Review: The Best Callas Traviata? Run and Duck!

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The Ultimate Classical Music Guide by Dave Hurwitz

Жыл бұрын

Verdi: La Traviata. Callas, Albanese, Savarese, RAI Orchestra of Turin, Gabriele Santini (cond.) Warner Classics (1953 studio recording, originally on Cetra)

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@user-gt7xs1fc6g 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for mentioning Cotrubas who was a marvelous Traviata. I saw her in it at Chicago Lyric in the production that had been originally designed for Callas. It was one of the most moving live performances I have seen in over 50 years of operagoing.

@vincentspinelli9995 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful review. As a lifelong certified opera crazy, I agree with you 100%. Bravo. P.S. i also agree about Cotrubas. She was an extraordinary Violetta, in the opera house and on records.

@stepheng9607 2 ай бұрын

What a sensible and balanced review. Many thanks. My first recording experience with Callas was the 1964 Tosca and I could not get passed the strange sound, like she was singing into a bottle. Then I got the Barber of Seville and the Norma and got a completely different impression. I agree about the Traviata. Funny enough I was going through my collection the other day and wondered where the Cetra recording was, as I originally had it on LP. Then today I came across the CD and remembered that I had upgraded!

@TobyS77 Жыл бұрын

Callas was chosen to sing Violetta by the management of Teatro La Fenice, Venice in January 1953 to celebrate the centenary of the (disastrous) world premiere of La Traviata at the same venue in 1853. A few days later after the Venice performance, Rome Opera, not to be left behind in the celebration, put up their production and again she was chosen for the performance. Her fellow co-stars at Rome were tenor Francesco Albanese and baritone Ugo Savarese and the conductor was Gabriele Santini. These people would come to feature in this 1953 Cetra recording being discussed in the present upload. The recording was quite likely a project planned by Cetra to celebrate the said centenary and one can imagine Callas finding it difficult to refuse the honour of being the leading lady in the Cetra project. She would come to regret it greatly later as it's the very reason why she was unable to record the complete opera for EMI/UK Columbia with the La Scala forces and Tullio Serafin in mid 1955, not long after her great success in the role at La Scala in the legendary Luchino Visconti production.

@TobyS77 Жыл бұрын

@@paxpaxart4740 A clause in her contract with Cetra stipulated that if she recorded a particular opera with the Cetra company, she would not be allowed to re-record the same work with another company within 5 years after the Cetra recording was made. If she breached the contract, Cetra had the right to demand from her a colossal sum of money for compensation. That’s why the Cetra recording prevented her from re-recording Traviata for EMI in 1955. Furthermore, the enormous publicity and success of the 1955 Visconti production of Traviata at La Scala made a La Scala recording with Callas on EMI/UK Columbia potentially a super best seller that would beat the earlier Cetra recording hands down and incur huge losses for Cetra. Given the said scenario and the huge international fame Callas had achieved by 1955, Cetra would have even more reason to involve Callas in a highly troublesome legal wrangle if Callas participated in the EMI recording, which Callas certainly wished to avoid. Callas therefore wanted EMI to postpone the Scala Traviata project until the clause with Cetra expired. Unfortunately the EMI/UK Columbia executives were all too anxious to fill the gap in their LP catalogue in the face of competition from the 1954 Decca recording with Tebaldi and did not want to wait - leading to Antonietta Stella being brought in. Callas was deeply frustrated and angry about this and a huge row with EMI resulted. It took a lot of effort for EMI to pacify her and make her stay with the company. Where the case of Andrea Chenier with Tebaldi is concerned I have no idea of its details and can’t comment on it.

@walkure48 Жыл бұрын

I love the interview with Nicola Rescigno (from the Tony Palmer film if I'm not mistaken) when he's relating his experiences with Callas at Covent Garden and her performances of Addio del passato and the warbly high note at the end. He would constantly tell her to hit that note a little more forte, and when it was secure, she could diminish it and she'd have her effect. She told him "Nicola, I won't compromise. I'll crack every night, but I'm dying and that's the way it's going to be." By the way, I love Callas and used to follow several sites about her, but my God, people were taking that stuff too personally. Someone would be devastated because they just found out that someone something about "Maria" way back in 1952, and if you said anything like "You need to calm down, go outside and get some air", they'd have a coronary and block you, so it's just easier to walk away from that mass hysteria.

