Maria Callas' exploding Sadness (La Traviata)

[@123pailin]

When hearing the applause at the end there is something I would like to point out. Don't you think that that the applause comes like an explosion of relief after the incredible tension she had built up in all that preceded??? Callas unica, the one and only....

[@LohengrinO]

exactly!!!! Callas and the Audience ONE!!...

[@jeanfourneau4411]

I believe I would have been unable to applause imediately , I would certainly have become overflowed by emotion ! And yes , indeed she was unique and will remain so

[@georginalopeztosar6181]

Se te encoge el corazon al oirla. La primeta vez que la oi fue una gravacion de la Traviata en Lisboa con Alfredo Kraus y se me ponia el pelo de punta y eso que no habia leido la letra. Maravillosa. Unica e irrepetible

[@assindiastignani]

Well actually the claque was waiting for a signal from their chief. Not a second too soon, but also not a 32nd note too late, as though it were exactly notated in the score. Now, that is not cynicism. I adore Callas for what she did well, but bought and paid-for applause is and was commonplace in the opera, particularly in Italy, and most especially in Milano. The "spontaneous" outburst after "Amami Alfredo" inspires the other audience members to join in frenetically, and the evening achieves an electricity otherwise not possible. I've worked in this business all over Europe for 40 years, and that is simply the way it it.

[@paulbailey5931]

Mop 9

[@elisabetta611]

MORRO! One word, not even a whole phrase, she cuts my heart to shreds with ONE word. Oh Gods, how much I adore and miss this woman!

[@LohengrinO]

+Persephone's Underworld why miss her? she recorded everything but her bathroom singing :D.. it is all there for Forever for you!

[@celloguy]

+Lohengrin O I wish we had her Brunnhilde on record. But now I'm getting greedy...

[@LohengrinO]

celloguy the Gotte Brunhilde you mean? yes the final scene is a Callas scene alright.. I wish I had her full Costanze

[@NLidar]

Lohengrin O TRUE!!! Imagine her Ach ich liebte!!!

[@louisalevine3711]

@@LohengrinO Yes, that's true, but still, we MISS her, she was a very special artiste and human being, and ... maybe we miss that world that is gone too.

[@secretofsinging]

MY GOD...how heart-breakingly she sings...the most beautiful singer. The poor people who voted 11 dislikes, must be very unhappy, and have no sensitivity to absolute perfection of the human voice. ..when they hear it.

[@pammyjones1151]

At the serious risk of repeating myself, there's Callas.........and there's everyone else!!!!....... heartbreakingly divine...

[@123pailin]

The tears in her voice !!!!!! Heartbreaking...Callas unica !!!! A miracle never to be repeated....

[@PIPZZZ02]

Callas gets more out of a single phrase than other Violettas get out of the entire opera. No one else comes anywhere near her in this role. Thanks for this upload - with great sound.

[@LohengrinO]

+PIPZZZ02 after all these years listening to this, I still cant believe her achievement in this role.. it is a Miracle... and to even conceive that not only she sang it without the slightest vocal compromise but she sang it with so much vocal surplus as if it was nothing for her... and added to all that, she delivers along with Sutherland the greatest Sempre libera of all times from a technical point of view.. no one comes near them technically in Sempre libera... arent all these reasons enough to Hate her Guts after all these years? especially all t hose failled "teachers"/singers who teach in their little Bordellos that she was a bad singer? :D

[@PIPZZZ02]

+Lohengrin O There can be no doubt that great forces came together on this production - in addition to studying the role with Giulini and Visconti Callas was dressed by Lila de Nobili. Heartbreaking that it was not filmed. The photos show what we missed. As you say Callas was a miracle - like Michelangelo, Leonardo etc you just get the one...

[@rogalesi58]

@@LohengrinO those teachers/singer are nobody and Callas is Immortal, she's history and still alive and still will be like Malibran, Pasta etc...

