice is a disaster. Most of the opera fans are obsessed with 6th octave notes and don't care about the rest of the voice - it's a pity ! Callas was great in her prime (especially in 1949 - 1955) . She slowly acquired a few bad habits like spreading the mouth on high notes , constricting piano notes etc. Don't forget that she lost plenty of weight in a small amount of time too and she was singing heavy roles like Brünnhilde, Isolde , Kundry, Gioconda when she wasn't even 30. Her technique was great but the weight loss and a few bad habits made her lose her voice by '60. Flagstad is amazing - she had great technique . She is another example that you don't need sky - high notes to be a great singer. When your technique is excellent - great chest voice , perfectly coordinated registers , smooth passagio , no artificial darkening , little to no constriction - you don't need these 6th octave notes .

[@wagnerfan2908]

​@@mezzosoprano4778 ​​ ​Sorry, but to praise Callas do you need to appoint others sopranos flaws (on the case, Sutherland)? But I think both Callas and Sutherland are great in their own. I'm a Wagner Fan as my name suggests, but from the times I heard Joan, I can say that her legato are the most perfect on bel canto; and perhaps for those repertory the 6th octave have their importance. Ah, on this channel you can find superb singing by her. Well, about Flagstad, you can't be more correctly in your words. That lady was a real 'tour de force'

[@JoanSutherlandFan]

@@mezzosoprano4778 It have a lot of hypocrisy on your speech. Mezzo Soprano, you complain that some fans thinks their fav sopranos are superior because their fav can hits D6's at sixty, but praise Callas for sing a heavy role when she wasn't even 30. Minimizing that have a good voice to sing at 60 isn't an achievement, while sing at 30 is. Not good. (Fact: Callas probably sang her last C6 - a good one - when she was less than 42, a pity). The pure of tone and beauty timbre MATTERS, perhaps depend of the role. We have voices with darker timbre that don't allow it to sing some roles and vice versa. See Callas as example, she could change her intonation, consequently the timbre to give to the character a specific colour, BUT her timbre always heavy and dark doesn't fitted in roles as Amina, Elvira, Fiorilla, Rosina... (understand, hits all the notes of a role doesn't mean it's to your voice ok), for that reason some persons complains about Callas' voice being ugly. You say that sing unwritten 6th octave notes doesn't make one a legend... But for sure, Callas sang a plenty of them, one of those Callas brought fame to her name, to mention some: Eb in Aida, D in Norma, E in Rigoletto, Eb in La Traviata... Armida with the so superlative F (in fact E). I believe that the public reaction to them says itself. *Take a look on this channel and pay attention to the importance the owner give to the high notes on the titles. Some examples: "Early Maria Callas unleashes a blade C6", "Early Maria Callas blasts Elvira's Eb6s", "Maria Callas drive the audience (end Eb6)", "Early Maria Callas sings Violetta (Supersonic end Eb6)". Don't say that a singer don't need them. Without a high C, a singer can't perform a commonly opera as 'Tosca'. By the way, some of them Joan decided to avoid or transposed down. You don't know what you say. According to your words, we can understand that Joan is legendary ONLY by hitting high notes (remembering, her highest note is an E6, that she avoid the max as possible) and so, why Mado Robin (highest D7) or Erna Sack (highest C7) aren't among the greatests? Your speech about Joan is based on fallacy. You can't generalize her singing. Her chest was of a mezzo and her diction was clear until '60, read the biographies to know what the conductors she worked with says. She sang from Amina to Turandot with full command. Of course some changes happened on her voice, it happened with Callas as you mentioned. Listen her iconic Turandot (1972, recorded at an epoch, according to some persons, her chest was weak and the diction had worse) to comprove contrary. Mask singing? Did you heard her trills? Her voice was so perfectly placed on the breath and on her face cavities that she had a great easy to trill that way (different from so many singers that sounds more like an action of the throat, more like a pretty vibration). Joan's voice is powerful and crystal clear, what means she knew exactly the correct point of how to resonate it. It's clear you spoke shit. GREETINGS. *Vini Soaris* .

[@NLidar]

@@JoanSutherlandFan I lost all interest in replying to you the moment you mentioned Sutherland having a mezzo's chest voice :D

[@ligeiasiren4290]

I can't get over the fact that her speaking voice is so similar to Tarja's. It's so cute, lol.

[@alioffe4321]

The Bible of Bel Canto!

