Maria Callas
The fame and legacy of Maria Callas are nearly unsurpassed in the modern history of opera. Her fame has transcended the usual boundaries of classical music, and she has been the inspiration for several movies as well as the successful Broadway play "Master Class." Her extensive catalogue of recordings remains among the most coveted and controversial for both her fans and detractors.
Though American by birth, Callas (born Maria Anne Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos) was born of Greek parents, and at age 13 her mother took her back to Greece because of financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression. She studied voice at the Royal Academy of Music in Athens with Spanish coloratura soprano Elvira de Hidalgo and made rapid progress; she soon sang Santuzza in a student production of Cavalleria rusticana. Her professional debut came at age 16 in a minor role in von Suppé's Boccaccio.
While still in Athens during World War II, Callas sang her first Tosca in 1942. In 1945, she returned to the United States and sang several auditions, but nothing came of her visit. Her first appearance in 1947 at Verona as La Gioconda brought her to the attention of Tullio Serafin; Serafin became her musical advisor for many years, acting as her coach and conductor of many of her performances.
The entire world of opera was stunned when, in 1949 -- while singing Brünnhilde in Die Walküre at Venice -- she agreed to sing Elvira in Bellini's I Puritani, alternating performances during the same week. That same year she traveled to Buenos Aires to sing Turandot and Norma. In 1950, she sang Aida at the Teatro alla Scala, but she did not become a regular member there until 1952. Summer of 1950 brought her to Mexico City where, in one month, she sang Norma, Aida, Tosca and Il trovatore. During these early years, Callas would sing nearly any role offered including Isolde, Leonore in La forza del destino, Constanza in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Elena in I vespri siciliani.
As she matured, Callas began to concentrate on a smaller core repertory, including Cherubini's Medea, Bellini's Norma, Puccini's Tosca, Bellini's La Sonnambula, and Donizetti's Anna Bolena. Most of her other roles were heard only in one series of performances. After 1959, she rarely appeared on the opera stage, but she did sing concerts in America and Europe. Her last opera performances were in June 1965, in Paris as Norma. She came out of retirement in 1973 to tour the world with Giuseppe di Stefano in a series of recitals. Although financially rewarding, the tour did nothing to enhance her reputation. In 1971, she gave a series of masterclasses at the Juilliard School of Music in New York which were quite successful. In 1977, she died of a sudden heart attack in her Paris apartment.
Maria Callas was one of the most controversial singers of the twentieth century. She had a wide range from high E to the F below the staff, and an innate feel for the style of bel canto roles, but she was most notable for bringing a commitment and intensity to her dramatic portrayals that was nearly unprecedented at the time.
Using photorealistic video projection, Callas was brought back to the stage for a new tour in 2018. Callas in Concert features an interactive Callas on stage performing some of her most iconic recordings with a live orchestra.
© Richard LeSueur /TiVo
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Classical Highlights - Primadonna Assoluta (Live)
Classical - Released by Wespo on 25 Apr 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maria Callas Sings Donizetti
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Oct 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Opera with Maria Callas
Classical - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 19 Jun 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maria Callas sings Operatic Arias by Puccini - Callas Remastered
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1954
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Tosca
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 3 Nov 2003
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Giuseppe Verdi : Rigoletto (1955) - Callas Remastered
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on 19 Sep 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Callas sings Rossini & Donizetti Arias - Callas Remastered
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1965
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Maria Callas - Live & Alive
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 15 Sep 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Cherubini: Medea (Stereo Version)
Maria Callas, Mirto Picchi, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Tullio Serafin
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Popular Music from TV, Films and Opera
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Oct 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini: Madame Butterfly (Mono Version)
Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Herbert von Karajan, Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Les héroïnes de Puccini (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1958
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Maria Callas Sings Puccini
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 25 Jun 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Donizetti: Anna Bolena (1957 - Milan) - Callas Live Remastered
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1993
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: La force du destin (Mono Version)
Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Tullio Serafin
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (highlights)
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 28 Nov 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Rossini: Il turco in Italia (1954 - Gavazzeni) - Callas Remastered
Maria Callas, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Arias from Verdi Operas (Aida, Attila, Un ballo in maschera, I Lombardi, I Vespri siciliani, Il Corsaro, Il Trovatore)- Callas Remastered
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on 19 Sep 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo