# Help me give my Maria Callas lecture



## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

I'm a member of a quasi-intellectual dining/discussion group and it'll soon be my turn in the hot-seat where I'm expected to deliver an hour on the subject of my choosing with a lead in to group discussion after the lunch. Previously I've done _Wagner, in the words of others_, _Logical Fallacies, how to spot them_, and _The Future_.

They've all gone down pretty well, but the club members wantme to do another music topic -perhaps so they can snooze during the excerpts. (Kidding of course!) Initially I planned to do _Berlioz, his life and 19th century France_, but after listening to an opera with Maria Callas today, I'm now inclined to make her my topic.

Here's where you can help:

I need a few arias/excerpts that encapsulate her art. Whilst it's easy choose something like Vissi d'arte I'm also looking for a live recording which has palpable excitement and an audience reaction.

Although I could simply run through her bio, I like to have a secondary theme, which may lead to a better discussion, i.e the tortured artist, what is great art etc.

Any thoughts, suggestions and encouragements welcome.


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## BaritoneAssoluto (Jun 6, 2016)

Don Fatale said:


> I'm a member of a quasi-intellectual dining/discussion group and it'll soon be my turn in the hot-seat where I'm expected to deliver an hour on the subject of my choosing with a lead in to group discussion after the lunch. Previously I've done _Wagner, in the words of others_, _Logical Fallacies, how to spot them_, and _The Future_.
> 
> They've all gone down pretty well, but the club members wantme to do another music topic -perhaps so they can snooze during the excerpts. (Kidding of course!) Initially I planned to do _Berlioz, his life and 19th century France_, but after listening to an opera with Maria Callas today, I'm now inclined to make her my topic.
> 
> ...


"Tu che invoco" from her 1959 concert in Hambug




 - Part 1




 - Part 2

"Casta Diva" from her 1957 concert in Rome





If you must use a Tosca, the 1964 live production at Covent Garden or her 1956 live production on the Ed Sullivan show.
Here's Maria Callas showing her fiery temperment as the evil and sinister, Lady Macbeth London:





Here's another great video from her singing Rossinis' Armida. One of the hardest Soprano arias for one to master, "D'amore al dolce impero," from a San Remo 1954 recital. Only the picture and the sound is there:






Here's one of the rarest ventures to Mozart she did, singing Constanze's aria "Martern Aller Arten," in italian as "Tutte le Torture" from the abudction of sergilio:






And finally a recital from Early Callas:





"Il dulce Suono"




Anymore help please don't hesitate to PM about it. Maria Callas is a subject I love talking about regardless if it's her prime or her 70's comeback tour, I'm down.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

It's great to see so much live performance suggested above. If you want something that sums up her art in a nutshell and shows audience reaction I would suggest the recit before the finale from act 2 of the live 1955 La Scala Norma. There is a burst of spontaneous applause after the line "Son io". One line, two words, a wealth of meaning in Callas' delivery of them. This moment almost sums up what she brought to opera. I would give those listening to the talk a translation of the text of the whole recit and a summary of the plot up to that point.

N.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

The Conte said:


> It's great to see so much live performance suggested above. If you want something that sums up her art in a nutshell and shows audience reaction I would suggest the recit before the finale from act 2 of the live 1955 La Scala Norma. There is a burst of spontaneous applause after the line "Son io". One line, two words, a wealth of meaning in Callas' delivery of them. This moment almost sums up what she brought to opera. I would give those listening to the talk a translation of the text of the whole recit and a summary of the plot up to that point.
> 
> N.


Thanks, sounds idea. Will check it out.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

This is one of my two speeches I've done on Callas. You might find it helpful.... or give me a negative review;-)


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Seattleoperafan said:


> This is one of my two speeches I've done on Callas. You might find it helpful.... or give me a negative review;-)


Enjoyed your video, and will certainly take something from it ;-).

I'm still looking for my way in to 'great art, great artists, what does it all mean?' I guess I'm thinking about the human condition and the way that our appreciation of great art enables us to access our greater selves. Dunno, still thinking aloud on this one.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

The 1951 live La traviata in Mexico City sounds like it's exactly what you're looking for. If I have this right (and I'm sure the Callas aficionados will correct me, since I'm away from my discs), this is the one where in 'Sempre libera' she flawlessly handles a ton of high C's then at the climax interpolates a high E-flat and the crowd goes _absolutely berserk_. The sound is not the best--okay, terrible--but it gets the point across.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

You should use the Paris vissi d'arte, after she finished the aria she drops down onto her knees as the audience goes completely mad


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