[@LohengrinO]

btw this is probably my most favorite of her Lucia versions or at least in the top 2 favorites

[@alioffe4321]

@@LohengrinO My favorite is definitely her Berlin Lucia with Karajan. But, I keep coming back to this every now and then. She does not sing Lucia here. She sculpts it with her breath! And that ppp trill at the end is probably my favorite trill of hers. It's like all the voices in Lucia's head are whispering to her.

[@LohengrinO]

@@alioffe4321 ...I know that is why I said it :D... although the Fragility in the opening phrases is monumental here: 4:06 - 4:41 and the pianissimo in 4:34 which signifies all the vulnerability of Lucia

[@alioffe4321]

@@LohengrinO Indeed. The entire recording is beyond reason. 7:00 she turns into a 16 year old Medea in a split second. and what about that famous line at 11:10. Who has sung it like Callas? As Millo once said: "in the Lucia recording, the phrase "Alfin, son tua." Lucia, at her absolute happiest moment, would have said to Edgardo, "I am finally yours." For me, the woman Lucia came to life in that moment, and I understood why she was out of her mind, you know? You’ve got it all in that one phrase." In one single phrase, she is more Lucia than any other singer. When I listen to her Lucia I feel like she is truly the only singer in history to actually have listened to Donizetti's score.

[@pammyjones1151]

Ali Offe......agreed!!....Callas was Bel Canto

[@madalinadanila_piano]

Queen of Bel Canto

[@jefferson9335]

I studied music many years ! I studied how to sing Norma with my teacher and my teacher cried when i become to sing it !

[@rickyrodrigues696]

Do Not Interrupt Miss Callas 😂

[@jefferson9335]

I adore her !

[@LohengrinO]

...hearing this interview, for certain singers who kept singing out of style all their lives (Fleming) or slurring and scooping everything (Gruberova)...

[@Nobilangelo]

She proved that the superlatively impossible is not superlatively impossible.

[@jaesiraki84]

I wish this woman could train me....😩😩👏🏽👏🏽

[@LohengrinO]

Prodigious, phenomenal singers cannot train anyone else other than themselves

[@jaesiraki84]

@@LohengrinO True. Singing and teaching are two different things.

[@fabriziodiberardino3448]

Altro che Bibbia ali . Questo è vangelo scritto direttamente dal.altissimo👑👑👑👑👑👑 la divina The Best assoluto.l.australiana gli si poteva affiancare perfettamente .Soprani di grande elevatura

[@pammyjones1151]

Such common sense!!!.......why is it so difficult or impossible for modern days singers to apply this.... sheer bloody mindedness and the inability to do so, combined with the lack of actual vocal talent.....simple!!! 😘

[@Empoweredwoman1234]

I'm not as educated about opera as you guys, but I read and heard that modern singers are trained differently from those in the past. I think today they are told to yawn, which overly darkens the voice, as well as specialising in one part of the voice. It looks like they now teach sopranos to have full volume and sound quality in the upper range only. As they go down the scale there seems to be a subtle reduction in audibility as well as intensity of voice. When they get below middle C well...…..you can either barely hear them, or they just have this weirdness to the sound. On top of all this, it seems that due to lack of challenges in their own lives they have to fake the acting and don't know what each emotion sounds like and how to produce it naturally with the voice. Dare I mention that some have strange vibrato that is not a natural thing that is woven into the voice, but is something they 'do' to be operatic. Then again, what do I know.I've heard very old recording of high sopranos who had the same volume and intensity throughout their ranges. Or perhaps I've been fooled by old technology. Just my very uneducated views from Australia (I have a business degree rather than a musical one). Have a great day.

[@LohengrinO]

Most of old sopranos were as crap as most of modern sopranos... crap is always crap... a singer comes out of crap through sheer Intelligence and Hard - very hard - work... and always, singers with exceptionally gorgeous voices are the worst singers because they achieve fame much faster cause timbrical beauty is the quality most easily recognized and appreciated by the majority of opera fans

[@jmiller05]

Tebaldi/Gencer/Cigna/Scotto/Olivero/Verismo disciples take note.

[@LohengrinO]

Tebaldi was sliding? woooow :D didnt know that

[@jmiller05]

Lohengrin O Well when someone was off pitch as often as she was, it was hardly adhering to the laws of Bel Canto :-P

[@jmiller05]

tonshaad1230 Price certainly in her later career, but Sutherland? I suppose she had the bad diction and the occasional tendency to scoop, but I would never really put her fully in the category of slurred, un-bel Canto singing. Callas talking about attacking the centre of the note though. How many singers these days work on intonation, legato, portamento, rubato, glissando or simply being able to sing top to bottom in a supported line? Amateurs most of them, total amateurs.