@hhk01 Жыл бұрын

AFAIK there are two Callas/Giulini Traviatas 1955 and 1956. Alfredo is DiStefano in 55, and Raimondi in 56. Bastianini is Germont père in both. There are SO many different versions of these, but general opinion is that 56 has better sound (but still ...). I tend to turn to Kleiber these days, and Giulini's loving tempi really seem slow. Callas is uniquely suited to Violetta. Great singer, great intellect, great role.

@Wolfcrag85 Жыл бұрын

I believe the best-sounding Callas Traviata is the 1958 Lisbon performance as released, about 20 years ago, by the Portuguese public radio from the original masters. The difference from the several EMI editions is considerable.

@jaykauffman4775 Жыл бұрын

Yes very good am sound

@pauloqueiroz9611 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your assessment of her Art. Non-passionate, which is down-to-earth

@bbailey7818 Жыл бұрын

For me, the great thing about Callas was that she was Violetta in all three acts. Sutherland was great in Act 1 but a bore thereafter. Tebaldi was excellent in Acts 2 and 3 (especially in a 1957 Met broadcast with Warren) but skated on very thin ice in Act 1. Others maintain an enjoyable and even moving standard throughout (Cotrubas, Sayao, Kirsten) but didn't own the role the way Callas could. Sills recorded it too late, Caballe has erratic conducting in her RCA under Pretre.

@williamlansbury3752 Жыл бұрын

the 1950 live Parsifal Recording where she does Kundry is in pretty good sound!

@pauloqueiroz9611 Жыл бұрын

Callas wanted so much to redo Traviata for EMI, but due to contractual reasons with CETRA, she was not allowed to re-record the same works for so many years, which was unfortunate because during those "prohibited years"she was in her prime. As far as I can remember, the live Lisbon recording doesn't sound so awful... (Yes, I'm a staunch Callas fan hehe)

@ronrendleman558 Жыл бұрын

No it doesn't sound bad at all. It is in the big EMI Callas Live set.

@pauloqueiroz9611 Жыл бұрын

@@ronrendleman558 thanks! That’s how I remembered it. Of course I have it but haven’t listened to it in a while

@angelfish1470 Жыл бұрын

The Cetra Traviata is great. I love it for the clarity of sound. You really get to hear Callas’ voice in this role with great sound. Her voice comes through crystal clear. Her voice is at its strongest before the weight loss changed her voice a little. I know that is controversial but I do think that weight loss effects the voices of singers and I think her voice was somewhat altered by the shift in her weight, not all at once but over the years. Maybe her interpretation is not as nuanced as it would later become but the clarity of the recording makes up for that in my opinion.

@hubert8694 4 күн бұрын

Whenever I want to listen to Violetta, I choose this 1953 studio recording (despite owning both Lisbon & LaScala). Whenever I want to listen Verdi‘s La Traviata, I choose Kleiber/Cotrubas.

@sanfordpress8943 Жыл бұрын

YES. COTRUBAS. thank you for mentioning her .❤

@sanfordpress8943 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for an amazing review. I finally came to the realization that Callas Was the best

@wesmarshall8137 Жыл бұрын

Hey Dave! Thanks for all you do. I love your channel. I used to be an announcer at WRR-FM in Dallas, and Callas sang in Dallas frequently because she loved to sing with our opera conductor Nikolai Rescigno. The received wisdom in our community was the best book ever written about Callas was one written by the Dallas Morning News, music critic, John Ardoin. I have time in my life to read one book about the lady. What do you recommend it be?

@DavesClassicalGuide Жыл бұрын

John Ardoin's is excellent.

@ER1CwC Жыл бұрын

I think this Traviata is similar to her studio recording of Medea. Both are very good performances on their own merits, but they get overlooked because the live recordings (I think undeniably) have that ‘extra spark’, as well as a certain shroud of mystery. I do think the Giulini is her best all-round performance (and also has the best conducting and supporting cast). But the EMI version is taken from a horrible source, and is also horribly remastered. (EMI could be exceptionally and surprisingly lazy in their remastering efforts of their prized soprano. I honestly think that their ‘this is an imperfect live recording’ disclaimers are covers for a lack of effort.) There are much better versions if you hunt for them. There’s one on KZfaq that’s actually pretty good, but there will always be a certain ‘fuzz.’ I agree with one of the other posters that the Rescigno version is actually in good clear sound without being thin or wiry (as is the case in the non-EMI version of the Lisbon), even if it is a little boxy. Callas, though, is at her most “refined” there, for better or worse. She had been planning to re-record it in studio with EMI in 1960 and (less realistically) in 1968 with Pavarotti and I think Giulini. But both obviously got cancelled.

