Maria Callas is the Ultimate Violetta (1953)

My Favorite part of La Traviata:
Dite alla giovine - sì bella e pura
Ch'avvi una vittima - della sventura,
Cui resta un unico - raggio di bene
Che a lei il sacrifica - e che morrà!
GERMONT
Sì, piangi, o misera - supremo, il veggo,
È il sacrificio - ch'ora io ti chieggo.
Sento nell'anima - già le tue pene;
Coraggio e il nobile - cor vincerà.
(Silenzio.)
VIOLETTA
Or imponete.
GERMONT
Non amarlo ditegli.
VIOLETTA
Nol crederà.
GERMONT
Partite.
VIOLETTA
Seguirammi.
GERMONT
Allor
VIOLETTA
Qual figlia m'abbracciate forte
Così sarò.
(S'abbracciano.)
Tra breve ei vi fia reso,
Ma afflitto oltre ogni dire.
A suo conforto
Di colà volerete.
(Indicandogli il giardino, va
per scrivere.)
GERMONT
Che pensate?
VIOLETTA
Sapendol, v'opporreste al pensier mio.
GERMONT
Generosa!
e per voi che far poss'io?
VIOLETTA
(tornando a lui)
Morrò! la mia memoria
Non fia ch'ei maledica,
Se le mie pene orribili
Vi sia chi almen gli dica.
GERMONT
No, generosa, vivere,
E lieta voi dovrete,
Merce' di queste lagrime
Dal cielo un giorno avrete.
VIOLETTA
Conosca il sacrifizio
Ch'io consumai d'amor
Che sarà suo fin l'ultimo
Sospiro del mio cor.
GERMONT
Premiato il sacrifizio
Sarà del vostro amor;
D'un opra così nobile
Sarete fiera allor.
VIOLETTA
Qui giunge alcun: partite!
GERMONT
Ah, grato v'è il cor mio!
VIOLETTA
Non ci vedrem più forse.
(S'abbracciano.)
A DUE
Siate felice Addio!
(Germont esce per la porta
del giardino.)
VIOLETTA
Dammi tu forza, o cielo!
(Siede, scrive, poi suona il campanello
Annina entra)
ANNINA
Mi richiedeste?
VIOLETTA
Sì, reca tu stessa questo foglio
(Annina ne guarda la direzione e se
ne mostra sorpresa.)
Silenzio va all'istante
(Annina parte.)
Ed ora si scriva a lui
Che gli dirò?
Chi men darà il coraggio?
(Scrive e poi suggella.)
ALFREDO
(entrando)
Che fai?
VIOLETTA
(nascondendo la lettera)
Nulla.
ALFREDO
Scrivevi?
VIOLETTA
(confusa)
Sì... no...
ALFREDO
Qual turbamento! a chi scrivevi?
VIOLETTA
A te
ALFREDO
Dammi quel foglio.
VIOLETTA
No, per ora
ALFREDO
Mi perdona son io preoccupato.
VIOLETTA
(alzandosi)
Che fu?
ALFREDO
Giunse mio padre
VIOLETTA
Lo vedesti?
ALFREDO
Ah no: severo scritto mi lasciava
Però l'attendo,
t'amerà in vederti.
VIOLETTA
(molto agitata)
Ch'ei qui non mi sorprenda
Lascia che m'allontani tu lo calma
(mal frenato il pianto)
Ai piedi suoi mi getterò divisi
Ei più non ne vorrà sarem felici
Perchè tu m'ami,
Alfredo, non è vero?
ALFREDO
O, quanto Perchè piangi?
VIOLETTA
Di lagrime avea d'uopo
or son tranquilla
(sforzandosi)
Lo vedi? ti sorrido
Sarò là, tra quei fior
presso a te sempre.
Amami, Alfredo, quant'io t'amo
Addio.
(Corre in giardino.)

[@jazzychazzy007]

I read a quote, and I apologize that I can not give the person credit, saying: 'Nearly every artist could make you cry in the finale, but Callas had you crying in this act.' Callas will never be surpassed, never.

[@theon9575]

Never say never. You never know. But I hope not LOL !.... she was pushing right at the histrionic dramatic edge always. Anyone "surpassing" would be painfully hysterical and melodramatic over-acting. 😂 For me, anyone SURPASSING Callas would be a more "subtle" singer with less hysteria, less in-your-face, less ego conceit, but moving us just the same. And with fewer ugly sounds.

[@Nobilangelo]

When Callas sang Violetta she *was* Violetta. She always was the woman she was singing. She sang with all her being with that unmatchable voice.

[@johnreed2107]

1953: This is one of the five operas she recorded that year in the studio. This is the last opera she recorded for Cetra. The other four from this year were for EMI, the big contract. The Cetra contract was from 1949 and any opera she recorded for them, she could not record for another label for seven years. The earliest she could have recorded La Traviata for EMI would have been 1960. This was the fat Callas voice that could so easily reach high E flat, and hold it until the orchestra finished playing.

