Maria Callas sings Norma's final scene (1955)
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- čas přidán 15. 11. 2017
- Norma was sung once again by Maria Meneghini Callas.
Mme. Callas, as it is known from her own statements, never reads the critiques that concern her, in order not to be influenced by opinions outside those of the public or her own artistic conscience. And this can be a good thing, provided of course that due note be taken of the public’s judgment, as Mme. Callas in fact does.
The audience did appreciate a great deal of her interpretation during the first three scenes, but it wasn’t until the fourth and final scene that it showed its total admiration with long and enthusiastic cheering. When the drama reached its most intense excitement, namely in the last scene, the audience was enchanted by the singer’s greatness; and we don’t mind sharing the audience’s verdict.
The duet “In mia mano alfin tu sei” (with Callas’s great insight, among other things, into the most artistically valid accent on the words “Pei figli tuoi”); and the final prayer “Deh! Non volerli vittime”, heard last night, remain among the deepest emotions we have ever felt in the theater.
At the end of this very successful evening, the spectators lingered a long time in the theater to cheer Maestro Votto and all the singers; then they happily plunged once more into the thick fog, with Bellini’s melodies in their hearts.
Review by Teodoro Celli in “Corriere Lombardo” December 8-9, 1955 - Hudba
this is the only Norma who satisfied me. I don't care what others say or think...this is Callas and that ist the NORMA
The absolute goddess herself, her voice is a force of nature itself. She became Norma to such an extent that when I think about Norma I think of callas. Nowhere, nowhere else will you find singing this emotional and powerful. This is a JOINT EFFORT between Bellini and Callas, and when listening to this you can’t help but feel that they were EQUALS, parters in action for creating this definitive piece of art.
I'm 80
I'm so grateful to God for having me created during glorious Maria's time
Callas said that every gesture, every inflection, every dramatic gesture had already been seen to by the composer. Everything is in the score, but one needs to look closely to find the truth. That is a revolutionary attitude. Seek and find. As for the audience, she said that we must listen closely with 'your soul and ears. And I say 'soul and ears', because the mind should work, but not too much". I try to heed her advice.
Callas was a woman whose voice was incendiary, her knowledge of composers was encyclopedic. She was comfortable singing in at least 6 languages, her ear was absolutely impeccable, flawless. She was a hard worker, always prepared and had no patience with lazy singers.
Personally I could not tell that much difference in her voice when she was heavy and when she became a thin, glamorous style icon. She lived an amazing life and people will be speaking of her as incomparable as long as opera exists. Her acting skills changed opera forever. No longer could singers plod across the stage and strike a few poses. No, no! A thousand times no! Opera
would demand acting and a voice that could sob, flirt, entice. Callas was the consummate example.
Always!
Where on earth did you get your reference for 6 languages? Maria spoke English, Greek, Italian and French; she was never fluent in German and sang 3 Wagnerian roles (Isolde, Brunnhilde and Kundry) in Italian, only in Italy and at the start of her career. In Athens when very young she most probably sang Tiefland and Fidelio in Greek. And on stage during her major international career she sang Only in Italian (including Mozart's Konstanze and Gluck's Alceste and Iphigenie, all La Scala), with some French operatic arias (Carmen, Le Cid, Louise) in concert and on disc in French and just one piece (Oberon's "Ocean") sung in English. Her operatic education was very much of the Italian school, not the Germanic, so she was locked out of the Mozart/Strauss fach. And she would have been a superb Donna Elvira, noble Ariadne and especially a bone-shattering Elektra to rival her bone-shattering Medea (but no Marschallin, Kaiserin or Salome). So kindly know what you're talking about dear girl.
@@philipc67 German roles make too little money, something Maria loved dearly. She could easily sing a lot of Mozart but it was not popular then in Italy. While her voice is not really that fitting for Ariadne, Salome or Elektra. Maybe Clytemnestra or Herodiade ...but she would not go for it.
@@perlesbaroquesuniques Her voice was not a good fit for Mozart, and she did not like modern music. I highly doubt she would have been attracted to Strauss's music, particularly the Strauss of Elektra and Salome, and Rosenkvalier would've been too talky for her.
This is healing me. Thank you god for having brought someone like Maria into this world ❤
Maria at her supreme best frighteningly so special.........best ever Norma.