[@philipc67]

This is the famous Giulini/Visconti Traviata from La Scala in May 1955, with di Stefano and Bastianini. She sings and acts by far her very best Violetta, especially in Act II Scene 1, the ending of which we have here. Her Violetta was really sublime, even in audible vocal decline at the 1958 Lisbon and Covent Garden performances, and NOBODY has ever come close to her ever since....imagine, it's been 60 years. Isn't it extraordinary? She really touched the divine with her Norma and Violetta.

[@LohengrinO]

+philipc67 and medea and lady M and Lucia and Tosca.. and ofc Bolena! and Sonnambula..

[@Operacrazed]

Callas always brought Opera alive then....and still now !

[@cardinalflower6959]

Thanks much for identifying the performance--very helpful for those of us fairly new to Callas and trying to learn more about this phenomenal singer.

[@Empoweredwoman1234]

It's great that you finally discovered opera that's actually worth listening to. I know very little about opera and didn't even like it at all until about 3 years ago when I found a Callas recording on KZbin by mistake. She is indeed unmatched.

[@robertn800]

Without a Doubt, the most Beautiful and Exciting Traviata ! 🌹

[@petrosbalaskas4753]

Callas was the artist that make me love opera. She spoke straight to my heart. I felt feelings that I had not felt before. I never seen her life and I feel so sorry about it. I feel very jealous for those who witnessed her artistry THEA!!!!

[@panoschytiris5173]

Ακριβώς αυτό……ΘΕΑ!!!

[@flowercy17]

Her voice alone can visualize everything that's happening within the performance, making recordings like these a blessing, for most of them weren't filmed. Bless her. ❤️

[@LohengrinO]

indeed you can actually see everything from the voice

[@anninguyen7572]

Lohengrin Best soprano ever

[@LohengrinO]

Anni: Callas... La più grande cantatrice di tutti tempi.. La Divina...

[@liaking3111]

flowercy17 9

[@pammyjones1151]

And this is why I cannot listen to anyone else!!!.....this and dozens of others......who the hell can follow that?.......NOBODY!!

[@LohengrinO]

exactly, I really dont understand what she does in the word Moro! literally I dont understand, this 3D Vocal Effect

[@leonardogiacobbe5422]

La grandezza di Maria Callas resta sempre un meraviglioso,assoluto mistero

[@elsaasta5164]

Non solo grande cantante...ma un' attrice superba e disperata insieme da farti venire i brividi fino al cuore!! Maria Callas è la sola Violetta che suscita ...pena..desolazione..angoscia....e un immenso amore per l'amore!! Sentire questo meraviglioso duo Callas/ Bastianini ...e già il mio amato Ettore Bastianini, credo che sia l' apice della bellezza del Bel Canto !! Tu sei indimenticabile Callas e tu Ettore Bastianini sei sempre nel mio cuore!!!♡♡♡♡♡Elsa Asta

[@MrPaulomilco]

I don t have great opera knowledge, like most of the commentators here do, but I love opera, and i love music, and all I can say is that I start crying by just looking at a Callas photograph. I think she doesnt t sing opera, she IS OPERA. Thank you for not letting this be forgotten

[@heesimv]

One of the few things where I know that I’ll cry immediately - when the clarinet is weeping. And Callas is not sooooo bad too😇♥️

[@Operacrazed]

Some Sopranos sing the notes in the score as written and make a good impression. Others imbue intelligence, emotion, nuance, subltlety and extremes of passion and make an impact that is beyond what Verdi's score ever envisaged. Such was Callas.

[@mariomolinaorbea2180]

To be able to communicate Love with all the subtleties the way she does here... What a gift!

[@pammyjones1151]

It's like an explosion of the senses...... straight to the soul!!!.....She was a miraculous one off.......thank God for these recordings....

[@jmiller05]

Overpowering emotion. The trembling in her voice during the 'Amani, Alfredo' repeats is staggering. Only Callas could expose these intense sentiments without losing the musical value of the notes.

[@LohengrinO]

+jmiller05 I always wondered how she could colorize the notes without escaping the Pitch.. it must be a Neuromuscular Achievement of Superhuman ability.. what is the Color on a note?