[@emilianohernandez9860]

Heartbreaking, exciting; the best Violetta ever!!!

[@petrusdenoude8837]

Callas zingt Violetta zoals ze zich zelf heeft beleefd in haar gehele leven. Als gewone zangeres tot aan de top. Haar leven als heldin en in het donker als vertrapte vrouw. Een geweldige vrouw die stierf in eenzaamheid. Violetta ten voeten uit. Liefs petrus bagasbas.

[@michelklein7984]

Comme elle pouvait changer sa voix pour exprimer le sentiment qu’elle voulait! C est une très grande tragédienne qui chante! Et quel chant!! La seule Traviata 💐💐💐

[@eiriniseltsika8697]

Χαίρομαι για αυτά πού γράφεις για την Κάλλας, το ίδιο σκέπτομαι και νοιώθω

[@ulyana_ukraina]

È qualcosa di extraterrestre, Universale, Lei è particella dell'universo ed esiste ancora... ogni volta che noi ascoltiamo la Sua Voce riappare in presenza... Grazie infinite, Anna Maria Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulou /Μαρία Καλογεροπούλου ❤️🌹

[@joymonte5471]

Godesses are eternal they never die!One of them is Callas😇😍

[@jimbuxton2187]

As critical as I can be of Maria...I totally agree she is the ultimate Violetta....

[@petrosbalaskas4753]

Such an eternal artist. No one can repeat her performance! The soft shobing, the dying voice, the sadness of a young woman feeling the life and love sliding fast out of her reach! Stunning!!! Thank you for posting it. Happy Holidays

[@hankblaustein4149]

A marriage of blessed geniuses - verdi and callas. Riveting.

[@victoriagrapsidou3474]

She always manages to bring me to tears.... mesmerising as always in every performance!!

[@harrymullany4789]

When opera is acted well I think, well done. But these still photographs reveal a person who is genuinely going through deep sadness which is also evident in her tone of voice. So many great singers have taken on this character of Violetta and done a good job but Callas ‘channels’ the music & emotion with the kind of surrender which only the greatest of musicians are capable of doing. Verdi’s La Traviata is a masterpiece which easily reveals its intrinsic beauty in the hands of extraordinary talents like Giulini, Visconti, Di Stefano, Bastianini, but especially Maria Callas.

[@johnfalstaff2270]

I do not know who sings here, but it is neither Bastianini nor di Stefano.

[@dougebraga]

I love this performance!

[@helgeevju]

Wonderful, but a pity we did not get any of the music leading up to that pivotal middle b flat "ah" around which the whole opera revolves. In "dite alla giovine" Violetta starts dying, which one can hear in the insisting "ta-tata" rhythm underpinning the repeated verse, and which will come at us with tremendous force in tha actual death scene. How lucky we were to have Callas, no words can really do her justice.

[@antoineduchamp4931]

Einstein said that if angels listen to any music, they would listen to Mozart. I think not.... now they have Maria to themselves, they will listen to her in perpetuity. This is unfair.... we only had her for a short time, they have her forever.

[@lulululala5458]

nice perfect interpretation...

[@user-xp7rh7uy9m]

Шедевр вокальної майстерності !!! Недосяжна при житті і неповторна у віках !!! Марія Каллас , як іпостась самого ТВОРЦЯ з"явилася людству , щоб подарувати йому надію на духовне збагачення, на життя в мирі,любові і красі великої родини. !!! ( Щиро дякую панові Мarx 7811 ).

[@biancalajolo8764]

Maria Callas non interpreta Violetta, è Violetta con la voce e con l'anima perciò commuove ogni volta che la si ascolta.

[@RikVermont8]

Marx thanks for including this! The sound is excellent and the photos (at least one of which I've never seen) are wonderful.

[@miguelapinedaf42]

Simplemente maravillosa.

[@jazzychazzy007]

And merci for including the libretto!

[@SteveODonnell25]

No one will ever match the intensity that Callas brings to this role. I simply cannot listen to another singer in this role.

[@arnoldamaral3814]

Thank you soooo much Marx. This is a true treasure my friend. 👍✌️💙🇫🇷 Arnund Bourbon Amaral

[@jangusethna8537]

The ONLY Violetta! Ever!😍

[@raynardi7243]

Come la Callas canta il verso ' ..che sarà suo fin l'ultimo' è STRUGGENTE

[@user-pg3sm4uw9c]

🌹💯💐💯🌺💯

[@mistersmith1883]

VIOLETTA Dite alla giovine - sì bella e pura Ch'avvi una vittima - della sventura, Cui resta un unico - raggio di bene Che a lei il sacrifica - e che morrà! GERMONT Sì, piangi, o misera - supremo, il veggo, È il sacrificio - ch'ora io ti chieggo. Sento nell'anima - già le tue pene; Coraggio e il nobile - cor vincerà

[@eiriniseltsika8697]

Θεέ μου η Κάλλας είναι συγκλονιστική δεν μπορώ να σταματήσω να την ακουω. Ο ήχος ειναι πολυ καλός

[@hermanterbalkt1551]

This performance is even more moving and convincing than the 1955 under Giulini. Excellent sound. Thanks Marx!