I have heard Sutherland, Sills, Caballe, Anderson, and Flanigan live in this role and have every complete recording of the opera made between 1940 and 2015. Many great performances but no one has ever given me the complete Norma except Callas.
Wilson Watt What about Verrett?
And no matter how faithful a recording is, NOTHING can beat the audiation of a live performance, in an opera house, while you are there with all the other audience members, hearing history made in front of you. Having sung with Sills and Sutherland (I was a chorister) night after night, you come to hear the vocal paradigm in a way that not even audience members can grasp, if you are a singer yourself. But your comment is spot on- Callas was a phenomenon, who merely studied to show herself approved by her Maker and the audience, alike. And, as a side note, OH, to see a production like this, rather than that dirty, filthy, grubby 'production' the Met did with Radvanovsky/diDonato on livestream, during the COVID era- everyone in tatters, tattoos, and burlap? Ugh. One does not pay $50. or more to see 'third world' sets, 'costumes' and dirt in an Opera house, even if they are somehow 'realistic.' It's OPERA- who cares about that sort of 'concept' realism? We want escapist THEATER. We want heroes and heroines to emulate and hold up as paragons, not the Onslows of the world (i.e., Keeping up Appearances)
Moirbasso INDEED.great comment my friend.Who can replace or try to replicate something so incredibly beautiful that takes you to another level it only certain ones got to experience in their lifetime. Arnold Bourbon Amaral
@@jermainejames8011 No comparison. You can compare the Ladies (Macbeth) of Callas and Verrett, both great, different but both great, the best. But Norma, even if with some nice moments here and there, was not in Verrett's cords. As great as she was, she will definitely not be remembered for Norma.
Verretts Norma was very fine...Met tour Boston 76 was her greatest performance. But its never as lived in as any of Callas. I also think that however great Verrett could be, Callas is just a next level musician. No one like her ever. As walter taussig said...all other singers are RECREATIVE but Callas was a CREATIVE artist. Wow
Callas also cursed me and many other opera lovers! She will never be surpassed. A once in a lifetime miracle,
The finale of Norma always gives me gooseflesh, it's unearthly, beautiful and unforgettable.
From ”Qual cor tradisti” to “Deh non volerli” my eyes welled up til the final note”! This has a personal meaning for all of us.
Callas l'émotion pure. L'intelligence du cœur
OMG......there simply is no one to even come close to her today.
La Divina per semper. Bravaaaaaa!!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤
Robin Follman. But she , like Callas, endured so much false publicity, stalkers, etc. She finally left the stage But she starred in 30 or more operas and has the same dramatic, deeply felt acting, one with tech ique to easily master any role.
@@frankG335 you do not know what you speak off... No one can have the same as any other person... Callas is legendary for nORMA , no one has ever come a quarter mile of the greatness in her versions....I dare you to provide recordings of this persons lets compare
@@odumosuolusegun2781 so your favourite pop singer of all time is Whitney Houston and your favourite opera singer of all time is Maria Callas?
wonderful, simply the best Norma ever Maria Callas Primadonna Assoluta
She is the best. Everything she made was perfect
Callas is a gift from Heaven !
This is my FAVORITE Norma, and my favorite among Callas' Normas. Here, vocally excellent, she found the right balance between the strong and fearless Priestess, the mother, the wounded woman, the revengeful betrayed lover, the forgiving friend. In the live Mexico City, London and Trieste (especially) she was vocally spectacular but either a bit too "rough" and savage (Mexico), too matronal (London), or too aggressive (Trieste). In the 1954 studio recording with all the beautiful moments I feel that she couldn't find the right vocal balance between the previous big voiced Callas and the transitional slimmer (also in voice) one that she would become. Considering that the (in)famous first Act of 1958 Norma is a bit too little to judge, the 1960 studio (which was my first Norma I bought and ever heard) with all her much more intimate beautiful moment shows too many of her vocal flaws of that time, and the Parisian Normas are too painful. So, this Scala 1955 for me is THE Norma. The transition in 3 minutes from the sweet and heartfelt "Ei tornerà" to the vitriolic and fearless "di sangue roman scorreran torrenti" is superhuman!
The first ascending phrase-immediate chills and goosebumps. 💕
She was and will forever be the greatest Norma. E basta.
Meraviglia il finale con voce insuperabile!
This performance is remarkable in so many ways. It first came to my attention when I bought a copy after I had familiarized myself with both of the commercial versions featuring Callas. It was a revelation even given the excellence of the other two. Callas found nuance and detail at every moment. Her phrasing is flawless, and her scales move me to tears. There are numerous special moments but one in particular occurs during her final confrontation with Pollione when she launches with one breath into a cabaletta: "Ah! Tutti...". I've never heard another singer shape it in the same manner nor with such fury. The entire performance is built in such a way and remains my favorite. I've made a habit of offering this recording to anyone who has doubts about Callas. It stands alone and is evidence of her genius.
Ogni grande teatro dell'opera ha nei propri archivi documenti registrati delle loro serate importanti. La Scala, il più grande teatro d'opera di tutti, non ha una sola registrazione completa, né audio né video, di una notte della Callas nei suoi dieci anni di regno in quel teatro, che include quattro collaborazioni storiche con Luchino Visconti e altrettanto produzioni uniche con de Sabata, von Karajan, Bernstein, Zeffireilli. Che mancanza di visione, che sacrilegio.
A sammylee.
È vero, non ci sono registrazioni live alla scala della Callas.
Una vergogna ! Del resto siamo in Italia, cosa vogliamo pretendere, la Callas era greca per fortuna
Poliuto con Corelli
Callas IS Norma.
Ciao Barone, ti incontro fuori da casa tua molto spesso..Ci sentiamo sul tuo canale per la prossima fantastica première.
Callas es la unica Norma de TODOS LOS TIEMPOS!!!
Nunca nadie puede superarla,NINGUNA SOPRANO es digna de compararse con la DIVINA!!!
Какой накал страстей! Какой темперамент!!! Даже закрыв глаза, все видно, все эмоции, страсти, Каллас вибрировала в этой музыке! Гениально!
Che emozioni...mi vengono le lacrime 😢 celestiale, divino! Ecco la vera lirica! Oggi purtroppo inesistente....
…with a cast like that it never was, never will get any better. MC, MDM and GS, this iconic quality doesn’t exist anymore. Thanks God we have them on record. Mi piace moltissimo
Callas was an incredible soprano Assoluta, could sing in all register, plus her acting was unique, we lost her early. But up there where she is now, she is delighting our Lord. We miss her no other soprano has come up yet. God is taking care of her.
Amen, in heaven with the angels.
La Divina was the supreme artist: pure, devoted, and absolute. Incomparable.
Sono d’accordo 100%
Me too!
YES...absolutlementy SHE IS....
1:36 till 1:52 on one breath, and with a lovely High C.... and she was at her very, very slim period...
Una Divinità Maria Callas ❤️❤️❤️
La Callas è davvero stata unica nell'interpretazione del melodramma italiano. La sua arte rimane insuperabile ancora oggi, sia a livello musicale che interpretativo. Non ci sono eredi per ora!
La più grande Norma
Con il più grande Pollione
Due fenomeni al servizio dell'arte vera!!! Grazie
This is Opera !!!
Yes it is!
The frost on my skin from this music and singing. This feeling can not be expressed
Okay! She is a goddess. Can we just all agree on that?
Non si può che commuoversi
Grazie Bellini.
Grazie Maria.
TKimba2,si!
La divina!!!!!!!
Callas was not only a great singer but a great actress. She had everything, beauty, intelligence, taste, the voice of the century, fashion sense, several languages, teaching ability. The only thing that failed her was her taste in men! We bought seats at Covent Garden but only used the edge of them. Every night was a battle between La Divina and the critics. Mostly she won. The next voice should be born this year hopefully.
yay!
Today only Hernandez can hold the baton of GREATNESS. Sincerely Arnold Bourbon Amaral
@@arnoldamaral7406 Yes, Saioa Hernandez is the only supreme singer nowadays!
Chi nasce??
@@arnoldamaral7406 , la Hernandez non e' all'altezza.
Maria Callas is simply the best!!!!!!
After that what does one do or say, other than bow the head and say 'Thank you, God'.
I have known this opera since 1965, first via the Callas/Corelli recording.