[@highbaritone]

Lohengrin O that we had that ability in Callas at all is amazing. She really must have had an amazing technique to sing with such raw emotion and keep that voice for as long as she did. Her interviews are wonderful to listen to. I go back to them quite often. Even when I wasn't a big fan. There you go my ignorance. ❤️

[@billtroop4236]

You should hear Olivero's version

[@antonyb8026]

Every time I start to forget just how incredible she was, I find something that brings me right back. Such a talent. Thank you for posting

[@Vik2312]

I find this so true. Sooooo true ❤❤

[@annunziatacastro2877]

Ogni volta mi vengono i brividi! La sua grandezza sta anche nel fatto che lei non pensa a cantare bene solo "amami Alfredo", ma ogni parola, ogni momento , ogni istante dell'opera!

[@secretofsinging]

MY GOD.....HOW INCREDIBLE...AHHHHHHH MY HEART ACHES...SHE IS/WAS SOOOO MAGNIFICENT !!! (The poor people who voted 11 dislikes...must be desensitized to the most beautiful singer...EVER)

[@AndreSantos-rb3dn]

Definitely Callas could sing a whole opera in a single aria.

[@LohengrinO]

like Schwarzkopf an entire opera in a single Lied

[@AndreSantos-rb3dn]

@@LohengrinO I don't think so. Schwarzkopf there's nothing to compare to Callas. Callas is unique, she was a miraculous musician, not least in BelCanto, her musicality is speechless furthermore she gave everything for art. Talking about Callas is the same thing we are talking about artists like Bernini, Antonio Canova, DaVinci, Michelangelo and many others. I'm sorry Lohengrin O but a genius can not be duplicated.

[@LohengrinO]

@@AndreSantos-rb3dn Scwarzkopf was a Genius as well on

[@artdanks]

@@LohengrinO Especially in lieder, as you mentioned. She was a genius!

[@CyprusHot]

@@LohengrinO THIS IS ABOUT CALLAS. PAY YOUR RESPECT.

[@annunziatacastro2877]

Spero che chi ha messo pollice verso non lo abbia fatto per partito preso! La storia sta sempre di più evidenziando la grandezza della Callas!

[@artdanks]

You know...as huge a Callas fan as I am (she's my absolute favorite of all time), and have been for about 50 years, I've never really heard much of her Violetta. Mainly just cuz Traviata isn't one of my favorite operas. But after hearing THIS, I see I have been missing a great deal! Thank you for posting! My favorite roles of hers have been Lady Macbeth, Anna Bolena, Norma, Lucia, and in particular Medea! Now I think I may be adding Violetta to that list!

[@LohengrinO]

Visconti had called her 55 Violeta as her 9th symphony

[@artdanks]

@@LohengrinO I've been listening to her Violetta quite a lot in this last year since I posted the above a year ago! Callas' Violetta is without a doubt the greatest there has ever been or ever will be. Especially in the final act! She goes to great length to sound like the frail dying woman that Violetta was, in a way that I've never heard from any other soprano. Most of them sound like they are still a thriving Prima Donna in the height of their singing career! Not Callas! (Although that was what she was...but in this role, she successfully re-shaped her entire voice and being into a very weak and frail woman on her deathbed! Brava La Callas!

[@rolandprice3341]

@@artdanks |\

[@artdanks4846]

​@@LohengrinO And still, several years later, thank you for introducing me to the her 1955 Traviata! Such a masterpiece! ❤

[@MartyMusic777]

There is a remarkable effect Callas seems to have on everyone involved in the production that, while not unique to her, is still so present: she is so skilled at her craft and so commanding a presence that everyone involved tries their best. It basically ensures a phenomenal performance all around.

[@casimiralexander]

Heart rending!!! My God! How painfully, humanly beautiful!!!

[@panoschytiris5173]

Κορυφαία ερμηνεία !!!!!!!!!!!