[@manueltorres3606]

Bonito canal. Suscrito... pensé que eras peruano. Suerte

[@TedinNY]

Wonderful! Where and when was this and who's the baritone?

[@jordipanadesribera6890]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@07fantine]

Amami Alfredo ...

[@MrYonexguy63]

Wow...i forgot how slow the tempo is here...geez

[@jaykauffman4775]

Santini is as usual dull

[@danawinsor1380]

Which performance was this?

[@jordipanadesribera6890]

The name of this baritone?

[@Evvivaverdi]

Ugo Savarese.

[@guidofiorillo7451]

Who was singing Alfredo and the father?

[@Evvivaverdi]

Francesco Albanese (Alfredo) and Ugo Savarese (Giorgio).

[@johnfalstaff2270]

Marx, why do you show Bastianini and di Stefano in this video. They do not sing here. Different voices. Also Bastianini did not sing baritone roles in 1953 yet.

[@rossmerchant8435]

Presumably because there are no pictures with these singers as this is a studio recording.

[@debbiejohnson2789]

Is this DiStefano with her?

[@theon9575]

Di Stefano was a tenor 🤗 This is Germont, meddling daddy, Act II (baritone), and he's named by the uploader. But not Orchestra and Conductor ☹️ Don't ask why . LOL

[@tyttipoikolainen8514]

Papa Germont who ?

[@tyttipoikolainen8514]

Kuka on tuo george Germont callasin kanssa

[@jaykauffman4775]

I prefer the live peformances - why is the sound so echo-y. The sound on the cds is much better than this

[@johnroberts4078]

I love this post except for what you call it: Callas, the ONLY Violetta. Many thanks.

[@anthonydeangelo6230]

L

[@walterharper79]

Photos are from the late 1950's not 1953

[@jaykauffman4775]

No they are from the 1955 La Scala production

[@walterharper79]

@@jaykauffman4775 NOT 53

[@jaykauffman4775]

@@walterharper79 and not late 1950s either. They are from 1955

[@theon9575]

Callas is wonderful, everyone agrees, yes. But it's disappointing, even disrespectful, that you thought that the Orchestra and its Conductor weren't worth mentioning. I think both did quite well. Didn't you? Opera is not a one-man show, you know. Date of performance/Recording?

[@rossmerchant8435]

Probably assumed most people could infer from 1953 that this is the studio recording with Santini.

[@josephcollins6033]

Well, no. But, she does always sound as if she is in pain.

[@johanottosson1240]

Yes, she was fantastic and always found THE right tone and sound for each role she performed. Here we can really hear THE pain and heartache Violetta suffers as she sacrifice THE true love of her life, Alfredo, in order to protect the reputation of Alfredos sister. Thousands of emotions were always pouring out of Callas' voice. One can hear exaltation, joy, happiness, sadness, fear, desperation.pain, hatred, vengeance and many other feelings expressed simply by how Callas colored her glorious voice. Unparallelled!!

[@josephcollins6033]

@@johanottosson1240 i'm glad you love her and enjoy her recordings. However, she did not know how to sing, and the voice was hideous. She IS a phenomenon, for sure. And, absolutely she knows how to sound as if she is in pain. How kind of you not to try to annihilate me here as others do. I have never understood what the fuss is about; and I have tried over the years to understand. Often some of these clowns will berate me with, "Well, then why are you trolling the internet to hear her if you hate her?!!!" I do not hate her; I did not know her, although what I have read often makes her sound full of it. But, her young life sounds like a breeding ground for neurosis after neurosis. I sometimes want to hear her again to see if I still feel the same way. I even had a "Callas Period" when I was very young. Then I learned to sing; I got a great teacher who knew science of the voice. I also began to listen to other singers who knew how to sing, who lasted. I could never go back. Thank you for being a gentleman.

[@shaundudley4576]

@@josephcollins6033 well you read as badly as you listen. He misinterpreted your mean statement emanating from your bitter envious soul as a compliment to La Callas.

[@josephcollins6033]

@@shaundudley4576 My! No, I understood exactly what he said. You opera queens seem to be the bitter, envious ones, to me, anyway. Relax. You do not know who I am. Enjoy your cds! I realize you guys like the pain and do not know anything about singing. I hope you have all of Liza's cds as well. Relax.