# The Callas Tosca at Covent Garden: a PBS documentary



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

If you don't know the film of Act 2 of Tosca in the legendary 1964 performance at Covent Garden with Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi, drop everything and watch this now. If you do know the film, drop everything and watch this now anyway (you can't be doing anything more interesting). It shows scenes from the performance with comments from singers, conductors, etc. It's aimed at a broad audience, and I can't say I learned anything new, but I always feel privileged to see any part of this performance.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/the-magic-of-callas-full-episode-tjeoyd/12272/


----------



## Aussie Verdi Lover (Jun 14, 2020)

tried twice, says video unavailable
PBS must exclude outside country access


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Saw it the other day and was annoyed by the constant interruptions. But then again anytime I can see some new Callas stuff I'm game. Of course most of the stuff I have seen before.


----------



## ThaNotoriousNIC (Jun 29, 2020)

Caught a little bit of it on Friday on the All Arts Channel if anyone has cable. Was able to watch some of Callas singing but will note there was a lot of pauses to let the people talk. Will give it another look if I catch it on TV again. Not sure if that video of Callas is on YouTube or not.


----------



## Plague (Apr 4, 2020)

Act 2 of Tosca at Covent Garden in 1964:






The PBS documentary:

https://mega.nz/file/ZtYDTaZA#7W2dpfksKoChJtzD9MY343CcayM5u85fIyCHDnt1O5w


----------



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> If you don't know the film of Act 2 of Tosca in the legendary 1964 performance at Covent Garden with Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi, drop everything and watch this now. If you do know the film, drop everything and watch this now anyway (you can't be doing anything more interesting). It shows scenes from the performance with comments from singers, conductors, etc. It's aimed at a broad audience, and I can't say I learned anything new, but I always feel privileged to see any part of this performance.
> 
> https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/the-magic-of-callas-full-episode-tjeoyd/12272/


I have the Bluray of Act II of course but this appears to be a new documentary, unfortunately unavailable to us in the UK.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

It was originally from ZDF in Germany but PBS took it, adding translations as necessary for the German commentators.

As to the program itself, I found Pappano to be interesting and the German fashion designer to be someone I would have done without. Of the rest of the singers who spoke, Hampson was OK, the others (Villazon, Opolais & ??) didn't really add anything meaningful to it.


----------