[@mezzosoprano4778]

@@tonshaad1230 I agree 100% . Her legato and diction were awful. Vowels are the heart and soul of any language. Let's not forget that singing is basically story telling. You take your audience on a journey through your voice and the music composed . Sutherland's diction was awful and she couldn't interpret anything. Plus , she admitted her legato was bad. For me , the ability to sing a straight line without any sliding / crooning is the most important thing . Sutherland always had trouble in that aspect . What's the use of all the ornaments and fireworks if you have problems with the basics ?

[@mezzosoprano4778]

@@tonshaad1230 in an interview , she actually said that they made her sing 'loony ladies' . That's so amateurish IMO. All the bel canto heroines are unique and play a crucial role in their respective operas. A Sutherland fan claimed that Amina and Elvira were bland and boring .. Bellini actually wanted his singers to act and sing. He also cared very much about interpretation and in his letters, expressed how Giuditta Pasta made him cry. He wanted melodramas from his librettists and was careful about the subject of his operas. No one captured human emotions like him and R.Strauss. Sutherland didn't have the intelligence to grasp it. Hence , people who lack emotional depth are drawn eternally to her . That's why all the Sutherland fans make youtube videos like high notes compilation and go around claiming she had the best technique ever. How can someone with no chest voice , have a great technique ? Not to mention that she 'sang in the mask' as well. People with good ears can actually say that her singing from '61 was objectively not good. In many of her filmed footage , you can see that she makes ridiculous facial expressions and looks uncomfortable because of the constriction due to 'singing in the mask'. She's seriously overhyped as a miracle or whatever when she didn't even have the basics down.

[@retpoll28]

Where did the conversation at the beginning come from? (Just wondering if it had a continuation)

[@TristanTzara100]

Which "Lucia" is that from? Is it the 1954 studio recording?

[@alioffe4321]

This is from 1953. Serafin is conducting. Probably the greatest studio Lucia anyone has ever sung.

[@TristanTzara100]

I have it (got the year wrong... sorry!) and, yes, it's excellent. Also worth getting is the live Berlin performance from 1955.

[@alioffe4321]

@@TristanTzara100 Berlin Lucia is not an operatic performance. It's vocal sorcery ;) Callas' way of showing the middle finger to the world of opera and saying "You will never hear a finer Lucia!" It's known that Callas turned her back on Karajan during the entire mad scene. I recently discovered that Karajan was actually watching her shoulder movements. When they went up, it was his cue for attack. Can you imagine? :)

[@TristanTzara100]

That's fascinating! I had no idea.

[@LohengrinO]

Ali, have you studied the 1954 Karajan Callas Scala Lucia? much worse in sound but Callas had powerfuly sung the Eb6 at the end of the first section of the mad scene (it was written that her Pianissimi were coming from the roof of La Scala)... what is your opinion? kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5TbiGaMetZmhNk

[@hashas86]

Leider kennen einige die wunderbare arie oft nur vom film' das fuenfte element'...aber was sie meint, ist nicht nur die pflicht zu haben, die komponisten zu ehren, indem man auf die partitur sieht. Es geht zwar darum, nur heute, nimmt man auf saenger ruecksicht, die nicht im stande waeren, den wuenschen der komponisten zu entsprechen. Wie soll ein dramatisches gefuehlt zum publikum gelangen, ohne korrekter bruststimme? Es ist langweilig, zum einschlafen. la callas hat genau dit die ganze opernwelt erobert! Sie war sich jeder emotion bewusst, jedes wort; hatte ein gefuehl und damit bringt man doch erst dem publikum, das die genaue handlung, emotionale lage usw. verstehen moechte, nahe! Nur, wer wegen stimmen, die warm und schoen klingen- weil verstaerkt durch mikrofone oder geschoent und verbessert im studio, vorzieht, hat den ganzen sinn von belcanto, missverstanden! Trotz schlechte tonqualitaet kann ein korrekt geschulter saenger; den unterschied zu heute, gut hoeren. Richtigea belcanto ist kraefteraubend und birgt auch eine gefahr, stimmlich schaden zu nehmen; falls kleinigkeiten, wie korrekte zungenhaltung in verschiedenen tonlagen, lautstaerken usw., luftsparendes singen( schon wenig luft reicht zur tonproduktion- anatomisch betrachtet), high larynx gesang, birgt offenbar weniger stimmliche risiken, buesst aber an autentizitaet ein. Man musste ohne technische hilfsmittel klar verstaendlich artikulieren und hoerbar sein, was nur mit low larynx moeglich war, obwohl das orchester laut spielte...