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Suggestions for the Best of Callas Presentation

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SeattleJohn

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Jul 3, 2010, 7:20:26 PM7/3/10
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I am doing a very successful series of speeches at my Toastmasters
Clubs to opera newbies that I am getting rave reviews on. I did one
each on Sutherland and Nilsson. Next I am doing Wild About Rossini. I
then plan to do a two parter on Callas. The first will be her personal
life and the second will focus on her singing and short snippets of
examples. I favor early fat Callas. Can you suggest an aria that shows
her at her best? I already plan to include the big High Eb from Aida,
probably a dramatic bit from an early Nabucco aria. Possibly the
finale of the famous theme and variations aria from Armida. Any others
that you can think of? My speech with examples is limited to around 10
min.

rich...@gmail.com

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Jul 3, 2010, 8:28:03 PM7/3/10
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Although I think that the natural impulse would be a Casta Diva - the
audience will like the melody and 'get' it, and I would suggest the 53
from ROH in that respect, I really think that for me her 'central'
role, if I had to pick one, which is ridiculous, is Anna Bolena.
Arguably, the revival, which Serafin had been trying to pull off for
years (he'd asked Victoria to do it years earlier) was perhaps the
single event which most reoriented our present-day listening culture
to bel canto - Norma was a known quality and quantity. This had had
very few revivals (I have found one in Spain or Portugal from the late
40s, but there wasn't much) and I think you could argue that as
performances go, it is at a level that can't be beat dramatically, as
well as for its historical importance. There are great still pictures
of Callas in costume and the Visconti sets, which were wonderful.

I think I would try to plump for the entire final scene, starting with
Piange voi and going through the Ah dolce guidami and the "Home Sweet
Home": aria (they will like recogniizing that - Bishop's work (was it
Bishop?) was usesd ad nauseum) to the incredivble Coppia Inniqua.
There'a an embarassment of riches in the entire series of
performances, and the only thing one might regret (besided the c uts)
are that we have it with Rossi-Lemini as Henry and not, the following
year, with Siepi. G-d is not always just.

It's about 15 minutes of music, but it's also a lifetime.

All best
Richard

Dorme Riposa

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Jul 3, 2010, 8:46:28 PM7/3/10
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On Jul 3, 5:28 pm, "richer...@hotnail.com" <richer...@gmail.com>
wrote:

I agree that Anna B. is a good choice. But if your total time is only
10 minutes, perhaps the opening of Tu che le vanita? Or of Ah non
credea mirarti? In both cases, a single phrase tells the whole story
of her appeal, or lack thereof for nonfans...

http://www.cantabile-subito.de/Sopranos/Callas__Maria/callas__maria.html

dav

Pat

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Jul 3, 2010, 11:14:59 PM7/3/10
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If I only had five minutes to explain what opera and Maria Callas mean
to those who fall under their spell, I would play the scene in
"Philadelphia" in which Tom Hanks puts on the recording of Maria
Callas singing "La Mamma Morta."

Newbies won't really 'get' the technical marvels Callas performed in
one or another brilliant performance. But I don't think anyone
without some knowledge of opera can watch that scene without feeling
that they're missing out on something. Something that can touch those
of us who give it a chance to the very depths of our soul.

Pat


rich...@gmail.com

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Jul 4, 2010, 2:33:08 AM7/4/10
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By the way, I don't know how much time you have, or how much interest
they have, but one interesting thing to do, if you have a little time,
might be to weave in part of the so-called "Dallas Rehearsal' with a
part of the Scala Bolena. She did the final scene with Rescino in
Dallas to inaugurate (I think) the Dallas Opera, and there is a
recording, in pretty good sound, of Callas rehearsing her concert
(this includes Marten Alle Arten and maybe something more, I can't
remember, but certainly the final scene of Bolena)....this would have
been within 12 months either way of the Scala performances, and I
don't think we have a more extensive document of her rehearsing with
an orchestra, except maybe some of that last middle Verdi stuff she
was recording. In any event, it is really rather amazing to hear how
she and Rescigno analyze and deal with the music (and with the
orchestra, which isn't so familiar with it), and whether or not it's
ideal for a toastmaster evening, one could easily put together bits of
the rehearsal with the complete final scene from Scala (we don't have
the Dallas final performance, I don't think) and make a very
educational and 'key-hole' evening of how a great artist approaches
rehearsing for a work.

I like dav's idea of the Sonnambula, but I am not so sure the music
really grabs an audience which doesn't know opera - forgive me - so
much.


On Jul 3, 8:28 pm, "richer...@hotnail.com" <richer...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> > min.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

ivanmaxim

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Jul 4, 2010, 7:06:31 AM7/4/10
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On Jul 3, 7:20 pm, SeattleJohn <johnmixonrobe...@msn.com> wrote:

I would play the Vissi'd'arte from the 1953 EMI Tosca as a conclusion
- pretty much sums her up. Wagner fan

J

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Jul 4, 2010, 2:58:48 PM7/4/10
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On Jul 4, 7:06 am, ivanmaxim <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I would play the Vissi'd'arte from the 1953 EMI Tosca as a conclusion
> - pretty much sums her up.


May I suggest the BARBER aria, to show her (for once) having a bit of
fun?

stefano

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Jul 5, 2010, 12:41:47 AM7/5/10
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Even though the sound is not great, I would select the duet with
Becchi from the 1948 Nap;es Nabucco. Both are in great voice, Callas
particularly. There are many recordings of this performance that vary
in quality, but after all this is a live 1948 performance.

Frank A.

gggg...@gmail.com

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Jun 30, 2019, 1:13:52 AM6/30/19
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gggg gggg

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Nov 24, 2021, 4:40:44 AM11/24/21
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(Youtube upload):

The Impossible concert by Maria Callas (1952)
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