[@vaibhavisingh4466]

Its a bliss to listen to the remastered versions. I absolutley adore her Violetta. So much colour in voice which keeps changing with the changing conditions of Violetta. Virtuosic, genius and most of all pure theatrical performance delivered with the honesty and purity

[@salstiha]

Magnifica, insuperabile, un meraviglioso mix di emozioni. Grandissima Callas!

[@wolframg1]

SHE'S GREATER THAT ALL OF OTHERS!

[@numetutelare]

Il suo amami Alfredo è una dichiarazione di amore sofferto, disperato ed insieme generoso... nessuno ha reso questa frase come lei...

[@PeterBrodie]

How did she do it? As well as keeping her instrument on top form, she entered into the core of her characters, understood their joys and their sorrows as if in person, and conveyed to her audience the truth of what we human beings do to each other while mostly focussing on ourselves, unaware of our impact on those around us, and least of all upon those close to us. Her message, then, is to increase our awareness of our own behaviour, our understanding of our own feelings, and to awaken our empathy and compassion to create a better world for all. Watching her interviews tells us that Maria Callas was no empty musician-cum-actress performing to her public: she consciously used her art to IN-form and interpret the Truth.

[@Operacrazed]

There is no reasonable explaination as to how Callas acheived what she did. It was in large part study and training. She was determined and worked EXTREMELY hard. But .... on the other hand there was this element of instinct and innovation that is unexplainable. She was and remains a true genius.

[@историиизпрошлого]

Потрясающий состав... на веки Виолетта- Каллас,-:Жермон- Бастианини на веки и Альфредо- Ди. Стефано тоже на века . Это их звёздный час . Biva Bictoria❗️О других не может быть и речи!❤❤❤

[@celesteaida48]

Maria, Maria! ❤❤❤❤everything has been said about her…just listen and weep! She touches my soul! Insieme con Ettore, che dire…eccezionali!

[@vitroz]

Art in its highest form

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

Oh, to invent time travel and see this live...

[@LohengrinO]

have thought this 1000 times

[@123pailin]

How could Alfredo ever doubt her love after her outburst in ."Amami Alfredo...." How could he??? But then men are not very intelligent when it comes to love and its implications ..hihi...Brava Maria.

[@LohengrinO]

+123pailin it is very difficult for anyone living on the surface of things to actually realize that he has a Tragic person in front of him.. when Tragic people, Heroes, Super Talents pass in front of us, very few can actually see them

[@123pailin]

Lohengrin O Right you are...

[@Operacrazed]

Again Lohengrin O I admire your descriptive characterization Of Maria's singing. Indeed the emotion in her voice explodes on our ears as an outpouring of sorrow and pain. I paraphrase here, but Richard Bonygne once said what is there to intepret in the the role of Violetta. Just sing the score as Verdi intended. I suggest we listen to Callas and then we can learn more.

[@artdanks]

Bonynge was an idiot who didn't understand the first thing about opera! Otherwise he wouldn't have ruined the great talent and voice that his wife possessed!

[@zehnthaus]

Isn't it actually the tiny little last chest note on "addio" that breaks your heart? I'm affraid we won't hear anything like this again!

[@LohengrinO]

+zehnthaus exactly!!!

[@ronnyrazor6351]

Sadly, perhaps for those who attend the Opera Houses, Callas will never be equalled !!

[@LohengrinO]

"Most people who really understand Opera very rarely go to the Opera House" : Dame Joan Sutherland

[@ronnyrazor6351]

Did you post that seeing Callas in person was something that needed to experienced ; so did you mean concerts ?

[@josedomingosgiffonirosa8362]

La Traviata n8nca foi monha ópera favorita. Até ouvir Callas. Como alguém pode csntar assim. Nada nem ninguém conseguirá superar a arte grandiosa da maior artista de ópera de todos os tempos. Divina.vAbsoluta.

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

Magnifico Dúo

[@ationyeung4000]

She is only!

[@CyprusHot]

5:20 i cried along with her. But for the fact she has left us too early.

