Maria Callas 101 - A Brief and Basic Introduction

I made this video to show before an informal at home screening of Maria By Callas by Tom Volf, for some friends who knew of Maria, but not as intimately as some of us. It is a somewhat hastily thrown together video, with some simplification for the sake of brevity, using pictures and audio that don't always match up to the performances described. This is quite basic, as far as introductions go, and I am working on an expanded version, with more audio and visual examples, as well as a new series of videos in which I will personally appear, to discuss and review labels, performances, records and CDs. Stay tuned, dear subscriber. It's been a long absence, but Still, I listen.

[@shaundudley4576]

The Supremacy of Maria Callas was forged out of an ambition verging on the megalomaniacal and a humility verging on self-loathing. Achieving Great Mastery through unswerving servitude she brought human potentialities to a fulfilment unseen and unheard before or after. The flame of human creativity seldom burned as high or with such luminous intensity, and as it devoured her mortal frame and substance it harvested the quintessence of Eternity for her Art. She lived for Art and She lived for Love.

[@anibalalvarez3807]

❤

[@bejoyful]

So fortunate to have Madam Callas's treasured voice recorded.

[@aetion]

This video is a wonderful tribute to "La Divina", the only soprano sfogato of the 20th century. Thank you indeed.

[@SteveODonnell25]

Thank you so much for this video. It is very fortunate that many of her performances were recorded. What a loss for opera history if this had not been the case. Callas set the gold standard for so many roles such as Lady Macbeth, Norma, Anna Bolena, Violetta , Toca and Lucia.

[@despertardelaconciencia369]

También para Medea, Tosca, Aminna, Violeta Valery...

[@user-fw3el4gr3o]

E Dalila que ela não autorizou a divulgação antes da sua morte porque achava não ser perfeita o suficiente! Maria e o seu perfeccionismo!

[@Olga_Nikolajewa]

Несравненная, божественная Каллас! Какое удовольствие слушать её!

[@kaochloe1]

THANK YOU so much for the amazing work you have always done. Can't wait for the expanded version. Callas forever and people like you keep the legacy forever

[@MrQbenDanny]

Maria had great art, but she also had CRAFT.. She was a great student, according to De HIDALGO, who created the blueprint for her fame, resurrecting the Bellini masterpieces plus the others known on this forum. She reinvented how to sing grand opera and knew how hit with abundant luxury the tour de force notes. You can't have art without Craft. La CALLAS had both. The fat years in Mexico and Brazil were her feast days. Thank God and SERAFIN for everything we enjoy together today. I'm looking forward to seeing part 2!!! Thank you.

[@davidmolina7543]

Callas truly, was an operatic monster.

[@user-fw3el4gr3o]

A estrela celestial em que Maria Callas se tornou, brilha mais e mais a cada dia que passa!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🇵🇹

[@JustinPollinger]

Such a great introduction to her!

[@user-vm3nr1dd8y]

Ευγνώμονες για το εξαιρετικά περιληπτικο βίντεο! Από Αθήνα Ελλαδα

[@pointofnoreturn3103]

She was a miracle. She had so much musicianship! I have often thought that if I could only listen to one singer for the rest of my life, it would be her! Does anyone else think that she was too hard on herself about her weight? I think that prior to her weight loss, she was statuesque. There is nothing wrong with going with your own natural body type. Just my opinion... Thanks for making this video! I am looking forward to the next part! Susan

[@veramayer9571]

Agreed - on every point. She craved love and acceptance, and while I believe she never doubted her worth as an artist, she was insecure as a human being. To her great misfortune, she didn't have the right person in her corner, someone who could give her the unconditional love she deserved.

[@veramayer9571]

Though of course even then her perfectionism may have pushed her in the same direction, if she truly felt losing weight would give her more tools as an actress.

[@pointofnoreturn3103]

@@veramayer9571 It is sad. I wish that she could have met her soulmate! She had a lot of love to give! You would only have to hear her sing one note to know this with every fiber of your being! *sad smile*

[@pointofnoreturn3103]

@@veramayer9571 I suppose that back in the 1950's there was a lot of pressure on women to measure up to impossible standards of beauty, as there is now. Me and my husband have 11 year old twins! Sometimes Baby Girl asks me if a certain outfit makes her look fat. I tell her the truth. She is absolutely beautiful the way that she is!

[@natanaelgorrin9473]

Congratulaciones por este estupendo trabajo. La Calla no solo es la Divina, es eterna y su legado con el paso de tiempo se hace más presente. Restablecer un genero, actualizarlo dejándole camino al resto de cantantes, solamente la Callas.

[@elmiramuradova561]

Неповторимая Каллас ❤....

[@KajiVocals]

Wonderful showcase of Maria's talent.

[@stefanodepeppo]

Great job! Very well put together for everybody, especially for who is no SO familiar with her as we are :)

[@eliaskounelis545]

Eternamente Maria Callas...!!! Diva Assoluta Eterna...!!! La Unica Divina Greca...!!! 🎼🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@asklepios6780]

Remarquable et élégant ! Bravo Merci

[@specialforces101]

Thank you for this and especially for the Aida comparisons. One thing I would say is that the orchestra for Dimitra Theodossiou in 2009 is very superior. Also Nicola Rescigno's tempi - superb.

[@veramayer9571]

We can only be grateful that such immense talent was shared with us.

[@panoschytiris]

Divine indeed

[@marcosalterio6306]

Thanks so much for sharing this!!!

[@user-zb4hh8eg8c]

Hiciste un video muy atinado y preciso! ❤

[@milanetc4865]

thanks!

[@Seher-z1v]

There were other beautiful women; there were nearly perfect voices. They all pale in comparison to Maria Callas: the Lady and the Art! She BECAME the roles she sang: Norma, cutting the sacred Mistletoe with the Athamé, leading her congregation of Druids in devotion to the Casta Diva, chaste goddess, the moon; Lucia the bride of Lammermoore; the exotic, ethereal Lakmé of the India of legend, or the Princess Aïda! Rest in peace, beautiful, unforgettable Maria Callas, best Daughter of Greece via the USA. You are dearly missed.❤

[@certified_modernschoolhater]

Based video ❤

[@mao1878]

You left out the most amazing Nabucco, MacBeth, the most stunning Traviata of 55…i think her best filmed live featured aria is the Pirata finale, I realize people might like Rosina or Carmen more but to me that is her supreme acting like nobody else especially in the silent parts where she doesn’t sing BUT act

[@KajiVocals]

Maria's high E-flat in Aida isn't so penetrating because of the volume of the note. Purely acoustical reasons. It is loud of course, as any ful head note will be up there but it is not why it rings out as well as it does.

[@stefanodepeppo]

And what would the reason be, according to you?

[@KajiVocals]

@@stefanodepeppo The acoustic strategy. The volume actually does not matter all that much in regard to operatic projection. It is entirely possible to be extremely loud in terms of sheer volume of the voice yet not be audible past the first few rows properly. The so-called squillo is an acoustic strategy in how you adjust your harmonics and formants. In terms of Maria and her squillo. Her utilising as much twang (narrowing of the aryepiglottic sphincter) as she did in the higher range, her vowels and simply the height of the note were what made the note so large. This isn’t uncommon live to be honest above high D. I regularly see opera live and people who actually have a very balanced technique for their high end tend to have this effect on the very top. Except most people use less twang and rounden their vowels more in the higher range. Callas’ use of her vowels is what made her sound almost ‘brassy’ in the upper end.

[@miguelantoniofaundezrojas2826]

Bello recuerdo de La Divina. Lamentablemente no sé inglés, y no comprendo qué dice el director de Il Pirata.

