Which Of These Two Ways of Singing ‘Tosca’ Do You Prefer?
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- čas přidán 16. 11. 2014
- Here are two performances of the aria ‘Vissi d’arte’ from Giacomo Puccini’s opera ‘Tosca’ (1900).
The first is a performance from a thirty-nine year old Renata Tebaldi in 1962, and the second from Maria Callas at 41 in 1964.
The greatness of Tebaldi was the extraordinary beauty of her voice - Montserrat Caballé has said it was ‘the most perfect human voice we ever heard’.
Music critic Anthony Tommasini evaluated the Tebaldi voice, saying “Cooler heads could fault her for what often seemed incomplete technique, some strident full-voiced top notes when the vocal line took her above high B-flat, and occasional lapses in pitch. But most opera buffs and critics found it impossible to have a cool head when listening to Renata Tebaldi. She beguiled listeners with the sheer plummy richness of her voice, the melting legato phrases, the deeply expressive yet never maudlin emotional quality of her singing, the unearthly beauty of her floated pianissimo high notes and the temperament she could summon in moments of dramatic intensity.”
In contrast, the contribution of Maria Callas to modern day performance of opera was bringing the character vividly alive on stage through the singing.
The cultural commentator Matthew Gurewitsch said "Most mysterious among her many gifts, Callas had the genius to translate the minute particulars of a life into tone of voice.”
And vocal coach and music critic Ira Siff suggested "Callas was not, however, a realistic or verismo style actress: her physical acting was merely subsidiary to the heavy Kunst of developing the psychology of the roles under the supervision of the music, of singing the acting. Suffering, delight, humility, hubris, despair, rhapsody - all this was musically appointed, through her use of the voice flying the text upon the notes”.
Not just acting realistically on stage but more acting through the music and musical choices.
Sadly I had the opportunity to see/hear these two great sopranos only the one time each - curiously both occasions were in London in 1973. Tebaldi gave a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and Callas the (disastrous) joint recital at the Royal Festival Hall with Giuseppe Di Stefano.
So are there two alternative equally to be valued ways approaching performance on stage, or is see one approach superior?
Enjoy and comment! - Krátké a kreslené filmy
I love both Callas & Tebaldi...
Tebaldi ... glorious voice... and yet she is still Tebaldi...
But, when Callas sings... She is Tosca....
Hanz Musik : in my view, your comment is the best summary of the situation
Spot on!
Exactly! Opera is a performance through music - and that is exactly what Maria Callas always was.
I totally agree: Tibaldi's sound was glorious, rich, fluid, warm...but only a shade of Callas's emotion and capacity to become the character. Tebaldi stands and produces that amazing sound as though giving a lesson in quality and beauty (much like Pavarotti did, I feel)...but Ms. Callas captivates, moves and inspires the listener to a grandiosity few have achieved. I am honestly not a fan of Callas's voice; finding it often harsh, metallic...but she is a unique talent that rises above convention and even expectations - a rare spectacle that becomes legend and unforgettable.
NLH 1812 I agree 100%!
We were so blessed to have both.
Yes, why would you choose? You can have both for very different reasons.
Larry Verdugo j
@@unabarry5496 The answer to your question is given in Mr. Axel Hawkin's comment which finds me absolutely agreed to his thought.
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Callas, the very definition of the singing actress and the embodiment of what it means to BE the character. Just a few seconds into her aria and I'm already tearing up. It is catharsis, it is visceral from the soul. Grazie La Divina!
The strength, beauty, power, passion, pathos, and tenderness of Maria Callas performance is the fullest and best expression of the role. She becomes Tosca.
I love them both for different reasons. Why do we have to choose?
Hahaha we don't!!!
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Because thats the question being asked, is it not??
Tebaldi sings this beautifully. Callas becomes Tosca, the passionate, jealous woman who kills a man so she can be free to join her lover. When Callas sings to God about her plight, it is wrenching. We have all been there, have we not? Others may have more beautiful voices but I will almost always choose to hear Callas sing whenever I have the opportunity.
hi Penthesilea. i totally agree - beautiful singing as opposed to intensely being. while i have wondered at the beautiful voice (i was amazed by Sutherland's 'Lucia' - i saw it eight times in 1972 or 3 at CG) it does not satisfy at a deeper level for me, as does Callas. i saw/heard her only once live - sadly at the come-back concert in London in 1973.