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

Absolutamente maravillosa

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

Lohengrin O. Gracias por tan bonito detalle..¡¡¡

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

Sublime...sempre.

[@marshall62020]

Maravillosa!!!

[@carlosnobili9348]

E' vero bisogna sentire gli altri artisti ....ma dopo averli sentiti si torna alla Callas per pulirsi le orecchie !!!

[@josedomingosgiffonirosa8362]

Como sempre Callas se apropria do que canta. Ela não apenas canta , ela vive a emoção em cada nota. Está áriaarabilhosa encontrou em Callas sua maior intérprete. Ninguém, absolutamente ninguém supera a maior artista lírica dos séculos XX e XXI. DIVINA.

[@Samuel6969ify]

E' inutile, puoi ascoltare tutte le traviate che vuoi, cantate da tutte le più grandi cantanti liriche del mondo, del passato e di oggi, ma dopo aver ascoltato questa , ogni altra è una delusione.

[@07fantine]

Amami Alfredo .... des frissons à chaque écoute ... quelle merveille !

[@rogalesi58]

' amami alfredo ' amore e disperazione ed abbandono...insuperabile !!!

[@mariaeugeniabranco3956]

unique!! une chose admirable, une merveilhe!!

[@dr.oscaradrianblanco5697]

Callas is anthological here. However, the duet with Germont would not have been the same without the art of the great Ettore Bastianini. I am so glad these recordings have survived. Thanks for uploading this.

[@beatsandwaves8156]

Is there any video showing her on the stage singing this?

[@LohengrinO]

no but you can go to Pinterest, type Callas Traviata and the photos are so unbelievable and vibrant u ll think u have watched the entire performance

[@lagonortebrasilia]

From 7:10 to 7:24 when she sings amado Alfredo is unreal.

[@mariaeugeniabranco3956]

unique, une merveille!!

[@giuseppedimarco8358]

Brava!

[@orvilmiller]

"VIVA" LA" GRAN" MARIA CALLAS"""" AAAMEN!!!

[@GIAMI180]

❤ ❤ ❤🖤❤ ❤ ❤ che dire Divina

[@jq4t49f3]

Callas remains the gold standard for sopranos but I often wonder why the real genius of the composer is so often ignored?

[@irenavisockiene3735]

Tik turint tokią stiprią emociją,kaip Kalas, galima taip padainuoti,neturėsi širdies, nieko neišeis!

[@07fantine]

Amami Alfredo ....

[@victoriagrapsidou3474]

A Callas to die for ....

[@cesarezappa7574]

lei non ci sono parole ovviamente,il baritono e' degno di esserle accanto!

[@elisabethpetronellalautrup3915]

❤💖

[@cyruscheng4791]

how does she do it?

[@artdanks]

Her voice and artistry were literally a gift from God to the world.

[@Tatiana-yp2bk]

At 1:40 her voice… like… can’t describe

[@6061649]

ÚNICA !!!! e IRREPETIBLE !!!!! CALLAS !!!!...

[@iwanttogrow2003]

Bastianini the best with Callas

[@learntocrochet1]

What year was this recorded?

[@LohengrinO]

it is the famous 1955 Visconti - Giullini Traviata for which Giullini had characteristically said: "the moment the curtains opened reality stopped existing behind me and reality was on stage.. it was like secretly looking into Paradise from a small keyhole"

[@learntocrochet1]

Thank you! Now I will begin my 12th time listening to this...I've heard other versions, but NONE compare. I appreciate all the expert posters including details for those of us learning to listen more in depth. I grew up with Callas floating on the air in my parents' home, but of course, I had no idea what I was listening to. I knew it was Callas because the LP jacket would be sitting out.

[@ritamargherita]

Which year was this performance? And who is the Germont?

[@annunziatacastro2877]

Di Stefano

[@lyricrogersofficial]

This performance was from 1955.

[@NLidar]

Bastianini

[@shayanmardanbeigi2697]

@@annunziatacastro2877 Di Stefano was the Alfredo, Bastianini was the Germont

[@davidelucia8727]

Divina