Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
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Free Music Notes for Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Free Music Review: Callas is a magnificent Tosca
Hit: 5 Stars
I agree that this "Tosca" is great. Callas is in magnificent vocal form and electrifying dramatic form. However, I am offended by all the positive reviews of Callas recordings that constantly bring up Maria Malibran and Giuditta Pasta in order to put Callas in a good light. Malibran and Pasta weren't even sopranos; they were pushed up mezzos. Also, many critics who saw them in performance said their voices were far from faultless and to make up for their vocal shortcomings, they became great singing actresses. That's what Callas did also. The two reviewers who write such reviews, one Greek and one German, believe that Callas, Pasta, and Malibran were the three greatest female opera singers in the history of opera. Also, all this talk of a soprano having to sing Norma, Brünnhilde, Lady Macbeth, Lucia, Elvira, and every other type of role written for a soprano in order to be considered truly great is nonsense. Each soprano is different and there is no one soprano with the sufficient vocal equipment to tackle each type of role ever written for the soprano voice. To do so would be vocal suicide.Also, it must be noted that both Sills and Sutherland had better florid techniques than Callas had. If you listen to Sills' and Sutherland's coloratura, you will be easily dazzled. With Callas' coloratura, you will not be. Also, both Sills and Sutherland had much more consistent trills than Callas had. Both sopranos could sing very good trills throughout their careers. With Callas, the trill was either hit (very good), mediocre, or miss (very bad).
Free Music Review: I agree with the former reviewer
Hit: 5 Stars
But to explain why most of the Callas-bashing that has been done recently is gone: Many Callas-Fans, including myself, phoned Amazon and wrote to them to have the bashing deleted. What was written there was atrocious. Callas was called a "fad", "sterile", "evil" and many more terrible names. I never bashed Beverly Sills, just read my latest review on her Manon. I DETEST bashing of any kind and have thus far reviewed only what I loved, well, 99.99% of it I loved. It is my belief that bashing Maria Callas or Renee Fleming (Her Bel Canto CD, while may not being perfect, is abused constantly) is as horrible as bashing Sills. Some fans it seems were absolutely fed up. I believe Amazon deleted the Callas-bashing about ten times now. I was saddened by what happened on the Sills-pages and I URGE those who wrote the one-star reviews (Very much in the style of the Callas-Basher) to edit their reviews up to three stars at least. This plea goes to the Callas-Basher too. So, if you're still reading this, please lets have peace.Free Music Review: I don't understand....
Hit: 5 Stars
I'll say right up front that I am in the Sills camp (BUT I have NEVER participated in this bashing nonsense of late). and I am absolutely confused as to why you Callas fans (or one of you anyway) are starting up this diva war all over again! The war was over almost an entire year ago! Why are you breaking the peace? I DO NOT see any bashing going on in Callas recordings that come from a Sills fan, so why do you go to Sills' recordings and do your evil, hurtful, human-detesting, God-defying bashing there??? I just don't understand. I'll say this much more. What goes around comes around. If you are intent on hurting people like this, God will someday repay you. Yes, what you are doing is not murder or anything serious of that nature, but sin is sin in the eyes of God. You're asking for trouble, Callas fan, if you have such hatred in your heart. Heed these words.Oh, and about this recording: it's the most wondrous Tosca in the entire world. I know many have already said that, but this recording has it all. Powerful musical-drama at it's best! Maria Callas, you were truly one of a kind!
Free Music Review: Now let the real critics speak
Hit: 5 Stars
"I have always reccommended the famous 1953 EMI Tosca, when reviewing every other recording, as being one of the great performances in the history of the grammophone and I believe this is a generally accepted point of view." (Harold Rosenthal)"One marvels anew at the immense variety of vocal colouring and accent Callas brings to the title role. In her later performance (1964) she may have added even more vocal subtleties to her interpretation but by then her voice was no longer in a strong enough state to fulfil the dramatic demands of the second act which she does superbly here. Countless phrases capture the imagination and remain in the mind forever. And the whole reading strikes true, no posturing prima donna this, but a living, jealous, remorseful, romantic woman." (Alan Blyth in "Grammophone")
""Wonderful as Gobbi's and di Stefano's performances are and superbly dramatic as de Sabata's conducting is, it is the performance of the unique Callas in the title role that provides the greatest marvel. And here more than ever one registers the facial changes implied in each phrase." (Edward Greenfield)
"The greatest Tosca recording ever made!" (Michael Tanner)
In the "Grammophone Classical Good CD Guide" it is THE reccommended version, as it is in the Opera-Guides by Harenberg and countless others.
Free Music Review: I wonder...
Hit: 5 Stars
What do OT reviews like the one written by "Senza rancor" want to prove? What are they good for? Can't he just leave Callas alone? I absolutely love this beautiful recording of Tosca, I'll treasure it always.