[@CallasfanRecordings]

Rescigno cuenta cómo durante los ensayos, María no podía pronunciar el fraseo sin que se volviera blando debido al tempo rápido hacia el final, pero ella insistió en que él lo dirigiera de esa manera. La noche de la función "no teníamos cantante, teníamos una ametralladora" - Sorry, I used google translate for this, i hope it makes sense

[@miguelantoniofaundezrojas2826]

@@CallasfanRecordings muchas gracias

[@MrLuis85698]

@@CallasfanRecordings You did a wonderful job at explaining it to perfection using google translate

[@stefanodepeppo]

@@MrLuis85698 Yes, but what Rescigno was referring to wasn't "pronunciar el fraseo", but those couple of bars of very fast notes which during rehearsals she wasn't able to properly sing at that tempo (becoming smudgy), and that as the live recording shows she indeed made the miracle during the performance.

[@stefanodepeppo]

@@miguelantoniofaundezrojas2826 Mas bien se referia a la incapacidad de Maria en los ensayos de poder cantar de manera precisa esas notas muy rapidas al tempo que Rescigno propuso, y cuando el le dijo que habria tomado el tempo mas lento para acomodarla ella contesto que no se atreviera porque era deber de ella cantar esos dos compases a ese tempo que le gustaba, y asi hizo (como ametralladora...) en la función.

[@yuehchopin]

Diese schöne Goldene Zeit ist vergehen

[@Kalogeropoulos777]

Aida E-flat is 9 seconds long

[@KajiVocals]

Lucia is not a dramatic soprano role. Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani had a very light, lyrical coloratura voice.

[@stefanodepeppo]

Indeed. ButBut as far as we know most sopranos from the first half of 19th century had much more versatility than the ones from the first half of 20th century. Definitely Galli Curci and Toti dal Monte could not sing Elvira from Ernani or Lucrezia from I due Foscari as Tacchinardi did! So Callas brought back a kind of dramatic approach even to those roles which just a few decades before her had became dominium of light coloratura sopranos.

[@KajiVocals]

A voice that excelled in more lyrical bel canto works rather than dramatic soprano repertoire or verismo. Reviews of the time point out to the striking contrast of the voice and excitement of her performance in bel canto versus earlier stuff she did like Turandot or any of the Wagnerian roles.

[@stefanodepeppo]

Actually her reviews of her Wagnerian roles and Turandot of the time were generally thrilling. She almost always had some bad reviews. Beniamino Dal Fabbro, famous music critic of the first half of the century, ALWAYS gave her bad reviews when she sang at La Scala. We can indeed question if her voice was actually suited for real dramatic roles, or if it was more a matter of her dramatic temperament which served perfectly her oh-not-so-perfect skills for big dramatic roles.

[@Mogpops2]

Well she constricted a bit when singing lighter roles, especially post weight loss. When she still had good support the results could be excellent but you can hear that she’s much more comfortable in a dramatic role like Medea than Lucia by ‘57. Her voice was dramatic and weighty, a very large instrument but with plenty of flexibility. I don’t think she was a natural for the standard dramatic repertoire ‘Turandot, Brünnhilde, Isolde’ etc., even if she found some success in that repertoire, but was instead a true dramatic coloratura most at home singing Norma, Anna Bolena, Medea, Amelia, Leonora (Trovatore), Lady Macbeth, Imogene, Abigail and, though the role doesn’t quite belong in the same fach so to speak, Violetta. In those roles she was truly unsurpassed.

[@tsquare076]

It's probably true that Callas could produce quite a lot of sound early on, judging by statements of her colleaues. But I'm of the opinion that her voice is not a natural dramatic soprano in the vein of Nilsson, Varnay or Flagstad but rather a higher tessitura voice that was exceptionally well-produced. Bel canto and higher repertoire lie more naturally in her voice. I always have the feeling that Callas had to force the middle voice a little bit to sing heavier roles, but people might not agree with me on that. Whatever the true fach of her voice is, she has that transcendental musicianship that I haven't heard in anybody else. There are certain phrases that Callas made her own and when I listen to them, I don't think they could ever be done any better.