I have heard several other live recorded performances from Callas but never this.
I have heard in the house, Sutherland, Caballé and Verrett... all wonderful
but
this
is
SHATTERING !
The one ....the only.....the Callas.
On a beau dire ,on en revient toujours à Callas . C'est l'art du chant incarné ,et basta .Son dernier air est tellement poignant , interprétée par elle ,que même Caballé ,ne peut rivaliser .Callas ne joue pas Norma ,elle Est Norma , voilà ,c'est tout .Un génie !!
Vous êtes limitatif, elle est tous les rôles qu'elle chante, et toujours avec cet immense génie qui la caractérise.
@@gerardmignon700 on peux dire ca ...comme ca..
I wonder how her co stars felt when they were singing with Maria Callas as she completely over shadowed them .Her voice was so much more superior than singer during the performance . And anyway , everyone was coming to see and hear Callas ! Full house with Callas
Callas knew what she was doing when she insisted on Corelli as Pollione for the stereo recording of Norma.
Callas cursed Norma for the eternity, for nobody can surpass this.
Saioa Hernandez comes very close my friend.
@@arnoldamaral3814 no.
She doesnt even have the right voice for Norma. How in this world you would say she comes "very close" is beyond me...
Hahaha!
@@arnoldamaral3814 , Saioa Hernandez non si avvicina affatto, e' una delle tante. Ben altro ci vuole. Siamo lontanissimi, anni luce, timbro ordinario, nobiltà nessuna.
@@Tkimba2 , concordo.
Vox de Deo. Voce Divina.
Filia dell cielo .
Gracias por compartir este vídeo.
She sang from the beginig to the end as La Divina.
Saludos cordiales desde Santiago, Chile.
Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
Dr. Fernando Rivas-Burattini.
Estoy de acuerdo con Vd. Lo muy curioso : ¡ sentì la imperiosa necesidad de hablar de ella con un amigo pianista en el preciso momento en que ella muriò!
Christian (de Paris )
Honestly...these 33+ minutes...of THIS performance...are the most important music in my experience.
Sublime. Nobody, but Nobody comes close to Maria as Norma here, Scala opening night, 7 December 1955. Not even Montserrat, very admirable at Orange in July 1974, can pretend to compare. Sutherland? Forget it. The “In mia Man alfin tu sei” duet is spine-tingling. This role cannot be properly served by even the very best sopranos. No mortal human singer can presume to reach such heights.
Such a great performance. The voice had clearly lost some of the ‘cushion’ it once had by this point. But I think it was still in good enough shape to allow her to convey she wanted to convey without compromise, both dramatically and musically. And the music fit her voice perfectly, so she didn’t need to overextend herself. All in all, a great example of what operatic singing can be: a vehicle for emotional truth.
Это невыносимо прекрасно...Спасибо.
Thank You ! Marx 7811 ! Norma by Maria Callas, Franco Corelli and Christi Ludwig IS my the most favorite Opera, La Traviata follows. Always, I envied so much my father generation who could attend the opera house to witness such a sublime classic performance by the best singers of the century. Even still photos were enough to excite me with our envisioning ability.
Truly great musicality although I do miss her vocal radiance from the 1952 London Norma. So Brava Callas, bravo del Monaco and lest we forget bravo Bellini!
VIVA CALLAS 👑 DEL MANACO 👑 BELLINI 👑 PARA SEMP 💙 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
Grazie di questo video anche x le foto stupende ...ascoltare queste voci ti fa sognare ...la Callas è davvero ineguagliabile x voce ed interpretazione
Sono d'accordo contre lei. Però on dobbiamo dimenticare l'altra dea : la Tebaldi, di cui voce mi fa abbrividire. Oggi how ascoltato registrazioni sue (stupende di bellezza )
Christian (da Parigi )
Superba esecuzione della Callas di un' opera immortale di Bellini !
Perfection.
Wonderful to read what the papers had to say about this great ocasion 🌹
Sie war und ist die größte Interpretin dieser Rolle, keine andere Sängerin kann ihr auch nur das Wasser reichen. Ihre Anna Bolena ist unerreicht,ihre Lucia di Lammermoor heute noch ein Lehrstück. Die Traviata von 1955, einfach genial,zum weinen schön. Ich bin froh sehr viele Aufnahmen zu haben analog und auf CD. Ich ziehe analog vor.
