# Final Round: Mad Scene From Hamlet. Callas, Sutherland Sills



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

As a holiday treat ( US holiday) I will feature the best from one of my favorite arias. I was going to have a contest with historic 78 rpm artists, but one was very abbreviated in length. Sutherland and Dessay were neck and neck for a long time but Sutherland ended with a big lead.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

For me the contest is between Callas and Sutherland. I expect Callas will win. I have played both countless times over the years and for me they are pretty much neck and neck till you get to the all important high notes and here Sutherland's are just so much more beautiful and spectacular and she gets my winning wreath.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

The Callas clip is not what it says it is on youtube. This is the studio recording of 1958 not the radio concert from 1956 under Simonetto. That one is sung in Italian rather than French and also includes a chorus at the beginning. 

You can hear it here.






She also sang it in a concert in Athens in 1957.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Sutherland and Sills sing abbreviated versions of the aria, at least compared to what Callas does. All three have qualities to commend them and all were known for their _coloratura _prowess. Sills must rank third in vocal endowment alone. Sutherland, of course, has a miraculous voice in height and breadth and she is in her video more than usually engaged in the dramatic side. 

As much as Sutherland finds beauty in the high notes and is vocally resplendent, Callas finds more light and shade in the phrases and delicate _melismas _and more meaning to the text, even though her high notes are more fierce to the ear. 

I can easily understand Seattleoperafan’s preference, though I can’t share it


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> The Callas clip is not what it says it is on youtube. This is the studio recording of 1958 not the radio concert from 1956 under Simonetto. That one is sung in Italian rather than French and also includes a chorus at the beginning.
> 
> You can hear it here.
> She also sang it in a concert in Athens in 1957.


All it says is “Maria Callas Sings The Mad Scene From Thomas’ Hamlet.”


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> The Callas clip is not what it says it is on youtube. This is the studio recording of 1958 not the radio concert from 1956 under Simonetto. That one is sung in Italian rather than French and also includes a chorus at the beginning.
> 
> You can hear it here.
> 
> ...


Switched back.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> All it says is “Maria Callas Sings The Mad Scene From Thomas’ Hamlet.”


If you go to Youtube and scroll down the info it says it’s Callas with the RAI orchestra conducted by Simonetto. This is the studio recording.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> SORRY. Thanks. I switched it out. I try to have the best Callas scenes and ask for help, but Youtube sometimes fail me.


I like the 1958 studio recording. Though she is not in such good voice as in 1956, I like that it’s sung in French and Callas sings the language extremely well. 

I’m sorry. I only meant to point out that on YouTube they have the wrong recording details. I certainly didn’t object to the use of the studio performance.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> If you go to Youtube and scroll down the info it says it’s Callas with the RAI orchestra conducted by Simonetto. This is the studio recording.


I often find that the information provided in that section erroneous and I don’t usually scroll that far down. I don’t know who provides those particulars but they’re often not germane to the video.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> Sutherland and Sills sing abbreviated versions of the aria, at least compared to what Callas does. All three have qualities to commend them and all were known for their _coloratura _prowess. Sills must rank third in vocal endowment alone. Sutherland, of course, has a miraculous voice in height and breadth and she is in her video more than usually engaged in the dramatic side.
> 
> As much as Sutherland finds beauty in the high notes and is vocally resplendent, Callas finds more light and shade in the phrases and delicate _melismas _and more meaning to the text, even though her high notes are more fierce to the ear.
> 
> I can easily understand Seattleoperafan’s preference, though I can’t share it


I can understands your choice. She is amazing. I am just happy that always now if I stick to posting early Sutherland arias in the contests she gets a lot of respect on here like she just did from you.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I like the 1958 studio recording. Though she is not in such good voice as in 1956, I like that it’s sung in French and Callas sings the language extremely well.
> 
> I’m sorry. I only meant to point out that on YouTube they have the wrong recording details. I certainly didn’t object to the use of the studio performance.


I changed it back. The info on particulars in Youtube is often maddening.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> The Callas clip is not what it says it is on youtube. This is the studio recording of 1958 not the radio concert from 1956 under Simonetto. She also sang it in a concert in Athens in 1957.


And in Los Angeles in 1958. Did you forget to vote?


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> And in Los Angeles in 1958. Did you forget to vote?


I’d forgotten about that one. 

No I haven’t voted yet as I haven’t listened to them all back to back again. I’m pretty sure my vote will go to Maria, but in fairness …


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I changed it back. The info on particulars in Youtube is often maddening.


