专辑简介

What year was this recording made ? She sings arias from great operas with the Paris Opera orchestra. EMI did much for distributing Callas records during the post World War II Era and culminating in the late 70´s. Maria Callas continues to be a much talked about opera singer, and were she alive today, she´d revel in it, even in the mixed praises. For some, Callas had a big voice, no doubt, but it was "ugly" (actual quote), it was wobbly, it was choked, it was forced, as if she were dying. But that´s only because Callas found that opera was a passion, and it was indeed a matter of life and death for her. Opera was her life and it was her death. She lost her voice in the 70´s, her illustrious career, which read like that of a Hollywood movie star- complete with Audrey Hepburn image- ended in a disastrous concert in Japan. She died in 1977 in her Paris apartment, almost like Violetta in the last act of La Traviata. In this recording, we find her in great voice, though I´m no expert on Callas. Most collect the earliest recorded material- 40´s and 50´s. In concert in Paris, we find she has a vast repertoire and glorious dramatic technique. "Ocean, Thy Might Monster" she sings in its original English, with excellent English diction and powerful lungs. She sings "O Don Fatale" from Verdi´s Don Carlo, a role that is usually given to dramatic mezzo-sopranos. But her interpretation takes the crown. An aria from Aida, "Non mi dir" from Don Giovanni, sounding graceful and tortured as Dona Ana pleads with her fiance to be patient with her, for she is still in mourning for her dead father. Everything on here is a string of pearls and all fans will not regret owning this album. Thank you EMI for giving us the great singers on record.