On a tous écrit mille fois écouté 100 000 fois et pourtant a chaque fois on reste ébahis par cette voix cette flamme cette magie cette diction qui claque ou carresse, maudit ou arrache mille larmes.....cette femme, des soirs comme celui là n'a jamais été égalée et ce n'est pas les sopranos actuelles qui risquent de lui faire de l'ombre.....soit bénie Callas pour ton savoir, ton travail, ton art, qui nous offre jours après jours tout ce bonheur et qui dans des siècles sera encore commenté disséqué analysé sans qu'on sache vraiment pourquoi tu étais si grandiose.
Я Слушаю,Слушаю,Слушаю КАЛЛАС! И не могу Наслушиться!!!Неземная Чудо БОГИНЯ!!!!
Maria callas was a goddes
I just had a thought ............. with Maria Callas's wide and wonderful vocal range, with FULL mastery and control,
wouldn't it have been absolutely wondrous ...... if they would/could have recorded her in a multi-track setting,
having her sing over herself ...... doing harmonies, and other overdubs ...... being careful of course, and strict with operatic
protocol! Could you imagine how awesome, how dynamic her recordings would actually become!?!?
With her energy, realism, and truism,, she probably would have embraced doing harmony recordings, and who knows,
she might have found new inspiration(s) from at least attempting multi-harmony recording~!~
Mille grazie per condividere questa bellissima interpretazione!
“Richard sings a cantilena from I Puritani and remarks that Bellini wrote melodies lovelier than one’s dreams,” Cosima Wagner wrote in her diary on August 3, 1872. “The melody recalls Rubini to him, how wonderfully he sang it, and he observes: ‘Our German singers have to go about it in an entirely different way, because they have not got this gift.’ ”
In March 1878, Wagner entertained guests by playing parts of Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi, La Straniera, and Norma. “There is real passion and feeling here, and the right singer has only to get up and sing it for it to win all hearts,” Cosima quotes her husband as saying, “I have learned things from them which Messrs. Brahms & Co. have never learned, and they can be seen in my melodies.”---Paul Thomason
His Rienzi shows that he could beat those Italians easily, but he abandoned that style in order to create his own music, to make a Tristan revolution. The multi-layers of his music were unreachable for the tear-jerking light and fun Italians.
OMG --Such intensity and passion in the final prayer "Deh! Non volerli vittime”". JS produced nice tone but could never get to that level of passion in her interpretation.
The most remarkable ‘Deh non voler’ is Caballé at Orange.
Joan had a beautiful voice but she wasn't a very good actress.
The greatest performance of Norma that I have ever heard. Callas is transcendent. The perfect Norma.
Тот самый случай, когда слово "потрясение" как никогда к месту. Даже в записи. А что должны были испытывать те, кто имел счастье, именно счастье, присутствовать при этом
потрясении ? Они были избранные и как же жаль, что мы никогда не сможем такими избранными стать.
Каллас - божественная комета, ярко осветила планету и исчезла навсегда.
Прекрасные слова. Да, это так, Каллас Богиня с другой планеты. Благодарю.
Son io. Grazie Maria👏
attorno al 20. Il pubblico erompe nell'applauso
INCOMPARABLE ! Bellini’s ideal casting and conducting. Very many thanks. ❤
I think you'll find this is post weight loss Mr Hodges....if you see photos during late '54-'55....she has slimmed down quite considerably at this time.....but the '57 Bolena's and Somnambula's are testament to the incredible vocal talents on display even following the much publicised weight loss...... Unsurpassed in my humble opinion...
Not to mention the hair raising Medeas at Covent Garden and Dallas, 58-59; the exquisite Cologne Sonnambula of 57, Ifigenia, Ballo in Maschera, and even with her weak singing at the Met, on return to Rome and Naples delivered superb performances of Lucia and Norma, 56 and 57.
