# My Last Maria Callas Poll



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

For the benefit of Panorama who really wishes to see another Callas poll, but cannot for some reason initiate a poll, I am starting this. 

I really believe that this will get few if any rankings in the lower half. I don't think there is anybody on this site that could dislike a good singer, Callas or otherwise. 

We have it so you can see who votes so that the anti-Callas culprits, if any, will be exposed. 

We don't really have to make any comments on this thread and maybe best we do not. The rankings will tell the story. 

Notice I did leave out two terms "worship" and "hate" as two extremes to be avoided altogether.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

You left out 'Other'


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Have never understood why she is rated so highly by some.


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## Guest (May 11, 2016)

My Last Maria Callas Poll
...was obviously not as efficacious as this will prove to be.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

As more than half of the options are for those that either dislike her or are indifferent, I'm sure the haters will find a home here. I think I'll leave the thread to them. My feelings are well known.

As for Callas, she'll survive. She's managed to survive the 50 odd years since she retired from the operatic stage. I'm sure she'll survive another 50.


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

GregMitchell said:


> As more than half of the options are for those that either dislike her or are indifferent...


In fact, more than half of the options are for those that either like her or are indifferent.

See how that works?

Florestan did an exemplary job in setting up a poll with an unbiased selection of choices.


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## Tietjens Stolz (Jun 2, 2015)

GregMitchell said:


> As more than half of the options are for those that either dislike her or are indifferent, I'm sure the haters will find a home here. I think I'll leave the thread to them. My feelings are well known.
> 
> As for Callas, she'll survive. She's managed to survive the 50 odd years since she retired from the operatic stage. I'm sure she'll survive another 50.


There are times when I can't help wondering whether (the defunct) EMI had actually done more disservice than service to her in the past by reissuing and repackaging her recordings incessantly and in shoddily done transfers. The (rightly maligned) 1997-98 EMI Callas Edition had been the result of merely re-equalization of the digital audio tapes of the 1985-1989 remasters and such re-equalization had the unfortunate effect of turning her voice thin, harsh and even artificial sounding in many recordings ( as our much-missed old friend RES had shared) whereas in the original Columbia LP issues she doesn't sound such way. Most unfortunately the 1997-98 EMI Callas Edition issues and their later reincarnations in GROTC, Historical series and the 2007 box set had become so widely circulated that younger generations of listeners came to know about Callas chiefly through them. Moreover, the incessant reissues also created the unfortunate impression on some quarters that she has been over-hyped.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

*


Panorama said:



There are times when I can't help wondering whether (the defunct) EMI had actually done more disservice than service to her in the past by reissuing and repackaging her recordings incessantly and in shoddily done transfers. The (rightly maligned) 1997-98 EMI Callas Edition had been the result of merely re-equalization of the digital audio tapes of the 1985-1989 remasters and such re-equalization had the unfortunate effect of turning her voice thin, harsh and even artificial sounding in many recordings ( as our much-missed old friend RES had shared) whereas in the original Columbia LP issues she doesn't sound such way. Most unfortunately the 1997-98 EMI Callas Edition issues and their later reincarnations in GROTC, Historical series and the 2007 box set had become so widely circulated that younger generations of listeners came to know about Callas chiefly through them. Moreover, the incessant reissues also created the unfortunate impression on some quarters that she has been over-hyped.

Click to expand...

*Yeah, I almost, 'ALMOST' wish that Callas would have signed with Decca just for the opportunity it would have afforded her to capture her magnificent artistry in pristine (for the time) sound.

Its better that she didn't though- EMI under Legge had a better talent pool of conductors and singers for her to work with.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Panorama said:


> There are times when I can't help wondering whether (the defunct) EMI had actually done more disservice than service to her in the past by reissuing and repackaging her recordings incessantly and in shoddily done transfers. The (rightly maligned) 1997-98 EMI Callas Edition had been the result of merely re-equalization of the digital audio tapes of the 1985-1989 remasters and such re-equalization had the unfortunate effect of turning her voice thin, harsh and even artificial sounding in many recordings ( as our much-missed old friend RES had shared) whereas in the original Columbia LP issues she doesn't sound such way. Most unfortunately the 1997-98 EMI Callas Edition issues and their later reincarnations in GROTC, Historical series and the 2007 box set had become so widely circulated that younger generations of listeners came to know about Callas chiefly through them. Moreover, the incessant reissues also created the unfortunate impression on some quarters that she has been over-hyped.


There could be some truth in this. Callas was EMI Classics' biggest cash cow and they exploited her unmercifully. Legge, who carefully produced most of her records, and of course those of his wife Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, would no doubt have been appalled at how his recordings had been treated. It's rather ironic that they had to be taken over by another company before his original intentions were respected.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Balthazar said:


> In fact, more than half of the options are for those that either like her or are indifferent.
> 
> See how that works?
> 
> Florestan did an exemplary job in setting up a poll with an unbiased selection of choices.


Except that only the first four are positive. The other seven are varying degress of negative. See how that works?

And, please a little less of your usual patronising attitude.


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

Ack! The poll isn't multiple choice!

I was going to vote for both [sometimes] "Like her a lot" and [sometimes] "Painful to listen to her."

I'll see where the balance lies.


