# New Callas Armida Remastering 1952 by Warner Classics



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I'm curious what others think of this new remastering of one of the most spectacular performances ever recorded. The sound quality on this live recording has always been just bearable, but i think this new remastering brings out Callas' voice more. This was made at her true vocal peak before the weight loss and subsequent vocal problems. The high notes are almost frighteningly enormous and very secure! Think Mexico Aida during the Triumphal Scene, where she drowned out the orchestra and chorus.
There are other clips on Youtube if interested from this remastering if you are tempted to buy.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

Armida review by The Conte
Armida review by MAS

I can't find DarkAngel's review. Please ask in the main Maria Callas thread. Have a nice day and Merry Holidays.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

> .
> 
> *Armida is puzzling, sometimes sounding well, other times less well. In general, to my ears, the Divina Records issue is superior to the Warner in that both the voices and orchestra have a clarity that the Warner lacks, due to the application of noise reduction or hiss suppression that slightly muffles the sound. The Divina also has more ambiance (the hall sound) in certain spots (like the Rinaldo/Armida Act II duet dove son io, as well as more stage noises, which Warner removes. Six of one...
> As for those twelve minutes...I confess that the first time I heard those voices, it freaked me out, but it's nice to have the extra music. One can easily skip it, though, if that's what one prefers *





> *
> The Warner and Divina are very close in terms of quality. The biggest difference between the two is that Warner felt that the 12 minutes with a man's voice from a previous recording on the tape are 'unusable'. Whereas Divina gives the listener the choice of whether they want to listen to those tracks or not. This gives Divina the lead as far as I am concerned.
> 
> However, when it comes to the sound quality, the voices and orchestra are more clearly heard on the Warner due to removal of a large amount of surface and background noise. DA has mentioned that in fast passages the notes Callas sings slightly blur together on Warner, whereas I would describe it as since one is able to hear the vocal line without the fugg on Warner, Callas' prodigious legato is heard all the more clearly. The best way to describe the improvement in sound where Warner have used good sources is that it is like a veil of fog that has been lifted back allowing us to hear the recording more clearly. This means that defects and background noise are more audible, but so are the voices. Some other labels focus on the voices without getting rid of the aural fog, Warner clear the fog away and let the voices blend into the orchestra. The problem is that Warner haven't always used good sources. Fortunately whatever they used for their Armida was good, possibly better than Divina's.
> ...


MAS, Conte, RES, myself and others did a quick comparison of entire new live Callas boxset to existing best sound quality releases a few months ago in "New Maria Callas Boxset" thread.......

The new french remastered live Warner boxset issues are better than previous EMI live releases (faint praise) but MAS and I felt none were better than current Divina or Ars Vocalis (ebay) versions and Conte had mixed results sometimes liking the new warner live release better


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Thank you guys. I was scared of going to the Callas thread as it is like a vortex. This is one of my very favorite arias/ preferred artist combo.


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2017)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Thank you guys. I was scared of going to the Callas thread as it is like a vortex. This is one of my very favorite arias/ preferred artist combo.


You no longer need to be scared of going to any of the Callas threads... I have it on good authority that they have a Callas-loving 22 year old Canadian hockey playing punk there who is pretty good with his fists and who is always the first to rush to the aid of his teammates when they are threatened... He uses a bright yellow winking emoticon as his avatar but would love to be able to find a bright yellow winking emoticon that is wearing that very stylish hat that Maria Callas is wearing in that really quite lovely photo that DarkAngel uses as his avatar...Just PM "Nudge and a Wink" if any one hassles you, eh?


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Nudge and a Wink said:


> You no longer need to be scared of going to any of the Callas threads... I have it on good authority that they have a Callas-loving 22 year old Canadian hockey playing punk there who is pretty good with his fists and who is always the first to rush to the aid of his teammates when they are threatened... Just PM "Nudge and a Wink" if any one hassles you, eh?


I have no interest in Callas but seeing you had posted I just un ignored you .. hmmmm you are slipping.


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## Rossiniano (Jul 28, 2017)

Nudge and a Wink said:


> You no longer need to be scared of going to any of the Callas threads... I have it on good authority that they have a Callas-loving 22 year old Canadian hockey playing punk there who is pretty good with his fists and who is always the first to rush to the aid of his teammates when they are threatened... He uses a bright yellow winking emoticon as his avatar but would love to be able to find a bright yellow winking emoticon that is wearing that very stylish hat that Maria Callas is wearing in that really quite lovely photo that DarkAngel uses as his avatar...Just PM "Nudge and a Wink" if any one hassles you, eh?


Yes, hats were all the rage back then! Plus, the possibilities were endless! Either one of the following would look good on that yellow avatar. Not sure if the hockey punk would go for some of the more flowery styles, but since you are "good with your fists" it might not matter!


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## Guest (Dec 19, 2017)

Rossiniano said:


> Yes, hats were all the rage back then! Plus, the possibilities were endless! Either one of the following would look good on that yellow avatar. Not sure if the hockey punk would go for some of the more flowery styles, but since you are "good with your fists" it might not matter!


:lol:... Love the hats! - my compliments on a job well done... very very tasteful...subtle yet striking!

My personal favourite is still the very stylish hat that Maria Callas is wearing on that really quite lovely photo that DA uses as his avatar and so I must defer to him out of profound respect and thus choose a different hat...

However...the very minute he changes his avatar I'm snatching it right up and trust me, he will _never_ get that hat back!

My next favourite and one that I'm beginning to fancy even more than DA's is the one I've included in my reply...Everything about it is just perfect from the very stylish hat to the lovely yet oddly haunting expression on her face to the positioning of the hand...I've changed my mind... I want this photo for my avatar but I must find a way to superimpose my bright yellow winking avatar onto the photo...

And don't worry about anything being too "flowery"... I'm secure enough in my masculinity to not be afraid to express more feminine emotions and to occasionally wear "flowery" hats... but seeing as I am indeed a 22 year old Canadian hockey playing punk I hope that you won't be offended if I decline to wear said hat while actually playing hockey for two very solid reasons 1.) while lovely it doesn't seem to offer enough protection for one's melon (Canadian slang for "head") and 2.) while "pretty good with my fists" I'm not entirely certain that I'm _that_ "good"...I mean, yeah, I can pretty much beat every member of the forum like a drum without even breaking a sweat but this is one B.C. boy who would not want to set skate (foot) on any barn (Canadian slang for "rink") in Ontario or Quebec sporting that hat however lovely it may be...If at all possible I would like to become a *23* year old Canadian hockey playing punk who's pretty good with his fists next year...

Someone somewhere in this forum will no doubt provide me with an avatar that incorporates this photo and my avatar if only to get me to stop incessantly whining about it and bringing it up in every second post that I write...

As always, I extend my best wishes - and thanks for the time and effort you took on behalf of my avatar... NW


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## Rossiniano (Jul 28, 2017)

Nudge and a Wink said:


> :lol:... Love the hats! - my compliments on a job well done... very very tasteful...subtle yet striking!
> 
> My personal favourite is still the very stylish hat that Maria Callas is wearing on that really quite lovely photo that DA uses as his avatar and so I must defer to him out of profound respect and thus choose a different hat..
> 
> My next favourite and one that I'm beginning to fancy even more than DA's is the one I've included in my reply...Everything about it is just perfect from the very stylish hat to the lovely yet oddly haunting expression on her face to the positioning of the hand...I've changed my mind... I want this photo for my avatar but I must find a way to superimpose my bright yellow winking avatar onto the photo...


As you say DA's hat still takes the prize! However, regarding the runners up I believe in saving the best for the last and that's why I positioned the photo that you chose at the end of my post. There is indeed something special regarding the expression on her face and even the placement of her hand. So great minds think alike, well at least what's left of my mind!!!


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