@hrvoje14 Жыл бұрын

Totally agree. And I would add her studio Norma here as well. It’s very good, even excellent by any standard, but the live 1952 and 1955 recordings are just a cut above, truly exceptional.

@hrvoje14 Жыл бұрын

I mean primarily the 1954 studio Norma here, though many prefer the 1960.

@felipeechavarria7229 Жыл бұрын

Hi David, sorry to be off topic but when is the next Haydn Crusade video?. Thanks.

@DavesClassicalGuide Жыл бұрын

Soon

@felipeechavarria7229 Жыл бұрын

@@DavesClassicalGuide thank you.

@hrvoje14 Жыл бұрын

For me, as far as Callas’ vocal is concerned, for the whole recording it’s the 1955 La Scala, but for just the big Act 1 aria, it’s the 1951 Mexico City version. Of course, if sound quality is your #1 concern, then I guess it has to be the studio 1953.

@DavesClassicalGuide Жыл бұрын

Sound quality AND voice. Not one or the other. You may prefer other versions for other details, but you cannot say that she's less than excellent in this version.

@hrvoje14 Жыл бұрын

@@DavesClassicalGuide Yes, both are very good on the 1953 recording, agreed. But the 1951 (in poor sound quality) is better vocally (especially the Act 1 aria), and 1955 is better dramatically/expression-wise (especially the final Act, and especially Addio del passato). Just my opinion. (Or, let me put it this way: agreed, both are EXCELLENT in the 1953 recording, but the Act 1 aria in the 1951 recording and the final Act aria in 1955 are, vocally, truly EXCEPTIONAL/INSANELY good.)

@ER1CwC Жыл бұрын

@@hrvoje14 The 1951 Sempre libera is spectacular and cannot be beat. But it is true that the sound quality of that performance is bad even for historical live recording standards, although not as bad as the EMI ‘remastering’ of the Giulini. So I guess it’s a non-starter for some.

@hrvoje14 Жыл бұрын

@@ER1CwC Oh for sure, it’s not for everyone (I guess only big Callas fans, really). 🤗

@sanfordpress8943 Жыл бұрын

Beverly Sills was quoted as saying,"Maria did it best. We all wanted to be her. Make no mistake about it. "

@williamlansbury3752 Жыл бұрын

i have always been wary of live recordings because of the horrible quality, but Callas' live recordings were a revelation for me! even if all you could hear was her voice, it was a voice to be studied. Even if the sound is horrible, I would encourage singers at least to give them a chance once, just to hear what this amazing artist was doing.

@Vikingvideos50 Жыл бұрын

Traviatnik! A fantastic word. Normanian?

@djquinn4212 Жыл бұрын

As far as I can tell, The Lisbon performance has gotten the super dooper remastering of all remastering to make the sound as good as it possibly can sound…. All those callas traviata live performances, hell even ALL her live performances, are the aural equivalent of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci…you can only do so much with it when the original source medium is so deeply flawed.

@michelangelomulieri5134 Жыл бұрын

Dave, sorry, but this time I disagree. The 1958 live in Lisbon is the greatest traviata ever! Why? Because, in spite of the sound, though not poor, Maria is partnered by the greatest Alfredo Who ever lived: Alfredo Kraus!

@mancal5829 Жыл бұрын

A very fine tenor, indeed. Di Stefano, though, was intensely passionate in 1955.

@DavesClassicalGuide Жыл бұрын

Sorry, the sound is just horrible.

@belpit66 Жыл бұрын

@@DavesClassicalGuide There are two separate sources. Both have been issued on cd. One is horrible and the other is quite good. Much better than either of the Giulini La Scala recordings.

@eberlinpascal2837 8 ай бұрын

La meilleure version est pour moi celle de 1955 ,tant vocalement que dramatiquement.

@eberlinpascal2837 8 ай бұрын

Oui bien sûr ,mais à Lisbonne comme à Londres la même année ,Maria n'est plus aussi flamboyante qu'en 1955.On le sent surtout dans le sempre libéra au premier acte qui est magnifique bien sûr ,mais moins facile et insolent qu'à Milan en 55.

@The_Jupiter2_Mission Жыл бұрын

All these Callas reviews have unearthed her crazies. I already hear the rumbling outside and storm clouds gathering. I'm going to hide all my non Callas Traviatas because I know the crazies are coming for them to confiscate them and burn them on a pyre. Poor Joan has turned in her grave so much that she's done a whole 360.