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## Tietjens Stolz (Jun 2, 2015)

Balthazar said:


> Ack! The poll isn't multiple choice!
> 
> I was going to vote for both [sometimes] "Like her a lot" and [sometimes] "Painful to listen to her."
> 
> I'll see where the balance lies.


It looks like Callas is causing you a deep psychological split within.

For the sake of your own sanity think it's best for you to stay completely away from her for an indefinite period of time. :lol:


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

Panorama said:


> It looks like Callas is causing you a deep psychological split within.
> 
> For the sake of your own sanity think it's best for you to stay completely away from her for an indefinite period of time. :lol:


I'm running out now but will be back to expand on my views. This is a forum after all!


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

The problem with this poll us that it is about 'her'. I don't love Callas and I don't hate her as I never met her. It is not 'her' (as a person) I hear but the artist. It is her art we are interested in particularly not 'her'.


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## Guest (May 11, 2016)

GregMitchell said:


> As more than half of the options are for those that either dislike her or are indifferent


5 positive options, 1 neutral, 5 negative. What's the problem with a balanced poll?


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

dogen said:


> 5 positive options, 1 neutral, 5 negative. What's the problem with a balanced poll?


I'd hardly call someone being "okay" positive, it's as negative as being indifferent, and actually I find indifference more negative than out and out dislike, unless one takes into consideration Figleaf's qualifiers, for instance, which seem reasonable enough.


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## Guest (May 11, 2016)

GregMitchell said:


> I'd hardly call someone being "okay" positive, it's as negative as being indifferent, and actually I find indifference more negative than out and out dislike, unless one takes into consideration Figleaf's qualifiers, for instance, which seem reasonable enough.


Troublesome things words. To me, the options are clearly meant to grade from most positive through to most negative via neutral in the middle. Still, if you perceive "okay" and "indifferent" as negatives (apparently moreso than "dislike") then I can't think any pollster's attempt at balanced wording is going to satisfy you. Maybe it should have just been numbers.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

GregMitchell said:


> I'd hardly call someone being "okay" positive, it's as negative as being indifferent, and actually I find indifference more negative than out and out dislike, unless one takes into consideration Figleaf's qualifiers, for instance, which seem reasonable enough.


I liked 'indifferent' because it's just completely matter of fact and doesn't try to blame the artist for the fact that some people aren't blown away by her. 'Never warmed up to Callas and don't care for her singing' on the original poll covers the same ground but sounds much more negative; I thought it perhaps implied that 'I quite like sopranos in general but find Callas wanting', which wouldn't be my position. I think Florestan has done very well with both polls.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Balthazar said:


> Oh, I agree!
> 
> Now we just need to advance our secret plan to inject them with a sense of humor when they're not looking. :lol:


I don't know, I thought James Dean playing the oboe was pretty funny in that context- though the danger is that people not familiar with the histories of various posters are going to look at that thread with the oboe pics and the one of Lisa Whelchel's mullet, and think 'What on earth...?!'


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I voted for "like her." "Respect her" would capture it even better, though.


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## Guest (May 11, 2016)

dogen said:


> Troublesome things words. To me, the options are clearly meant to grade from most positive through to most negative via neutral in the middle. Still, if you perceive "okay" and "indifferent" as negatives (apparently moreso than "dislike") then I can't think any pollster's attempt at balanced wording is going to satisfy you. Maybe it should have just been numbers.


+1...looked to me like a genuine attempt to offer a balanced set of alternatives. But, like accusations of left-wing bias in the BBC, it rather depends on your standpoint. I'm completely neutral on Callas.


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

Also: I voted "she's okay", which I would have thought was positive enough, and can't understand at all why you'd think it isn't, let alone why you'd think its worse than hate. Please elaborate.

(oh - and did I miss a photo of Lisa Whelchel's mullet? Where was that posted?)


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

The thread has been temporarily closed due to problematic posts.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

The thread is now open again. Please focus posts on Callas or related musical content and not on other members.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Just got this









She obviously had a most disturbed childhood with a pushy mother taking her back to Greece and then the wartime occupation


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Balthazar said:


> In fact, more than half of the options are for those that either like her or are indifferent.
> 
> See how that works?
> 
> Florestan did an exemplary job in setting up a poll with an unbiased selection of choices.


Absolutely, I can't see what the controversy is here. The best thing about the poll is it even includes a category for the Callas fanatical crazies (_crazy_ about her). I put 'Love her', I could split hairs as it is more like adore her. One thing I am not is _crazy_, I fully recognise that she had flaws, both as a singer and a person and it annoys me when some of her fans try to argue that technical flaws are actually virtues when it comes to Callas.

N.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I am crazy about early Callas, before the weight loss and up till about 54 at the latest. I only really like her later stuff when she doesn't go very high. The top became so unsteady after the mid 50's. Her voice was so superior to me before she lost weight. She photographed much better later on This is one of the few later recordings that I enjoy greatly:



 from I Vespri Sicilani


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Marschallin Blair said:


> Yeah, I almost, 'ALMOST' wish that Callas would have signed with Decca just for the opportunity it would have afforded her to capture her magnificent artistry in pristine (for the time) sound.
> 
> Its better that she didn't though- EMI under Legge had a better talent pool of conductors and singers for her to work with.


nothing wrong with those old columbia LP sets. audiophiles think highly of them as well as decca. decca was better for orch music and hmv for opera


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

In light of the recent thread on Maria Callas, I thought it may be worth getting more votes into this poll.


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