Penthesilea f
Well yes, Callas is more dramatic... as a matter of fact his life was just like Tosca... but Tebaldy has, for me, more beautifull voice. Impossible to choose for me
I liked Tebaldi.
She killed a man who was trying to rape her, dude.
Callas, always Callas, the passion, the heartache are all there... In her face, and especially in her voice...
yes, your don't hear the singing in a way - all you are aware of the the direct communication of emotion.
BrunoACFernandes While there may be other voices that I prefer due to their timbre or musical quality, no one tops Callas as the greatest operatic actress of all time!
But surely you have to see film of her singing to get ‘the full effect’ otherwise it’s a totally different and darker sound?
Her expressions, movement and gestures add so much to her performance and she has the most sexual way of singing I’ve ever seen. It’s astonishing.
Renata doesn't have to do anything...
@@tarotreadingbyyolla2203 and she hardly could do anything of what Maria does seemingly effortless with respect to expressive performance
Tebaldi beautiful , yet and still a voice dated in time from the 50's , La callas, acting the role, timeless. genius she's all of us.
Me quedo lejos con la interpretación de Tebaldi. Callas la canta con vos tremolante le quita belleza al aria
Callas is totally surrended by Tosca here... I don't remember any other performance of any other singer more emotional than this!
i think this more than any other footage catches the great contribution of Maria Callas to opera - total commitment to fusing voice and acting in a complete expression - sadly i only saw/heard her during the disastrous comeback tour
Willian rodrigues pereira Totally agree! This version moves me to tears every single time i heard it. Love Tebaldi anyway but Tosca... is Callas!
True, but is that what its all about? Lots of people don't listen to opera for the emotional excess, they are music lovers.
@@JohnRaymondHall I'm in complete agreement
Later in that scene when she stabs Scarpia..she out acts everyone else I've heard sing the role.
Her muari dannato on my recording with
witho Gobbiis blood curdling
@@mtrmann We are all music lovers. Some of us also have passion.
Tebaldi sings with a gorgeous voice. Callas speaks to the gods.
my thoughts exactly! sadly i only heard-saw Callas twice - in the disastrous 1973-4 comeback - and Tebaldi once - but in good voice in London in 1974
Do the gods forgive her wobbling and sharp singing?
@@DavidAsset78 Sharp singing? Tebaldi can't even tell the difference with her laughable "sense of pitch" (non-existent whatsoever).
Callas IS sharp in places here. Very rare for her. Tebaldi’s pitch is unerring. I’ll never understand why some Callas fanatics must DESPISE Tebaldi. At their very greatest they are more alike than different. It’s like refusing ever to consider DaVinci because one prefers Michelangelo.
@@DavidAsset78 of course. the wobble, which was noticeable on the last top but the sharp singing???
I love both. But, while I recognize the beauty of Tebaldi's voice, she is always just Renata Tebadli. When Callas played any of her many roles, she became them fully, and their emotion was in her voice. It was not as beautiful, but it had such a quality of trueness that made it the most beautiful.
I didn't understand why Maria Callas was held in such high regard until I saw this performance...OMG...I was bawling by the end...She IS TOSCA...not singing or acting the role but inhabiting completely...SHE IS TOSCA speaking to God asking why is this happening to ME... unfortunately I am too young to have seen her live and I understand that she did not like to video her performances. How lucky for us that she did this...every time I watch it I am blown away... hard to believe that no one else can reach this level. If I were to just listen, I might prefer Tebaldi, beautiful voice, but once I have seen Callas BE Tosca...there is no comparison.
Maria Callas - La Divina
La Divina indeed!
Simply, there is Not comparison... La Divina Callas for ever
Delzor Montsalvatge si8iiii8iiiiiiiiii
Yes. Callas is la sin par.
Not everyone feels the same.
Being alive during this time period I had a chance to hear of this Tosca with Maria Callas and let me tell you something, the critics were all wrong. Her voice was stupendous: full of life, zest, and a zeal not seen since her 1955 La Scala Norma. Her voice was penetrating throughout the entire theatre and the size... Oh god, the size of that voice was voluminous and just grand. She never lost her voice nor the will to sing but she was losing her support but here in 1964, you can't really tell unless you really dissect it.
Callas all the way.
yes, i quite agree - when i see film of these late Toscas i am only aware of be the incredible vocal impact of Callas - a totally complete singer. sadly i only saw/heard her in the comeback concert in London in 1973 and the voice, as she said in interview, was 'not what is used to be.
I never had a chance to hear her live, but I knew Cesare Siepi, who sang with Callas quite frequently. He said that her voice really changed and shrank in size when she got thin, and his wife added that when she and her husband heard her at the last Met Toscas in 1965, at times, she was difficult to hear. Is that where you heard her Toscas, or was it at Covent Garden?
The beauty of their voices "made" Tebaldi, Sutherland, Caballe etc primadonne and they are admired for some reason but Callas stands out completely alone in her own category. Whatever she sung it is impossible to "just listen" to her, I always feel absorbed in the drama of her role.
yes, Callas completely embodied the character on all levels - she was the 'personaggio' - not a singer with five gestures. Sutherland was described as having GPE - one expression - 'general pained expression' - by Norman Ayton, her acting coach
Gracias por expresar tecnicamente lo que un ignorante como yo no puede, solo siento la vida en la voz de María, ella transmite absolutamente lo que es dolor, alegria, esperanza, fe, en realidad lamento no existan videos o peliculas de las presentaciones de Callas realizando Opera, nunca podré verla, sino oirla y sentirla.
@@JohnRaymondHall Sutherland diction in Italian is horrible, quite not comprehensible and diction is a must in lyric
@@iTube22100 Yes, she sacrificed diction for sound
@@JohnRaymondHall ?? It sounds much better when the diction is good. Italian is a very musical language !
Both are beautiful but Callas connects with me the most, the raw emotion...She's just so real. She just gets it. She gets the character.
Callas, Callas, Callas. The one and only. Nothing compares with her voice. Her passion. Her acting. Nothing!!!
Del Monaco was asked to compare Callas to Tebaldi. He said that Tebaldi had a most beautiful voice, but Callas has something special going on. He was right about two great sopranos
Tebaldi sings, Callas embodies. Tebaldi was a great singer with a beautiful voice applied IN every role. Callas was a performer with a voice FOR every role.
Callas for me. For all time
Eligazítás
Absolutely without a doubt, CALLAS!! She was an actress and had a gorgeous range unchalleneged to this day. To get up and sing is one thing, but to act and sing divine is unsurpassed by CALLAS.
I saw both these Divas do Tosca on stage and I can say both were sensational. They were very different artists. Each one a credit to a golden age that has, sadly, become extinct...
Sono imparagonabili. La carenza scenica di Tebaldi come si può avvicinare alla grandezza di Callas? E la voce monotona di una cn il pianto nella voce e la disperazione di Tosca dell’altra?
@@danielapaparini-jj8kw la presenza scenica sinceramente serviva a ben poco all’epoca, nei teatri si vedeva ben poco…
Tebaldi the pure voice, Callas the interpretation and the acting.
exactly!
Tebaldi is singing opera just in straight way, flat singing, but Callas feels the aria, she makes the story to alive!!!!!
Singing in straight way is not a good way of singing even in common songs.
Goosebumps through entirety of Callas performance
When Callas sings i cry...she goes for the soul.
yes, directly to the soul!
CALLAS owns this forever. She is a Supernova.
there is nothing interfering with direct expression with Callas - goes straight to the heart
@@JohnRaymondHall Even in coloratura cadenzas without words she is telling you a story, sharing her feelings, and making you feel the most diverse emotions. Her Sempre Libera is an example.
Only Victoria de los Angeles had that ability, though not to Callas' extent
I agree
Always Maria.
Tebaldi is a great soprano who sings Tosca but Maria is Tosca
that's exactly it! :)
Undoubtedly, the rendition of "Vissi d'arte" featuring Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi stands as a veritable gem within the realm of operatic artistry. Both operatic divas have bestowed upon us singular interpretations, each infused with their distinctive vocal timbre and stylistic sensibilities, which have profoundly impacted and inspired aficionados of lyrical music across the globe.
Maria Callas, with her emotionally charged voice and consummate ability to delve into the essence of characters, imbues this aria with a singularly dramatic profundity. Her rendition resonates with a palpable vulnerability, delving into the most intimate nuances of Tosca's suffering and sacrifice. Each note becomes a fully-fledged emotion, and her mode of vocal communication is indeed sui generis.
Conversely, Renata Tebaldi brings an unparalleled vocal opulence to her interpretation. Her resplendent and warmly resonant voice is suffused with a poignant melancholy that aptly befits the aria's thematic tapestry. Her mastery in crafting an enveloping melodic line, coupled with impeccable vocal control, imparts a sense of nobility and devotion to her rendition.
Both vocalists have wielded pivotal roles in the cultivation of awareness and affection for the art of operatic singing. Callas championed the notion of vocalization as more than a mere technical exhibition, elevating it to an expression replete with emotion and thespian essence. Tebaldi, in contrast, underscored the intrinsic beauty of melodic expression, rendering the experience of operatic singing more accessible to a broader audience spectrum.
Ultimately, these two extraordinary renditions of "Vissi d'arte" serve as poignant reminders that the art of operatic singing is a variegated and multifaceted domain, endowed with the capacity to resonate with the deepest recesses of the human soul through diverse channels. We are undeniably fortunate to have been granted the opportunity to partake in the auditory marvels and distinct stylistic paradigms of both Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, indisputable pillars of the operatic pantheon.
Tebaldi chante ... Callas chante et vit le personnage, non seulement musicalement, mais aussi théâtralement !!!
the first sings, the second lives it! that's the difference between a good one and an ARTIST
SEMPRE MARIA🇬🇷💙💙
i like Tebaldi....but Callas is Superb...divina forever!
my sentiments exactly - i grew up listening to Tebaldi and then was hit by Callas - the complete singer
One made me cry and the other didn't. The Callas version is the one Puccini would have preferred the most I think.
hi paulh9018
i must say Callas's performance here i find one of the most moving i have ever experienced - a dropped tears, truly.
Oh yes!! Callas was just the Tosca Puccini had in mind ....I'm certain.
Tebaldi pourrait être en récital. Les gestes sont quelque stéréotypés, la voix est puissante mais sans réelle émotion et des aigus pas toujours vraiment justes. C'est une bonne prestation mais qui ne me touche pas du tout. J'ai l'impression d'avoir la partition chant piano devant moi. Callas dès les premiers mots me fait oublier que ces mots sont des notes. Elle ne donne pas la sensation de chanter mais elle vit une souffrance devant nous : elle est bouleversante dans la diction, l'intonation, la respiration, jusqu'aux gestes simples,efficaces, qui font partie de la musique. La voix moins splendidement insolente qu'en 1953 avec de Sabata est ici expressive et envoûtante. Ceux qui ont assisté aux représentations de 64 et 65 ont eu une chance extraordinaire !
.
@@JohnRaymondHall Callas gives herself to us totally here. All the heartache and sadness in her life is here in this performance. She once said that to give good performance is not all about voice. She was right. Passion and emotion are as important in any field of music.
I don’t think Puccini is a big fan of ugly voice also she’s not even singing in the right style
Tebaldi is so noble, so powerful and wonderous...but Maria Callas ripped my heart out!
yes Callas leaves you gutted
Callas all day baby. There is pain and sorrow in her voice. This song although an Italian aria very much has a gospel feel to it the sweeping nature of it and Callas delivery if this would be bring a church to its feet.
Madame Callas, she is La Divina!
well said - exactly - i think a Greek biographer coin the term?
Well, I prefer Callas as Tosca, but Tebaldi is wonderful too. I don't agree with some people who said Tebaldi's high notes are flat, IMHO her high notes are fine and her voice has a lot of squillo. Callas is a real dramatic soprano who can sing everything from Lucia to Isolde, and Tosca is one of her signature roles and she never sounded bad.
Maria Callas absoluta La Divina la tosca .
yes, THE great singer of the C20!
Callas. Callas was an actress who sang opera. She sang from an actor's point of view. She understood intention. Her anguish is real. She was not afraid to not look pretty on stage. Tebaldi was not as committed to the intention behind this aria as she was to sounding beautiful .
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Callas is Tosca.....a real prayer....
agreed!
La Prima Donna Assoluta by far...but i do appreciate the angelic voice of Renata Tebaldi.
+nur love yes, as Meryl Streep said, the greatest artist of the C20 - and yes Tebaldi had a wonderful voice, like Joan Sutherland in a way.
As many beautiful voices, only Callas is the only one.
@@JohnRaymondHall Callas canta e interpreta y vive personaje como ninguna otra. Voz y movimientos corporales don sincronizados, lo que la hace única en el bell canto.
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I prefer Callas. She certainly deserved the title La Divina. She sang with more passion than anyone else and the frisson between formal training and technical excellence and untramelled emotion made for something wonderful. She was beyond amazing, she was sublime.
Callas! without any doubt she reached higher levels than Tebaldi, both voice and acting are superior indeed. Callas's voice can move to tears even a stone!
Piergiorgio Trillò Yes. She has me weeping now over my coffee, and I thought myself immune as I have heard her Tosca innumerable times. My God, she excuses humanity’s existence.
I have watched this video of Maria singing this aria so many times......and it makes me cry every time. I can't get over her. ❤
nor can i!
Great idea - highlights what are in effect two entirely separate traditions. Tebaldi sings and adds the acting on while Callas feels every word she sings and uses gesture to convey this. Curiously enough neither style is to be seen today. Modern directors won't allow singers to use their arms or to to be as physically expressive as Callas is here and it's unlikely Tebaldi would even be cast ! Very thought-provoking. Thanks Alex!
hi PIPZZZ02
yes, there are these two traditions people talk of a great deal - often the chat can get quite heated, particularly when the combatants believe there is just one right way.
i liked how vocal coach and music critic Ira Siff (www.irasiff.com/ira_siff/Home.html) distinguished between acting and acting through the singing - the musical colouring, phrasing and so on:
"Callas was not, however, a realistic or verismo style actress: her physical acting was merely subsidiary to the heavy Kunst of developing the psychology of the roles under the supervision of the music, of singing the acting. Suffering, delight, humility, hubris, despair, rhapsody - all this was musically appointed, through her use of the voice flying the text upon the notes”.
glad you liked this upload - it i thought-provoking as you say and i enjoyed thinking my own position through.
PIPZZZ02 I can't imagine modern directors not allowing singers to be expressive. It's not as if they, the singers, are exaggerated in movement today. Often the criticism is that they are too stiff and immobile. If you can sell the movement as well as Callas, it is to their advantage.
@@carolleenkelmann4751 I've heard singers complaining about just this- directors won't allow them to use their arms. Callas raised her arms expressively at musical climaxes- just the sort of thing modern directors won't tolerate. They think it smacks of old-fashioned 'grand opera'.
@@PIPZZZ02 Opera is a stage/ movement exaggeration. It is larger than life. I do not see any unacceptable exaggeration of Ms. Callas's movements in this video. As far as Modern-day Directors, I wouldn't give you tuppence for most of them. They are only there to promote their own careers and why the general public tolerates the rubbish that is dished up to them, sending them home soul starved is only to explain by saying that the general public is ignorant and sold by Opera Production Management as dumb otherwise they would not engage these mental Diletants and the Public is lacking in gumption! Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to throw a couple of overripe tomatoes at these Aggravations of the Soul Directors as visual compensation for what I have to endure as the viewer.
@@carolleenkelmann4751 Bravo! Bang on the money. Callas had just what opera requires - wonderful musical intelligence and fire in her veins. She FELT opera & managed to make it seem natural & spontaneous. Chuck another tomato from me!
Callas is perfection. No one could do this better before or since.
yes, never a voice more true to the music.
Did you see her do this live?
It's not the voice alone it's everything together
I hear a wobble at the top and a lot of ugly sounds.
@@linnaeusshecut3959her voice was definitely well in decline at this point, but the expressivity in her singing was unparalleled. I loved Tebaldi for the sheer beauty of her voice.
Tebaldi is very very good, but CALLAS is absolutely perfect.
I clicked the video thinking Callas is incomparable to anyone, saw the first Performance, and thought that it was terrific, clear and Perfect! For a brief moment I doubted... Then Callas opened her mouth and the sheer volume that came out of her left me breathless.. Through the song I was full of shivers.. I feel guilty of doubting even for a moment the magnificence of Maria Callas.
Maria callas is the best，she is no comparetible
Tebaldi canta bien pero no tiene la fuerza de interpretación y pasion de la Divina.
Viva Maria Callas por siempre.
Of course i admire the sheer beauty of Tebaldi´s voice but if you realize that Tosca is singing this prayer in front of an imminent rape, you can´t believe. Callas is passion and real drama, in voice and acting.
totally agree - singing is voice with acting - for me at least
Yes, indeed. Of course is the focus on a beautiful produced sound a legitimate and important intention but a singer should excite its figure to life and drama. That´s the intention of opera, no great insight.
yes, Callas is completely the 'personaggio' - who lives before us, and involves us totally in her drama of the moment!
Sir Larselot Exactly!
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CALLAS didn't sing her acting, she sang her THOUGHTS. I think they influenced each other,TEBALDI could chew the scenery also. Listen to her Gioconda, or the poker scene in Fanciulla.
hey Danny
yes she sang her ideas about living the character and the situations she was in.
i like the way vocal coach and music critic Ira Siff suggested:
"Callas was not, however, a realistic or verismo style actress: her physical acting was merely subsidiary to the heavy Kunst of developing the psychology of the roles under the supervision of the music, of singing the acting. Suffering, delight, humility, hubris, despair, rhapsody - all this was musically appointed, through her use of the voice flying the text upon the notes”.
as you/we (i think) were saying - she sings 'the psychology of the roles'.
Inspiring--Tebaldi takes the breath away, but Callas moves to tears.
that catches it perfectly!
Tebaldi's is gorgeous vocalism, one of the best performances I've ever heard from her. Callas is, however the greatest example of what opera is about: the wedding of music and drama. She, better than anyone else trod that treacherous line, beautiful vocalism combined with superb acting. In opera, when there is a dispute between the acting and the music, the. music. always. wins. ALWAYS!
Tebaldi had the beauty of the voice....but Callas feels the music by far the best actress opera has ever seen
exactly!
Callas! She has another advantage beyond voice, her EYES!! Mirroring the soul like no other artist (actresses and singers)
It's true💗
the passion and soul in callas' is by a mile better. la divina forever!
i think there is a place for both but like you my preference is for Callas for sheer vocal expressiveness.
Both singers vocally portray Tosca as a person of sincere conviction utilizing their ability to phrase and color their expressive voices. Callas does have the superior ability to convey the SITUATION her characters were in. Both have a sound I crave to hear. Fortunately, there are multiple paths to a vocally satisfying portrayal.
Callas era pura emoção! Derramava a alma em cada ária que cantava. A expressividade suplantava a técnica.
i like Renata Tibaldi's voice but thats all there is to it. When i hear Callas I feel her pain her anguish, her torment. Callas makes me feel and thats more important to me from just a great voice
yes, Tebaldi had great beauty of voice but Callas was divinely expressive
Petros Balaskas I agree
Callas, es perfecta, convincente la voz más bella al menos en este rol
Callas, e perfetta, convincente la voce moltat bella, almeno in questo ruolo
Hands down Maria Callas. Renata Tebaldi's voice is gorgeous, powerful, delicate...but Maria Callas sings with so much more emotion and power of Love. Yes, she is Tosca. When she sings this aria, I cry it's so profound.
Tebaldi's voice is crystal clear, but Callas gave me goosebumps. Callas any day.
MARIA CALLAS FOREVER!!!