Sencillamente formidable, única, me emociona a las lágrimas ,Soy su fan desde niña. Inigualable.❤
Back again! The mystique of Callas! 😍😍😍
I know we're all over Callas here, but can we talk about that tenor? He sounds great! He may not be iconic like Corelli, but I can tell just from what little we hear of him in this that he was a skilled and talented performer
PcCAvioN that is Mario del Monaco none other, one of the best dramatic tenors of the last century! Corelli was a spinto. Both of them sung the role of Polione beautifully with Maria on many occasions.
I quite agree with you.The tenor is wonderful. A shame he's not so famous as il Corelli - maybe his legs were less exciting ! !!
Christian (from Paris )
Janou Paris If you don’t think Mario del Monaco is as famous as an opera singer can be you haven’t been around very long.
@@janouparis4460 Monaco is one of the loudest tenor back then...
@@janouparis4460 now i know your having a laugh,del monaco was a legend,greatest dramatic tenor of all times,corelli great spinto but no dramatic,del monaco also had by far the longer career,both were great in their own ways
28:45 en adelante lo mejor del final 💗 Bravo María! Gracias por tanto!!!!!💐 Corelli lo más!!!!
Gracias por subir esta grabación de Callas, sin dudas en sus mejores momentos.
Nunca nadie cantara Norma como lo hacía Callas y por supuesto con la compañía de Del Mónaco.No hay, ni habrá mejores interpretes!!!!
Maoz.....I agree completely with your reply....I too love Callas "warts and all" as the detractors like to describe it......she is the only one for me and I have heard hundreds!..... incomparable and irreplaceable then and still!....
WHAT WARTS? LOL
La divina per semper. Bravaaaa. !!!!!!❤❤❤❤
Epoustouflant, surtout le final. Quelle émotion !
Beyond critique, both as music drama and musical performances. Stunning.
ARTE OPERÍSTICO DEL MAS ALTO NIVEL. Qué gloria escuchar esto!!!!
Une représentation légendaire .Callas en pleine voix assumant sans faillir toutes les difficultés de la partition .En revanche le Pollione de Mario del Monaco n'est pas au niveau .Je suis désolé de le dire mais il ne sait pas chanter Bellini .C'est un éléphant dans un magasin de porcelaine .
da brividi, meravigliosi
da brividi !!!!
Ни с кем не сравнимое исполнение тяжелейшей арии , ни с кем!!!
Can you imagine all the continuing glorious performances she would have given us had she stayed fat. She is unmatched in Norma.
What a music! Verdi was great enough not to invent a bicicle but to PROCEED what great Bellini and Donizetti allready created!
I am in heaven especially at 28:10
NORMA ES MARIA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Y MARIA ES NORMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Y CALLAS IS OPERA !!! VIVA CALLAS DIVINA REGINA 👑💙 Arnold Bourbon Amaral
After "Son io" the beauty of this note was unbearable to the audience and they had to react . Never was there a middle register note so beautiful delivered , she was touched by god at that moment and so was the audience .......
Don't forget: the audience is listening this opera the first time. I think 19:59 is a spontanly "protest", an eruption of feelings of guilt from one man and a lot of women, probably in a similar situation than Norma. So as I am.
elle est Norma avec tout le talent et le travail que cela demande, mais quel plaisir de l'ecouter a chaque fois, tant elle est represente la realitee humaine dans sa splandere ou sa rtrstesse!!
Bellini grandissimo splendida la signora Callas
¡Fue una de esas noches en que María estaba inspirada por los Dioses! Fuera de todo lo esperado! Una grande!
Όλους τους ρόλους που τόσο απόλυτα ενσάρκωσε μοιάζει να τους έζησε τραγικά στην ζωή της. O έρωτας ,η τραγική απώλεια , η προδοσία, το πεπρωμένο, τέχνη και ζωή σε ένα συμπληρωματικό ολοκλήρωμα.
ολοσωστα!
La migliore di tutti!!!
''... I ROMANI ACENTO ACENTO''
Amazing!
Бесподобное исполнение , как точно передан замысел Беллини, и, как постепенно певица передает переход к трагическому концу
Muchas gracias, Marx.😃
🍀🍀🍀BELLISSIMA NORMA AT THE WORLD!!!🍀🍀🍀
Сколько великих испольнителей и музыкантов подарил ХХ век !
!!!!UNICA ...!!!!! en este rol no tiene comp.....
DIVINA CALLAS, CALLAS !!!
Great!!!