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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Verdi: Aida - highlights
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Mar 1, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Highlights - The finest Arias (Live)
Classical - Released by Wespo on Apr 25, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Great Maria Callas
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Maria Callas - Divina, Vol. 4 (Edicion especial 30 aniversario)
Opera - Released by RI Music on Jun 30, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best of Rossini's The Barber of Seville
Maria Callas, Tito Gobbi, Luigi Alva
Opera - Released by Past Classics on Jan 21, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Amami Alfredo!…
Opera - Released by Platinum Deluxe Butterfly on Jan 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maria Callas Portrays Verdi Heroines (Album of 1959)
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16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les grands airs du Coloratura (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on Jan 1, 1955
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Grands airs lyriques et coloratura (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on Jan 1, 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: La Forza Del Destino
Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni
Opera - Released by Past Classics on Jan 1, 1955
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maria Callas répète à Dallas
Maria Callas, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Nicola Rescigno
Opera Extracts - Released by Myto Historical on Nov 25, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi : Un ballo in maschera (Live, Milan 1957)
Maria Callas, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jan 1, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Pagliacci/ Cavalleria - Mascagni & Leoncavallo
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16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maria Callas: Pure
Opera - Released by Nostalgia Gold Records on Oct 17, 2018
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Maria Callas Performs Giacomo Puccini
Opera - Released by All I Have To Do Is Dream on Feb 12, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Highlights - The Best Of Maria Callas
Classical - Released by Wespo on May 30, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Voice Within the Heart (Historical Recordings 1952-1961)
Classical - Released by MLP on Jan 1, 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bellini - Norma
Maria Callas, Mario del Monaco, Tullio Serafin, Orchestra di Roma della Rai
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La Traviata
Gabriele Santini, Maria Callas
Opera - Released by WM Italy on Oct 26, 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi Duets (Recordings of 1956 - 1957)
Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano
Classical - Released by Casta Diva on Sep 30, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maria Callas • Vol 3 : Wagner • Ponchielli • Verdi
Classical - Released by Ermitage Records on Aug 24, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo