# Callas recordings



## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

I have seemingly come under a Callas addiction of late, I sometimes miss her voice when trying to listen to other singers and am wondering if there any other recordings I should listen to

I have

All studio recordings

Live:
Poliuto
Traviata - 1958 - covent garden (love, love, love this)
Traviata - 1955
Lucia - 1955
Norma - 1955
Macbeth

Anything important I'm missing?


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

> Anything important I'm missing?


In a word yessssssss.........

Here are some more really great easy to find live CD sets, I prefer Myto editions over any EMI version for live sound quality. You have some great live versions already there and the new Warner boxset takes care of studio versions

There are some great live early Mexico performances but best to wait for *Ebay vendor arsvoclais* to return since they easily have best sound quality.......BTW just buy any Callas performance he offers, they all have best sound at reasonable price, currently not active on Ebay but hopefully will return in the near furure



































57 Anna Bolena - Gavazzeni (la scala)
58 Traviata - Ghione (Lisbon)
58 Medea - Rescigno (Dallas) + 53 Medea - Bernstein (la scala)
55 Sonnambula - Bernstein (la scala) + 57 Sonnambula - Votto (koln)


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Andre Chenier live with del Monaco.


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## Jeffrey Smith (Jan 2, 2016)

Just ordered that Dallas Medea this morning for myself.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

For the Anna Bolena you really should get the download from divinarecords.com since they have the best quality Callas releases.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

@Darkangel - thanks, I already had the Anna Bolena but forogt to list it and have listened to the traviata but didn't really like it compared to the covent garden one (still a great preformance though) - the other two I'll have a look at :3

And I always download digitaly, so it shouldn't be too hard to find preformances on HMV digital, Itunes, Spotify, or Amazon 

@DavidA - yep, have that one too, ooops xD


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

DarkAngel said:


> In a word yessssssss.........
> 
> *Here are some more really great easy to find live CD sets*, I prefer Myto editions over any EMI version for live sound quality. You have some great live versions already there and the new Warner boxset takes care of studio versions
> 
> There are some great live early Mexico performances but best to wait for *Ebay vendor arsvoclais* to return since they easily have best sound quality.......BTW just buy any Callas performance he offers, they all have best sound at reasonable price, currently not active on Ebay but hopefully will return in the near furure


D.A. means well. Can be a Doll. And has impeccable taste in Callasiana.










*But 'Why?!' Whyyyyyyyy?!- can't he give the Florence Medea the REE-SPECT!!- that its ENTITLED to?! Why!? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!*










White-hot vitriol never sounded so poised, so controlled, and so searchingly imaginitive. . . yet so _fierce_. . .

The Covent Garden _Traviata_ is the other Callas _sine qua non_ that I'd love to mention. The searing, slaying high-end may not be there like it is on, say, the '53 Santini- but the imaginative dramatic inflections, colorations, and finessings far exceed any other interpretation of Violetta I've heard.










(The Myto of course sounds cleaner but I like this cd cover better. _;D_ )



















The subtlety as well as the raw horse power of her Armida is directly from Olympus 'and' Valhalla- so that's indispensable in spades as well.

_;D_ . . .

_"Okay, Tina. Clean up this mess."_

Marsch Monsoon, out.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Hells, Bells!!!

For fans of pirate jokes:
What is a pirate's favourite live Callas recording?
IL PIRAAAAAAHHHTA!

N.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

The Conte said:


> *Hells, Bells!!!*
> 
> *For fans of pirate jokes:
> What is a pirate's favourite live Callas recording?
> ...












. . . but novice pirates make terrible pirates because they can't navigate the high C's like Captain Callas.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Marschallin Blair said:


> D.A. means well. Can be a Doll. And has impeccable taste in Callasiana.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes "mommie dearest" don't get mad at me again, ha ha.......

I was telling Plummie recently that with the improved sound of arsvocalis 53 Medea Bernstein, it may be my favorite of all Medeas now, all the vocal pyrotechnics back then were well within her absolute technical command, massive fierceness that hurts so good.......

I wish there was a better sounding 53 Florence Medea, then I would probably have to praise it above all others.......


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

DarkAngel said:


> Yes "mommie dearest" don't get mad at me again, ha ha.......
> 
> I was telling Plummie recently that with the improved sound of arsvocalis 53 Medea Bernstein, it may be my favorite of all Medeas now, all the vocal pyrotechnics back then were well within her absolute technical command, massive fierceness that hurts so good.......
> 
> *I wish there was a better sounding 53 Florence Medea, then I would probably have to praise it above all others.......*












You really must excuse my impetuous conduct. Being only seventeen will do that to you._ ;D_ . . .

Play the "_E che? Io son Medea!_" of the Florence and the La Scala back-to-back.

Tell me which one daisy-cuts.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Yeah the top 53 Florence sounds very exciting, but compared to 53 Scala below the singers are more closely miked with very brightly lit sound and heavy distortion......even with turnipoverlords vinyl samples

Both are great of course, compare the final climax 11:02 above and 11:40 below, Callas really drives that home, twist the dagger one more time baby!


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## Antony (Nov 4, 2013)

How is-it possible the rendition of Tosca 1953 with Victor de Sabata, with Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano and Tito Gobbi
forgotten by Callas's maids ? 

PS: welcome back dear Marschallin Blair! You were so missed here!


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Antony said:


> How is-it possible the rendition of Tosca 1953 with Victor de Sabata, with Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano and Tito Gobbi
> forgotten by Callas's maids ?
> 
> PS: welcome back dear Marschallin Blair! You were so missed here!


Thanks, Sweetie. _;DD_. . .

But I absolutely_ LOOOOOVE_ the Callas/Gobbi/De Sabata _Tosca_.

_I do! I do! I do!_

The synergy of those three set the high-water mark for drama in opera.






In fact, once I was blasting it when some friends of mine came over. My friends wife- not an opera fan in the least- upon hearing "_Orsù, Tosca, parlate_" said, "What is _THIS_? I love it." Of course my friend just rolled his eyes. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.


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## Tietjens Stolz (Jun 2, 2015)

Antony said:


> How is-it possible the rendition of Tosca 1953 with Victor de Sabata, with Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano and Tito Gobbi
> forgotten by Callas's maids ?
> 
> PS: welcome back dear Marschallin Blair! You were so missed here!


The 1953 EMI recording of Tosca is no doubt a great recording. But Callas' enormous gifts are much more fully realized in Norma, La Traviata and Medea, which I consider her three greatest roles.

For the desert island, I will take the 1958 CG Traviata, the 1955 La Scala Norma, the 1953 Florence Medea and the 1958 Dallas Medea.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Panorama said:


> The 1953 EMI recording of Tosca is no doubt a great recording. But Callas' enormous gifts are much more fully realized in Norma, La Traviata and Medea, which I consider her three greatest roles.
> 
> For the desert island, I will take the 1958 CG Traviata, the 1955 La Scala Norma, the 1953 Florence Medea and the 1958 Dallas Medea.


_I ' ' LOVE ' ' THIS POST!_

Amen.

Sing it.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Just a couple more live Mytos, 57 Un Ballo, 59 Il Pirata (expensive now) for original poster and new Callas fanatic Burroughs......many feel Callas/Stephano are in better voice and more exciting on the live la scala Un Ballo compared to EMI studio in boxset



















Maria was the best Abigaille ever (Nabucco) but the 49 Naples sound quality is very poor on any edition, best to just hear highlights on youtube or spotify (and live happily with the next best Abigaille - Suliotis Decca stereo)


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## Diminuendo (May 5, 2015)

And then there are of course the Mexico performances. A lot has been mentioned already, but I'd say that pretty much everything that Callas recorded or performed live should be listened. A lot of work to mention every performance. Just listen everything and you will be happy.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Oh gosh, I already had the pirata, and armida as well, looks like I forgot to list everything xD 

@Marschallin Blair - I already have that Traviata, and I love it sooo much, however the ICA remasters pitch seems just a little off so have the MYTO version myself :3

@Dark Angel - ooh, thanks, I shall have a look at those


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## alan davis (Oct 16, 2013)

Why has no-one mentioned her Madama Butterfly??


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

New Warner studio boxset also includes all the studio recitals, *but not the live recitals*. These can now be purchased in one boxset at cheap price.......I suspect you have this already but just in case


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## Jeffrey Smith (Jan 2, 2016)

Marschallin Blair said:


> D.A. means well. Can be a Doll. And has impeccable taste in Callasiana.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Grossgnadige Fürstin .... Could it be a sign that in proclaiming the greatness of Florence, you use an image of Dallas?


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

DarkAngel said:


> New Warner studio boxset also includes all the studio recitals, *but not the live recitals*. These can now be purchased in one boxset at cheap price.......I suspect you have this already but just in case


Nope, I actually only have a couple of seperate recitals and rehearsals, I'll have a look at this


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

alan davis said:


> Why has no-one mentioned her Madama Butterfly??


Possibly because the OP stated that he already has all the studio recordings?


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

> GregMitchell: Possibly because the OP stated that he already has all the studio recordings?


But we Callas Types want ambiguity, or possibly something else.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Jeffrey Smith said:


> Grossgnadige Fürstin .... Could it be a sign that in proclaiming the greatness of Florence, you use an image of Dallas?


Actually, I posted that because the Gala incarnation of the Dallas performance has as a little extra-special bonus as the end of CD 2: the ending of the Florence performance, the: "_E che? Io son Medea!"_

_;D_

- Plus the fact that it has a great cover.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

DarkAngel said:


> New Warner studio boxset also includes all the studio recitals, *but not the live recitals*. These can now be purchased in one boxset at cheap price.......I suspect you have this already but just in case


Isn't this a direct re-release of the EMI set withe the EMI logo removed and the Warner one added?


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

GregMitchell said:


> Isn't this a direct re-release of the EMI set with the the EMI logo removed and the Warner one added?


I think that is correct Greg, neither of these recital boxsets are newest remaster since they were released in 2012 and the remastered Warner boxset was 2014


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## Antony (Nov 4, 2013)

*The legendary La Traviata Lisbon 1958*

A few years ago, I surfed on internet and for a lucky hazard I read a very amusing, and interesting, article talking about the legendary -tape- of the also legendary opera of La Divina in La Traviata at Lisbon in 1958. I decided to save this article as its author wrote it in a way so amusingly informative. Maybe you all read it, but in case someone does not know the article, well, read on 

---
È TARDI!...THE LISBON TRAVIATA: SCENA ULTIMA?
by Steve Burton

Maria Callas was the greatest singing actress of the 20th century. And her greatest role was Violetta, the tragic courtesan of Verdi's Opera *La Traviata*.