The 1956 version is still showing up in my feed.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

This time I took John's advice and closed my eyes so I wouldn't see Dame Joan "gamboling in the park".
Are they all actually singing the same thing -- particularly at the end?
Because I find something extraordinary in all 3 renditions voice-wise and therefore I needed to step up to the next level -- interpretation -- which brings me to all 3 different endings and what they do with them to make my final decision. 
For me a sense of urgency which makes it much more interesting that Callas introduces into her final scene grabs me, and therefore La Divina is my final choice. 
But it wasn't easy. They are all winners in my book.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I like the 1958 studio recording. Though she is not in such good voice as in 1956, I like that it’s sung in French and Callas sings the language extremely well.
> 
> I’m sorry. I only meant to point out that on YouTube they have the wrong recording details. I certainly didn’t object to the use of the studio performance.


Callas is “better” in the studio recording, which is what I voted for. Plus, she sings it in French and the sound is much better. Not that she shirks anything by singing live.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> The 1956 version is still showing up in my feed.


I thought you said the original was alright and I switched back to it from the Italian one you posted.. I am actually lost as to if I need to fix something and how. I think it might be too late. I asked for advice from Mas and I thought I used what was suggested. Callas will win either way.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

For me too it was impossible choice between Callas and Sutherland. It is the same as if I were forced to prefer florentine painting to venetian. But art assumes both emotional and rational sides, so here I vote for Dame Joan. It doesn't mean I dislike Callas or adore her less.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I thought you said the original was alright and I switched back to it from the Italian one you posted.. I am actually lost as to if I need to fix something and how. I think it might be too late. I asked for advice from Mas and I thought I used what was suggested. Callas will win either way.


It is, but it's the one I posted that's showing up in my feed, not the one you originally posted.

Hwre's the 1958 studio version for anyone who wants to hear that too.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> It is, but it's the one I posted that's showing up in my feed, not the one you originally posted.
> 
> Hwre's the 1958 studio version for anyone who wants to hear that too.


I thought I had switched that! It is now the one in the main post. Thanks. Sometimes copy and paste gets switched up on youtube.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Remember to flush your browser cache/history otherwise you may not see the most currently posted item.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> Sutherland and Sills sing abbreviated versions of the aria, at least compared to what Callas does. All three have qualities to commend them and all were known for their _coloratura _prowess. Sills must rank third in vocal endowment alone. Sutherland, of course, has a miraculous voice in height and breadth and she is in her video more than usually engaged in the dramatic side.
> 
> As much as Sutherland finds beauty in the high notes and is vocally resplendent, Callas finds more light and shade in the phrases and delicate _melismas _and more meaning to the text, even though her high notes are more fierce to the ear.
> 
> I can easily understand Seattleoperafan’s preference, though I can’t share it


What he said. 

I totally understand a preference for Sutherland's performance, but Callas's is much more interesting to me. Sutherland perhaps does exactly what is expected of the scene. After all, this is not really great music and Sutherland fulfils all its vocal demands with great beauty of tone, stunning top notes and crystalline coloratura, but Callas does more than that. She creates drama in sound and consequently her Ophelia is more, well, Shakespearean. Maybe it's more than the music requires, but it makes it much more interesting to me.

In this company, Sills, is just an also ran. Not that she is bad, but she's up against two superlative renditions.


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## Shaafee Shameem (Aug 4, 2021)

Callas is at the end of her prime here, and the top notes wobble a little. Yet, as always, her phrasing of the recitative is impeccable. Notice how much pathos she infuses in
“Des larmes de la nuit,
la terre était mouillée,”
whereas with Sutherland and Sills it is merely a passing line. Further, Callas manages to find the madness in the coloratura. Her stronger dynamic range and mezza voce enable her to impart an eerie, ethereal effect to the florid parts.Her French diction too is exemplary.
Sutherland sings very well, and, indeed, her high notes are better than Callas’ here, but Callas has the stronger middle, flawless legato and the greater dynamic range, therefore, she earns my vote.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I'm glad that everyone else has pointed out how Callas makes more of this slight music than anyone before or since in the history of the world, as she quite routinely does, and that therefore I don't need to do it. After you've listened to her endless outpouring of creativity, even very good performances such as those of Sutherland and Sills seem ordinary. But both of those ladies are more pleasant to listen to than Callas, who has scarcely a single really good note above the staff and a few really horrid ones. Sills is at a double disadvantage here, with a piano accompaniment and a distant, overreverberant acoustic; she's actually doing some nice things, getting more pathos into the slow parts than Sutherland, phrasing with more tensile strength, and unleashing the coloratura with every bit as much aplomb. 

Had Callas recorded this in her prime, I'd have no hesitation here. As it is, we have her giving another fascinating "Callas show" in music I can hardly take seriously, we have Sutherland in her best form and giving the piece about all it really requires, and we have Sills with less sheer voice very much on top of the assignment. How to choose a favorite performance of something that basically does nothing for me regardless of who's singing it?

How to choose... How... How... How.........


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