MARIA, I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
me too
Tebladi as always, a beautiful tone and sound; one that pleases my ears and delights my mind. However, the second Callas opens her mouth, my heart is embellished by the torment of a singer, both as Tosca and herself. Callas' singing is one that did not just captivate lovers of operas but a nation.
Tebaldi's voice is such warmer and beautifull!
agreed - and i think Callas's more expressive
Even when she sings unhappy, tortured, demonic, mad roles?
Maria Callas! She’s even technically better in instance, beside the fact that her interpretation is superior.
I don't care what the critics say the Callas version brought me to tears. That is a voice for the ages.
The whole performance from Callas was unbeatable, Tebaldi is magnificent of course, but Callas is out of this world!
Both are superb. But somehow Maria pours feeling into the soul. She was magnificent. 👏❤️
Callas Forever...... Callas supreme Voice 😍
touchée!
Maria slays.
Bigger,stronger voice and such a passion.divine order in awe of her connection with the "más allá de las estrellas"
neil nate nebraska yes, Maria sings the lyrics directly into you - blows my socks off every time i hear her sing this aria.
Mariano is correct. At this point in her career, Maria's voice has shrunk in size and range. In her early skinny prime, Callas's voice was at least as big as Tebaldi's, and Callas regularly sang roles that were far beyond Tebaldi's more limited technique than range. But by 1964, it was only a shadow of the voice it has once been. Now pre-weight loss Callas had a voice far bigger than Tebaldi's, and she could easily sing the dramatic soprano roles that Tebaldi would not even dream of singing: Abigaile, Lady Macbeth, Turandot, Isolde, Brünnhilde, Kundry. And she also sailed through roles that Tebaldi was smart enough to not even think about: Armida, Lucia, Puritani, Norma. That being said, Tosca was a perfect fit for Tebaldi's beautiful voice, and she sang a beautiful Tosca. Callas despised the role, even though it was a perfect fit for her temperament.
I think Maria's voice is bigger than Tebaldi here.
No. Callas's frequent singing partner Cesare Siepi told me that at certain points in these Toscas, it was hard to hear Callas, as her voice had shrunk a great deal in volume and upper extension.
Callas may sing this more beautifully, but Tebaldi most definitely had a larger instrument than Callas. I've spoken with people who are old enough to have seen them both in house and have confirmed this. Although many would tell you size alone doesn't matter, because Callas could move the audience to tears with more than just the size of her voice. That's not to say that Callas had a small voice at all, hers was huge as well, but in comparison to Tebaldi in terms of size alone, Tebaldi wins.
I've always been a Callas fan, and only recently have I come to love Tebaldi, or rather Tebaldi's voice. One detail shows the difference between them: At the point these performances were recorded, neither had a great B-flat. Tebaldi cuts hers short so as not to spoil the vocal beauty; Callas sings it through to the end, come hell or high water. I know which I prefer.
La Tebaldi. Ah so lovely and sublime.
Hardly a choice at all! Callas all the way!
They are both top artistes of their day 👏👏👏👏👏
But one of them grabs my heart rips it open then makes me bleed with agony and pain ........
Callas 💕💖
Maria.
me too! :)
I studied music from an early age. Played the flute . My ears have always defined music for me. This doesn't diminish the visual or acting aspects of operatic performances but for me , it is the music that defines the experience . I have read endless comparisons between Callas and Tebaldi . I find them tedious and without any value. Callas was an incredible talent in her own right. Those who opine about the attributes of each of these phenomenal sopranos seem to be self absorbed people who are anxious to impress people with their knowledge of music. I suspect none of them could sing Old Macdonald had a farm .
I met Renata Tebaldi when I was 17 years old. That is to say , I purchased La Boheme at a store while waiting for a bus home from school. The recording was made in 1958 with Tebaldi , Bergonzi , Tullio Serafin . I took this record home, played it and fell in love with Renata. That was 63 years ago. Her voice captured me . Today , listening to her here on CZcams , I get the same goose bumps I did when I was 17 years old.
Callas sounds like she's crying. Absolutely incredible, from start to finish
Always and for ever Callas, she sang with heart and soul .Some say that she didn’t sing , but she LIVED the role ... and is my guess that’s completely true!