But her mature interpretation of the role was never recorded for posterity in the studio. For, very early in her career, before her interpretation had matured, and before she had earned world-wide fame, she participated in a recording of *La Traviata* made (in terrible sound, with provincial forces) by a small Italian record company - and her contract forbade her to record the role again for any competing company for some period of years.

So at the peak of her career, in the mid 1950's, while she recorded all of her other great roles for EMI in much better sound with great artists like the conductor Tullio Serafin, the tenor Giuseppe di Stefano and the baritone Tito Gobbi at her side, she was barred from recording her greatest role of all.

In 1955, Serafin, di Stefano & Gobbi, wishing to preserve their own interpretations for posterity and despairing of any chance of freeing Callas from her contract, made their own recording of *La Traviata* for EMI with the well-meaning but sadly over-parted soprano Antonietta Stella in the title role - a recording that most opera fanatics prefer to forget.

Callas, in true *diva* fashion, never forgave them for what she saw as a betrayal, and vowed that she would never again record the role of Violetta - even after her contract ran out. And she kept her vow.

That's Act I. On to Act II, Scene i:

Though Callas never again recorded the role of Violetta in the studio, in whole or in part, she continued to perform it - with ever greater power and insight - on the stage. And it was the custom of some of the world's great opera houses to record their performances - not for commercial release, but for broadcast, or for archival purposes. So when it became clear that there would never be a studio recording of "La Callas" in *La Traviata*, the opera fanatics of the world set about searching for tapes of her live performances in the role.

They came up with several. But there was one that soon became legendary: the tape of the opening night of *La Traviata* at the Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos in Lisbon, Portugal, on 27th March, 1958 - soon to become known as "The Lisbon Traviata."

It would be too much to say that everything came together, here. The orchestra and conductor were only just acceptable, the sound was unpleasantly muffled - as if it were a copy made on bad equipment, and, to make matters worse, the recording microphone seemed to have been located in the prompter's box - 'cause one could hear his every prompt with startling clarity.

But Callas was on fire. And her romantic foil, Alfredo Germont, sung by the great Spanish tenor Alfredo Kraus at the outset of his career, was on fire too. For both of them, it was a once-in-a-lifetime performance.

So copies of the tape spread like a disease among the afore-mentioned opera fanatics of the world. Disputes over who had the best copy would occasionally lead to ugly words in the dress circle and fist-fights in the loggia.

Eventually, "the Lisbon Traviata" became so notorious that Terrence McNally wrote a play about the phenomenon, entitled - what else? - *The Lisbon Traviata*.
* * * * *

Act II, Scene ii:
In due course, after Callas' sadly early death in 1977, her usual recording company, EMI, tracked down the best copy of the tape they could find, spruced it up as best they could, and gave "the Lisbon Traviata" it's long-delayed "official" release on CD.

Can you say "disappointment?"

Now that "the Lisbon Traviata" was no longer a collector's rarity, but a commercial release, critics zeroed in on its weaknesses: the mediocre conductor and orchestra, the annoying prompter, and, above all, the dull and muffled sound. So dull and so muffled, in fact, that it was hard to tell whether Callas & Krauss were giving the performance of their lives, or whether the opera fanatics of the world were merely imagining it (as they are wont to do) through the sonic haze.

So that's when the legend might have died - had it not come out that EMI's release, like all of the best pirate versions that had been circulating for years, was, indeed, based on a mere copy of the original tape - i.e., a copy made for Alfredo Kraus, at his request, by Portuguese National Radio - and subsequently leaked by him to the public.

Which led to the obvious question: whatever happened to the original tape? and did it sound any better than the copy?

The prevailing rumor had it that the original tape was lost forever.
* * * * *

Act III:
Fast-forward to 1997: Portuguese National Public Radio faces an emergency situation: their scheduled broadcast of that year's opening night of *La Traviata* cannot go forward, because the tape is spoilt. So they send somebody into the vaults in search of a substitute, and - truth is stranger than fiction - said somebody comes up with...the original tape of *The Lisbon Traviata*.

They broadcast it. And the sound turns out to be not just a little better than the "official" release...it's a *lot* better. The orchestra and conductor are still only just acceptable, and the prompter is still an annoyance - but the voices of the principals ring out heroically, as if a scrim had been removed from between them and the listener.

Well, needless to say, pandemonium ensues. Twenty years after Callas' death, the ranks of her admirers may be thinning and aging, but they remain a force to be reckoned with in the operatic world - and, with one voice, they clamor for a public release of the new (or, rather, old) tape. Portuguese National Public Radio, though reluctant to get into the CD business, eventually yields to the pressure, arranging for a limited edition of 2000 copies, available only at a reception desk in their offices. When word gets out, buyers flock to Lisbon from the four corners of the opera world, and it sells out in a matter of days.

Alas, no sooner do they get the discs home and into their CD players, than the complaints begin: the equalization has been drastically mismanaged! Sure, the voices can be heard more clearly than on the "official" release. But the mid-range is thin, while the upper range is strident - and if there's anything Callas' voice doesn't need, it's extra stridency in her upper range. For some hyper-critical listeners, the results are a painful - even unlistenable - distortion of the voice they knew and loved. Better to stick with the dull old EMI recording, they conclude.
Sigh.

* * * * *
Scena Ultima:
And now, fast forward, once more, to 2008: the golden age of internet piracy. On a certain music-sharing site, which shall remain nameless, a certain regular poster, who shall also remain nameless, shows up with a post headed: "The CALLAS - KRAUS Lisbon 1958 TRAVIATA in best sound from a new source" - followed by a description that includes the rather mysterious words: "a private, 1st generation copy of the original tape, CORRRECTY EQ and PITCHED and don't ask me for my sources :-0." Followed by the usual Rapidshare links.

Well, yeah, sure, I said to myself: some Callas Queen has monkeyed around with the sound on one of the usual issues and is now trying to pass it off as "a private, first generation copy of the original tape, correctly equalized and pitched." But hey - why not download it and give it a listen? You never know.

* * * * *
Well, indeed - you never know. Suffice it to say that I am now a believer - both that this recording is exactly what it claims to be, and, more importantly, that "The Lisbon Traviata" fully deserves its legendary status - something that I, like so many others, very much doubted, after my first encounter with the "official" EMI release, lo these many years ago.

[link to get the Lisbon Traviata] :lol:

What you will get are four single-track .wav files, corresponding to the four obvious divisions of *La Traviata*. It's a rather unusual format - I have yet to find a program that can burn it to CD. But iTunes can play it &/or convert it just fine.

Good luck!
----

I mean, How is-it possible that the tape of a such legendary evening could be lost in so many years ...and all in a sudden it was found in such ...legendary fashion????


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## Antony (Nov 4, 2013)

[continued]

The next article is from someone who bought 1 of 2000 copies distributed by Lisbon 
----
A warm hello to the community !

Crying for a copy of the CD edition of the 1958 Lisbon Traviata from the original tapes released by RDP ? Now you can, read on !

As the lucky owner of one of the just 2.000 copies put in circulation, i offer opera lovers to download a lossless (FLAC) version of this fabulous edition.

Apart fom the soundtracks, the download also includes La Traviata Vocal and Orchestral Scoresheets in PDF format, together with a text file relating the interesting story of this fabulous edition.

But first a few words about this release

Unlike EMI's 1980 commercial release of irritatingly poor quality, this legendary CD edition of the 'Lisbon Traviata' was issued by Radio Difusao Portuguesa (RDP) in December 2000 from its original source tape, with no commercial intentions. The true glory of RDP's Lisbon Traviata remains its sound, limpid and crystalline. Though its source is monophonic, it reveals to the listener the completeness of what took place on the Sao Carlos stage on the evening of March 27th, 1958, capturing even the subtlest details of Kraus and La Divina's operatic genius.

Much has been said about the detailed web of vocal inflections in which Callas created her characters. Her Violetta breathes through the subtle embroidery of vocal colours. One only needs to listen to the courtesan's entrance in the first act in order to witness the first sublime strokes made by the Greek soprano. A willful "lo voglio?". A skeptical smile in "Scherzate", the refined irony in "Voi, Barone, non foste altrettanto", followed by delicate dynamic contrasts in the famous "Brindisi". Thanks to the superior sound quality of RDP's Traviata, listeners can feast and be marveled by many more examples of Callas miraculous artistry. In previous releases, those same examples are muffled and obscured, seem diluted and almost disappear. To paraphrase La Divina, when comparing RDP's reissue and previous bootleg editions, the differences are dramatic as champagne and water.

At the conclusion of the recording, a bonus track reveals a message from Maria Callas dedicated to the portuguese audience in a bonus track, taped in anticipation of her performance.

Principal Roles
Maria Callas - Violetta Valéry, a courtesan, soprano, 
Alfredo Kraus - Alfredo Germont, a young aristocrat, tenor, 
Mario Sereni - Giorgio Germont, Alfredo's father, baritone,
Laura Zanini - Flora Bervoix, Violetta's friend, mezzo-soprano, 
Maria Cristina De Castro - Annina, Violetta's maid, soprano, 
Piero De Palma - Gastone, Alfredo's friend, tenor, 
Alvaro Malta - Barone Douphol, Violetta's lover, baritone, 
Vito Susca - Marchese d'Obigny, bass, 
Alessandro Maddalena - Dottore Grenvil, bass, 
Manuel Leitao - Commissioner, bass,

Orchestra
Orquestra Sinfónica Nacional Portuguesa (Portugal's National Symphony Orchestra)
Director : Franco Ghione

Disc 1
01. Preludio (4:19)

Acto I
02. Acto 1 - Dell'invito trascorsa è gia l'ora (5:19)
03. Acto 1 - Libiamo ne' lieti calici (3:08)
04. Acto 1 - Che è ciò (2:22)
05. Acto 1 - Un di felice, eterea (4:14)
06. Acto 1 - Ebben? che diavol fate? (3:04)
07. Acto 1 - È strano! è strano! (4:33)
08. Acto 1 - Follie! Follie! Delirio vano è questo (5:55)

Acto II (1° cena)
09. Acto 2 - Lunge da lei per me non v'ha diletto (1:55)
10. Acto 2 - De' miei bollenti spiriti (3:42)
11. Acto 2 - Alfredo? (0:48)
12. Acto 2 - Madamigella Valéry? (3:04)
13. Acto 2 - Pura siccome un angelo (1:28)
14. Acto 2 - Ah! comprendo (5:54)
15. Acto 2 - Ah! Dite alla giovine si bella e pura (5:49)
16. Acto 2 - Morrò! (4:26)
17. Acto 2 - Dammi tu forza, o cielo! (6:13)
18. Acto 2 - Di Provenza il mar, il suol (5:54)
Total time : 01:12:06

Disc 2
Acto II (2° cena)
01. Acto 2 - Avrem lieta di maschere la notte (7:12)
02. Acto 2 - Alfredo! Voi! (4:30)
03. Acto 2 - Invitato a qui seguirmi (4:12)
04. Acto 2 - Di sprezzo degno sè stesso rende (1:59)
05. Acto 2 - Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo core (4:54)

Acto III
06. Acto 3 - Prelúdio (3:56)
07. Acto 3 - Annina? (4:52)
08. Acto 3 - 'Teneste la promessa...' Addio del passato... (5:31)
09. Acto 3 - Largo al quadrupede (0:32)
10. Acto 3 - Signora... Che t'accadde (1:48)
11. Acto 3 - Parigi, o cara (6:22)
12. Acto 3 - Ah! Gran Dio! (1:48)
13. Acto 3 - Ah Violetta! (7:40)
14. Sem som (silent track) (3:00)

Bonus
15. Maria Callas - Mensagem ao público português (message to the public)
Total time : 01:12:06
--------------------------------

Now to the best part of this post:
...... [ link to the tapes (3 tapes)]

----

I found the story amazing ...like La Divina herself


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

^^^ The latest Myto Lisbon Traviata CD claims to have been sourced from original broadcast tapes, who knows for sure but it sounds pretty good now. For Alfredo Kraus fans even more valuable performance.

Famous singers or producers sometimes have private tapes of performances stashed away being discovered only after their death, even regular citizens recording FM broadcasts 1950-60s on reel to reel tape machines at home have turned up, all great sources for very good sounding historic CD releases









I just love some of these Myto cover photos, what a dazzling pix of our darling Maria


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

the above article makes entertaining reading, but is inaccurate on some points and I'm sure RES would be able to shed more light on sources, recording quality, and who has the best sound.

For all its legendary status, possibly aided by Terrence McNally's play *The Lisbon Traviata*, I still find the Covent Garden performance from later the same year more satisfactory, if only because it has better surroundings. The orchestra and conductor are much better, and the supporting cast (Cesare Valletti and Mario Zanasi) at least as good as their counterparts in Lisbon, indeed Zanasi is one of the best Germonts Callas ever appeared with. The prompter doesn't get in the way, and the sound is generally better, though, seeing as it was a BBC Third Programme broadcast, I assume there must be an even better copy around somewhere.

In such surroundings, Callas is inspired to give one of her very greatest performances, alive to every conflicting emotion in Violetta's heart. I can only imagine what it must have been like to _see_ this performance live. Even just heard, it is absolutely shattering.

There are some inaccuracies too, regarding Callas and recording *La Traviata*. It is true her contract with Cetra stipulated that she had to wait some time before re-recording the role, but only five years, meaning she could have recorded it in 1958. It is true she was furious with Serafin for accepting the assignment, and he is notably absent from her recording schedule in 1956, but not, as far as I am aware with Di Stefano and Gobbi, whom she did record with the following year. Maybe she should have reserved her invective for Walter Legge. It was he who decided that Columbia, as it was then, needed a *Traviata* in its catalogue and he decided they couldn't wait. In the event the Stella recording didn't sell, and wasn't ever even reissued by EMI, though Testament did release it a few years ago. If Legge had waited to re-record the opera in 1958, when Callas was singing those stunning Violettas in Lisbon and London, then they would no doubt have had the best selling studio *La Traviata* of all time, Bad call, Walter.

Also, as far as I'm aware, Callas was still considering recording *La Traviata* even as late as 1969, when, let's be honest, it would have been way beyond her. Domingo was mooted as the tenor. Callas, it would seem, never gave up dreams of singing the role again.


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## Diminuendo (May 5, 2015)

And Domingo said that his only regret was that he couldn't sing with Callas. It would have been so great if Callas had been in the studio recording with Di Stefano and Gobbi. We do get Di Stefano in a few live versions, but no Gobbi. It would have been so amazing.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Ah, so now I have listened to the Lisbon Traviata again, and have no idea what I missed the first time, but I loved it. Maybe even more than the covent garden version. Although you do end up wanting to kill that prompter xD


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Hmm, well I had a little listen to some selections from the covent garden Traviata and yeah, I still love that one more. Anyway, I thought I'd weigh up the positives and negatives of each recording if anyone who happens to be reading this is wondering which to buy.

Covent Garden Traviata:

Good sound
Callas's "A quell'amor" from a fors'è lui is literally one of the most beautiful things ever
The high C's at the end of sempre libera are all coloured in a different way which I find really beautiful
You can hear Callas warming up in the prelude, which is a nice feature
No prompter! What a bonus!
Addio del passato not as good as the Lisbon one
Supporting cast is very good, although Kraus is, to me, a small amount better than Valletti

Lisbon Traviata

Good sound and clearer than the Covent Garden one but the voice sounds harsher here
Prompter! This. Is. Annoying.
Wonderful addio del passato
Not a great orchestra


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## Jeffrey Smith (Jan 2, 2016)

DarkAngel said:


> ^^^ The latest Myto Lisbon Traviata CD claims to have been sourced from original broadcast tapes, who knows for sure but it sounds pretty good now. For Alfredo Kraus fans even more valuable performance.
> 
> Famous singers or producers sometimes have private tapes of performances stashed away being discovered only after their death, even regular citizens recording FM broadcasts 1950-60s on reel to reel tape machines at home have turned up, all great sources for very good sounding historic CD releases
> 
> ...


Someone with whom I went to college taped every MET Saturday broadcast off the air on reel to reel. I haven't had contact with him since we graduated in 1980, so I don't know how long he kept it up or what the present status of those tapes might be. But if he kept it up, that would be an immense archive.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Darkangel, thanks so much for your reference of the live recitals! I just listened to the MYTO remastering of her Paris concert, with the whole of the second act of Tosca! It was brilliant! If only there were the other two acts!

I have to say, the sound quality it obviously not great, but wow, that vissi d'arte was fantastic, she absolutely deserved the minute of rapturuous applause afterwards. Not only this, but the preformance was taped so there is a video of it as well


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Burroughs said:


> Darkangel, thanks so much for your reference of the live recitals! I just listened to the MYTO remastering of her Paris concert, with the whole of the second act of Tosca! It was brilliant! If only there were the other two acts!
> 
> I have to say, the sound quality it obviously not great, but wow, that vissi d'arte was fantastic, she absolutely deserved the minute of rapturuous applause afterwards. Not only this, but the preformance was taped so there is a video of it as well


I have the DVD. The Act II of *Tosca* is a bit weird, because bits are missing, so they slow down the action at times to fill out the music, all of which is there. Vocally she is in better shape than she was at Covent Garden, but I still prefer the Covent Garden performance, because that was during the run of the Zeffirelli production, a production mounted for her and Gobbi; the result of long rehearsal and preparation, whereas the Paris performance was pretty much just thrown together. Gobbi remembers that the one rehearsal they got was pretty chaotic with nobody apparently in charge, whereupon Callas designated him as director and told everyone to take their orders from him. It's remarkable it turned out as well as it did really.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

GregMitchell said:


> I have the DVD. The Act II of *Tosca* is a bit weird, because bits are missing, so they slow down the action at times to fill out the music, all of which is there. Vocally she is in better shape than she was at Covent Garden, but I still prefer the Covent Garden performance, because that was during the run of the Zeffirelli production, a production mounted for her and Gobbi; the result of long rehearsal and preparation, whereas the Paris performance was pretty much just thrown together. Gobbi remembers that the one rehearsal they got was pretty chaotic with nobody apparently in charge, whereupon Callas designated him as director and told everyone to take their orders from him. It's remarkable it turned out as well as it did really.


Ah that's interesting, some parts are not as good as the covent garden version certainly, but that vissi d'arte <3


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## Diminuendo (May 5, 2015)

Well who could be better than Gobbi to save the day. He certainly knew the opera inside out and he had talent to do it. This is just another reason to love Callas. She knew what had to be done and who was the most qualified to do it. You would have thought that the whole thing would have been handled better by the organizers. The chorus from hell in Casta diva for example. Callas also got the chorus on the right track. Not the most auspicious debut in France. Some thought that maybe the whole thing was arranged by Bing and Ghiringhelli.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

GregMitchell said:


> I have the DVD. The Act II of *Tosca* is a bit weird, because bits are missing, so they slow down the action at times to fill out the music, all of which is there. Vocally she is in better shape than she was at Covent Garden, but I still prefer the Covent Garden performance, because that was during the run of the Zeffirelli production, a production mounted for her and Gobbi; the result of long rehearsal and preparation, whereas the Paris performance was pretty much just thrown together. Gobbi remembers that the one rehearsal they got was pretty chaotic with nobody apparently in charge, whereupon Callas designated him as director and told everyone to take their orders from him. It's remarkable it turned out as well as it did really.


Whilst the 1953 studio Tosca is very perfection as Di Stefano was the best Cavaradossi Callas sang with (I know Corelli fans might disagree, but sometimes less is more), I have a fondness for the 1964/65 Toscas (both the 1964 run at Covent Garden and the studio recording). Whilst Callas lets out some squally shrieks in a couple of places she brings some touching new insights not heard in the 1953 recording to the role and these were captured in the first London run and the second studio recording. However, by the time of the 1965 live performances she lacked the confidence to let herself go (possibly she was worried by her technical issues). In 1958 we get neither the suave drama of 1953 nor the nuanced depths of 1964.

N.

P.S. The 1952 Mexico Tosca is another exciting Callas performance and you get to hear her and Di Stefano live in their roles. I also like Campolonghi (although he's no Gobbi, of course) and I disagree with Ardoin about him being next to useless.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

So I finally managed to get some time together to listen to Callas's Milan (1955), Lisbon (1958) and London (1958) Traviatas, back to back (sort of) and thought I'd post what I thought here, so ignore my previous and very quick positives and negatives post. xD

I'll start with the sound quality, the Milan Traviata has really poor sound quality and in some places distortion takes away from the stunning performance, however, it is still listenable, thankfully. The Covent Garden Traviata is a huge improvement, the best remastering being either the MYTO or IDIS ones. The ICA one is not pitched correctly and it seems a little murky in some places, so if you can get one of the others then do. The greatest sounds is definitely the Lisbon recording, the sound is really good for a live recording in 1958, however this does come with a downside, you can hear the prompter, this can be annoying however, in most places you'll only hear him if you are listening for him and he's not always there anyway. 

Next, the casts. Obviously in all of them we have Callas who is in each one, brilliant to a varying degree. In the first she is in much better voice, but in my opinion she lacks a little of the depth that is found in the later recordings. In London she is in her worst voice, but this is still not bad at all. Her coloratura in "sempre libera" is on good form and there is not really a disappointing moment. In the Lisbon performance there are some really brilliant moments though. For example when Alfredo asks is she is writing, she really sounds like she has been caught off-guard when she replies "si... no" and then just a couple of minutes later listen to her "amami quant'io t'amo" it is unquestionably one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever heard, in fact that entire section is brilliant until you get to the end of the "addio" and the orchestra come in and play appallingly. 

Now we have three Alfredos. Di Stefano is usually great but maybe he was having a bad day, or the role just wasn't for him, but I don't really feel his Alfredo in the 1955 performance. Valetti is certainly as very good tenor, and his singing is of good quality throughout, however I'm unsure about his opening in the act 1 duet, he seems like he almost forgets what he's singing there, but apart from that he gives a rather convincing performance. Kraus is special though. His singing is of the highest quality and his aria at the beginning of act 2 is possibly the best I have heard. Of the Giorgio Germonts Zanasi in the Covent Garden performance is by far the best, no question.

Lastly, the orchestras also need to be considered. At La Scala the orchestra plays wonderfully under Giullini, we can't hear much of the details in it, but it is very involving from start to finish. The London orchestra is not bad either, but the Lisbon orchestra is really bad in some places. As mentioned earlier... What happened at the end of "amami Alfredo"? Not only that but the woodwinds aren't particularly pleasant. Despite this we still get a nice lyrical introduction and some nice playing in some places, but this is certainly not the orchestra of choice. 

Overall my recommended performance would be the Lisbon Traviata with some splendid singing from Callas and Kraus and wonderful sound quality that definitely overshadow the not so great orchestra. Despite this all of them have their merits and I can totally understand why others would prefer the London or Milan recordings.

Hopefully this is a help for anyone looking to buy or who's just interested I guess? xD


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

^^^ Thanks for your impressions of those Callas Traviatas, I love hearing others take on these great performances. As usual there are plus and minus points for each one that make them all interesting listens.......

Keep on eye on Ebay vendor "arsvocalis" if he becomes active again after moving to new home, he has the best sound of for 55 Traviata by far (for 1st two acts), actually buy any Callas CDs you see by him all are improvements in sound and very reasonable price


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## undifelice (Mar 11, 2015)

Which recordings (live or studio) would you recommend to someone who is a recent Callas convert, and wants to branch out a bit more? This would cancel out any egregious audio captures or pesky prompters, I'm afraid


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

undifelice said:


> Which recordings (live or studio) would you recommend to someone who is a recent Callas convert, and wants to branch out a bit more? This would cancel out any egregious audio captures or pesky prompters, I'm afraid


The live Covent Garden Traviata (I know I said I prefer the Lisbon one above, but this one is the one I keep wanting to listen to for some reason, and I'm not sure how this happened but the amami alfredo in this one is the one I find heartbreaking, not the amami alfredo in the lisbon one (I even said amami quant'io t'amo which is the second line of the lyrics... Yes, I was tired.))

The Anna Bolena from 1957

The Norma from 1955

The studio Trovatore & Madama Butterfly


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## undifelice (Mar 11, 2015)

Burroughs said:


> The live Covent Garden Traviata (I know I said I prefer the Lisbon one above, but this one is the one I keep wanting to listen to for some reason, and I'm not sure how this happened but the amami alfredo in this one is the one I find heartbreaking, not the amami alfredo in the lisbon one (I even said amami quant'io t'amo which is the second line of the lyrics... Yes, I was tired.))
> 
> The Anna Bolena from 1957
> 
> ...


Noted, thank you very much


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

undifelice said:


> Which recordings (*live or studio*) would you recommend to someone who is a recent Callas convert, and wants to branch out a bit more? This would cancel out any egregious audio captures or pesky prompters, I'm afraid


The price is so cheap now for the new studio boxset, currently $186 Amazon prime if you have any interest at all in Maria just take the plunge and go all the way, individual operas are $17-19 so it adds up fast (we can keep it a secret here)


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## undifelice (Mar 11, 2015)

DarkAngel said:


> The price is so cheap now for the new studio boxset, currently $186 Amazon prime if you have any interest at all in Maria just take the plunge and go all the way, individual operas are $17-19 so it adds up fast (we can keep it a secret here)


I'm so incredibly tempted


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Burroughs said:


> The live Covent Garden Traviata (I know I said I prefer the Lisbon one above, but this one is the one I keep wanting to listen to for some reason, and I'm not sure how this happened but the amami alfredo in this one is the one I find heartbreaking, not the amami alfredo in the lisbon one (I even said amami quant'io t'amo which is the second line of the lyrics... Yes, I was tired.))
> 
> The Anna Bolena from 1957
> 
> ...


I agree with you about that Covent Garden *La Traviata*. There are times when one feels a performance really catches fire for one reason or another, and this is definitely one of those times. As a totality, I still find it the best of all her Traviatas, though I wouldn't want to be without Cetra studio '53, La Scala '55 and Lisbon '58.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

undifelice said:


> I'm so incredibly tempted


Just do it! You will never regret it.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

*


GregMitchell said:



Just do it! You will never regret it.

Click to expand...

*









. . . or even exhaust superlatives on it.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

*


GregMitchell said:



I agree with you about that Covent Garden La Traviata. There are times when one feels a performance really catches fire for one reason or another, and this is definitely one of those times. As a totality, I still find it the best of all her Traviatas, though I wouldn't want to be without Cetra studio '53, La Scala '55 and Lisbon '58.

Click to expand...

*









Tell it to the mountain again, 'Retha.

Absolutely.

No two Callas performances are alike, certainly; and the subtleties that she brings to the table of the Covent Garden just slay me on the most sublime emotional level.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

Go for it. If you price shop amongst presto, arkiv, amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.co.uk and amazon.de you can often find one that has it for significantly cheaper than the others (I got mine from UK); if you track them for a while you can catch a sudden unexplained dip in the price and seize the day. Amazon.de is a little risky since their recent packaging has been abysmal to be charitable, and the beautiful box may get damaged, but I've had zero problems with .ca and .co.uk for these big boxes.

My pick for live Traviata is the 1955 Giulini La Scala from arsvocalis on eBay.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

I just realised what an important year 1955 was for Maria, with definative recordings and preformances of Lucia di Lamermoor, Norma, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, Aida and La Sonnambula :3

1958 was quite a good year as well with the Lisbon & CG Traviatas and the Medea and that beautiful debut concert in Paris ;D

and look at this lovely picture from.. idk when


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## Jeffrey Smith (Jan 2, 2016)

Finished a first listen to this tonight, and have one question.








Some of the sound in these performances is rather horrible. The London recordings in particular seem to be victims of the "awful microphone placement" syndrome. Has Myto, Divina, or anyone else ever released versions with better audio?


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Jeffrey Smith said:


> Finished a first listen to this tonight, and have one question.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi Jeffrey,
Some of the source material IS horrible. A label called "Gala" once had the best-sounding transfers of the live concerts, most of them in good sound. They can still be found on Amazon occasionally. The Italian Martini-Rossi concerts have been issued on a two-CD set called "The RAI Recitals 1949-1956," (GL 100.515), the bulk of which was once issued on a BJR LP set called "Maria Callas - Soprano Assoluta." The BJR set (BJR 143-2) is available *free* downloadable from divinarecords.com in the Museum section. 







Other live material is still available on the Gala label: The 1957 Athens Concert (GL 316), The 1957 Dallas Rehearsal (GL 323), Debut in Paris (GL 324), Hamburg 1959 (GL 325), Hamburg 1962 (GL 322).
Other material is available on other labels, not as cheaply: The 1958 Los Angeles Concert (VAI 1182), 1963 Stuttgart & Berlin Concerts (Eklipse EKR-P13). Others, London 1962, Amsterdam 1959 are available elsewhere. EMI/Warner may have them all compiled in one place, a decided advantage, but I can't vouch for the sound, which may have been tampered with to minimize noise, hiss, etc. the Gala ones being issued with the least intervention.
I should also point you to articles by Robert Seletsky, who discusses CD reissues and sound quality of both studio and live recordings, though the articles are now 10 years old. See divinarecords.com


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

DarkAngel said:


> New Warner studio boxset also includes all the studio recitals, *but not the live recitals*. These can now be purchased in one boxset at cheap price.......I suspect you have this already but just in case


Hey DA. Do you know if this is going to be included in the live box set that's coming out in a couple weeks? All I can find is that it will include Blue Rays of some recitals. I'd appreciate any incite you can give! Thanks.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

gellio said:


> Hey DA. Do you know if this is going to be included in the live box set that's coming out in a couple weeks? All I can find is that it will include Blue Rays of some recitals. I'd appreciate any incite you can give! Thanks.


No live CD recitals in new live opera CD boxset other than blu ray video of a few famous ones, so you need both the live recitals 10 CD set and (Sept 15 release) live opera boxset......








plus









Just to be confusing Warner does include the studio CD recitals in with studio opera boxset 

Marschie you are not forgotten.......


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Depending on recording quality, could be a real treat for both Callas and Verdi fans.








Web page for it.

Or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0169B4Q76/


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Fritz Kobus said:


> Depending on recording quality, could be a real treat for both Callas and Verdi fans.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Any idea which label it is on? It's unlikely to be better than Warner/Myto/Ars Vocalis versions of those operas, but it would help to know the label.

N.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

The Conte said:


> Any idea which label it is on? It's unlikely to be better than Warner/Myto/Ars Vocalis versions of those operas, but it would help to know the label.
> 
> N.


Neither linked site says the label. Very strange.


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## brunumb (Dec 8, 2017)

The Conte said:


> Any idea which label it is on? It's unlikely to be better than Warner/Myto/Ars Vocalis versions of those operas, but it would help to know the label.
> 
> N.


The web page link indicates that it is the Documents label.

Here it is at Presto Classical:
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8080601--maria-callas-the-complete-verdi-operas


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

brunumb said:


> The web page link indicates that it is the Documents label.
> 
> Here it is at Presto Classical:
> https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8080601--maria-callas-the-complete-verdi-operas


Thank you, that's what I thought it might be. Documents are rarely the best sounding release of a particular recording, therefore I I'll resist the temptation to buy.

N.


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