Watson Everly we can see how much knowledge you have about it..

It is a very simple fact: people, particularly people who are not musicians, confuse the concepts of TIMBRE and TECHNIQUE. If the TIMBRE is pleasant to their ears, if they LIKE it, if they like the high notes, or the middle voice, or the piano sung tones, they call that GOOD TECHNIQUE, and, if they don't, they call that BAD TECHNIQUE. It is as much as to say that, for instance, some beautiful actress JUST BECAUSE SHE IS BEAUTIFUL has a better technique than an other, less beautiful. It is just ignorance. Callas had a complete and fully finished BEL CANTO technique, which allowed her to sing LIKE SHE SUNG, to serve the score, to be true to the personaggio, to make music, and to revolution the art of Opera. She never changed the score to please her voice, a practice that EVERYBODY uses, she forced her interpretation to be the most accurate in terms of the written tone as she could possible achieve. Her voice, her TIMBRE was and is not everybody's taste, and that is also irrelevant. When she sung to much and to often, and changed the STYLE OF WRITTEN REPERTORY to often, her voice was fatigues, and the INTRINSIC, NATURAL "FLOWS" OF HER VOICE were more noticeable, and THAT IS ALL, and that has nothing to do with her technique. As far as we know, form 1947 until 1959 her TECHNIQUE didn't suffer, her VOICE might have, but not her technique. In the '60, the psychological factors of her life as a woman affected very much her singing, and therefor, strictly vocally speaking, the VOICE reflected all that. But listen to her singing "Tosca" in public at Covent Garden in 1964, and you will see that, although the voice is under pressure, the TECHNIQUE IS THERE, as it always was. She was unique, she was the most true to the music of all singers, she was a genius. If some people don't like her metallic voice, and the uneven colors, that DOESN'T CHANGE IN THE SLIGHTEST WHO SHE WAS, AND WHAT SHE ACHIEVED.

Absolutely ,you are right

There is such a word envy. It hurts the one who is jeulous

Shahrdad How true ! and why do we forever compare Callas and Dame Joan ?they were both Queens but in very different worlds .

Jean Fourneau They were indeed different. Sutherland's voice was beautiful and she was so consistent. Callas's was unusual, but even though people speak of her lacking technique, she could do technical feats that were far beyond the reach of the wonderful Dame Joan, or of anyone for that matter. And her musicality and dramatic abilities were in a league of their own. And Sutherland too could be dramatically incisive and moving. I think Ethan Mordden said it best when he wrote (I'm paraphrasing): "Whereas Callas was the great singer often dismissed as a great actress, Sutherland was the great singer often dismissed as a . . . great singer."

Shahrdad Thanks for your coments and I consider we have both (and I hope many others) had the privilege of listening to both Callas and Dame Joan , no one I believe , at least for a very long period of time, will ever reach such peaks . Kind regards .

Jean Fourneau How wonderful is it to listen to the beautiful Sutherland Lucia and hear the pyrotechnics, and also to be able to listen to the wonderful Callas Lucia and have your heart break on just one simple phrase.

Shahrdad How true !

Very well said! There is only one 'LA DIVINA'

Charles Henry Indeed and there will never another one !

In one breath : Eflat diminuendo + 2 octave chromatic scale drop + upwards cadenza , everything legato, within the style of music, just delicious

One of the best coments I heard or read on Callas Genius ! Thanks §

Nachbarueberland ...

True. One always come back to Callas.

They had voices then.

***** Herzliche Grüße aus Halle-an der Saale ------ La Divina for ever !!!!!!!!

Sergio Squeff Barcelos You have such eloquence i will leave it to you.The one the only the Callas. :)

Sergio Squeff Barcelos I cannot add anything to what you so eleganlty said , just confirm that , indeed , in my modest view, Callas descending the chromatic scale was (and has remained) legendary ! Viva Callas !

essato exactamente exactly

LOVE YOUR COMMENT, IT´S PLAIN BRILLIANT!!!

+tonshaad1230 When a person is too talented, people always forgot that person is human, of course they know, but when they listen to her, like listening music instrument, all that complain are actually not appropriate for human being, all the critique actually is like judging to a wooden violin. Maria Callas did nobody can, her achievement was ultimate but people just too dumb to appreciate ~~ How sad ~ But I am sure God will proud of her~ :-)

+tonshaad1230 Congrats. You not only understand but appreciate what a God given gift this woman had. I have been listening to her for the better part of 60yrs (yes im an old man)and have not found any singer,may bewith the exception of Bjorling who could put a lump in my throat and tear in my eye!!!

tonshaad1230 Why do Callas fans thinj they are the only intelligent people in the world. I can appreciate her craft and dedication but my problem is she can't simply just sing beautifully, if there's no crazy scale or crazy low notes there's nothing much. The note at 2:43 is horrible.

Listen to her Vissi D'arte , La Mama Morta , Don Carlo , just countless, Try it ~

Terrance Xu Because when we don't like a singer we don't bother posting shit around YT about her maybe?

+Federico Mastrangelo direi l'esatto contario! la voce della Callas è molto scura come quella di un mezzosoprano o di un soprano drammatico, la voce della Sutherland è chiara e luminosa di soprano, lirico che negli acuti diventa un leggero.

+Folgore Dasangimignano non si capisce voci, il acuto della Callas è chiaro a colori ed è completamente di testa come un soprano leggero , il centro della Callas é scuro perche é intubati, si puo mentire una voce nell centro ma nell acuto si vede chi sei, per quello la Callas non avrebbe mai potuto avere il colore che ha la Tebaldi nell acuto (che é un acuto da corpo di vero soprano spinto), La Sutherland anche canta acuti da corpo, molto piú ampia di la Callas

va bene va bene

+Folgore Dasangimignano Infatti la Callas emetteva i sovracuti a un volume inaudito, mai eguagliato dalle altre cantanti..E poi mi chiedo: come fanno i sovracuti ad essere scuri? nemmeno gli acuti della Cossotto sono scuri ahahahahah

Poet4you1 chi ti ha detto? La voce di Callas non è tra i più grandi per niente, sovracuti della Sutherland avevano molto più corpo, e SI bemolle, SI naturale e do della Tebaldi erano molto piú potente e con piú colore di la Callas

Vincenzo Bossi hai davvero ragione Vincenzo

Col velo in capo

E tante volte ho sperato e chiesto a Dio di darmi la possibilità in età avanzata di sentire ancora ed ancora la musica che adoro.

No argument from me. Callas and all the others.

Non hai capito

Maybe the couldn't help themselves they were so moved!

iens olympia delft

It is not only a matter of a high note, but of an astonishingly inhuman singing and musicality that transforms a bravura piece in true Art, in a unique artistic achievement. And she sings this impossible air, with all its trills, fioriture, picchietati descending chromatic scales (a Callas specialty) and very high notes with such an easiness and elegance as if she was singing something infinitely more easy, just like she was singing "O mio babbino caro"!