No question!!...... Opera like most art forms is subjective but for me Callas had everything......end of argument 👏
no doubt the greatest singer-actress of the C20 ! 👏👏
With so much enlightening discussion already contained in these comments, I can only say that if I were just listening to a recording, perhaps Tebaldi's voice. being more conventionally beautiful, would be the better but to watch a performance, Callas is supreme. The film of the Zeffirelli production at Covent Garden, of which this 'Vissi d'arte' is an excerpt, is one of the great videos of opera. Act 2, with the interplay of Callas and Gobbi, is unforgettable drama. Had it been a silent film, the action alone would make it riveting.
ascenbach1 yes, i agree - the Tosca film is one of the great performances actually caught on film. Callas's singing goes straight to the heart - one understands exactly the meaning of th words directly through sound.
Beging your pardon , even with my eyes closed (and tearing) I always recognize Callas , prefer her ,love her.obviusly I don't have your knowledge ,but my ears heart and soul goes to Callas .
Each artist's singing can be best described in one word. For Tebaldi, that word is "beautiful". For Callas, that word is "dynamic".
I'll take "dynamic" any day. It encompasses so much! The music, the drama, etc. Sometimes just singing "beautifully" doesn't cut it.
yes, dynamic or expressive is complete - beautiful only gives half the story.
I had to turn the volume down for La Callas... and then I nearly cried ....
yes, the Callas performance goes straight to the gut - hard not to be profoundly moved
Tebaldi's voice was maybe the most beautiful ever and her rendition of Vissi d"arte is heavenly....those rich spinning sounds are to die for...but Callas...Callas is so much more dramatic and is Tosca every inch in that "hora del dolore" Both are great....
i agree exactly - different and can be appreciated for their special gifts.
.... AMO RENATA TEBALDI , E SUA INCRÍVEL PERFEIÇÃO TÉCNICA !!!!! .... MAS A INTERPRETAÇÃO , CURVATURA DRAMÁTICA E A VISCERALIDADE DE MARIA CALLAS , SÃO INCOMPARÁVEIS !!!!!!! .... SEM FALAR DA SUA GRANDE BLZ PLÁSTICA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Callas!!
Hearing the lushness and richness of Tebaldi made me wish this were recorded with more modern equipment.
But I'd pay ten times as much to see Callas perform Tosca live than I would to see anyone else who's ever lived. She IS Tosca!
czcams.com/video/eVYut69yg2w/video.html
callas.
Maria Callas moved me to tears..Tebaldi didn't, but then I am going through a loss at present.
Maria Callas, presencia, fuerza interpretativa, técnica impecable, dramatismo, entrega total, Callas Divina por siempre!!!!
Both are the greatest stars. Callas is great as Tosca, but Tebaldi have absolutely magical legato and phrasing. Maybe she isn't the best on this video, but I love her.
La voz de Maria Callas no tiene parangón con ninguna otra voz que haya producido la Humanidad en toda su historia. María sobrepasa cualquier estandard de perfección imaginable para una voz humana.
Hi John-it has to be Callas. Every time I hear her sing this Aria it makes me cry-so much passion, and longing in her voice-fabulous.
I think they are both so glorious for different reasons.
Tebaldi always sounded like someones matronly aunt ... Callas sounded like Tosca .. for she WAS Tosca
well put!
La interpretación de María callas era magnífica
Callas WAS TOSCA with every ounce of emotion there was! Tebaldi was a very beautiful voice, period.
John Hall, an interesting question ! For me easy to answer; because I have a theatrical background Callas ofcourse ! Callas is unique, I believe she was unable of not singing expressive.In a thousand years to come people will still listen to that voice in awe ! It all boils down on personal taste ofcourse, I have never understood why people called Tebaldi's voice angelic, there is a sound in her voice I do not like at all, oldish, zeurderig, ( a dutch expression, I don't know the word for that in English ) . I find her way of singing dated allready, while Callas is universal. But, like I said, it is personal, and we should be lucky we had the chance of hearing them both !
Yes, yes, yes, yeeees!