Cherubini: Medea. Callas, Barbieri, Nache, Penno, Modesti, Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan, Leonard Bernstein (cond.) Warner Classics [Live Performance of December 10, 1953)
Her stunning last line: “Al sacro fiume io vo! Colà t'aspetta l'ombra mia!” “I go to the sacred river (Acheron in the land of the dead) There my shade awaits you!” I get goosebumps just writing it down. Callas’s performance is vocal magic, a human throat launching its genius into the universe, where it lives forever. 🪐🚀
First thanks for you fabuleus video's about music. I learn so much from you. I also use your commentator for choosing new cd's. I must say in this case i agree with your college. The dallas performance is taken the day after she got the message from the intendant that her contact with the metropolitan operahouse wassen not continued . She gave interviews the whole day and in the evenweg she was so worked up that the whole anger and rage came out. It is a must hear!!!!!!EN!!!! I WAS sometimes taken aback becaurse of the hatred she let free. Talking about real presentaties. The bad quality of the sound, itcwascrecorded on a private recording, just ADS to the dark mooi, helpt it come trough. It let me in awe. I can go on and on but i think for now i xtop Henk from Holland .
Oh David, just when I think you can't get any better, you go and top yourself! This is one of your best reviews. You are dead on with your description of Operaphiles, of which I am one. As to purely symphonic historical recordings, I would never tolerate for those the abysmal sonics that I tolerate for the sake of great singers.
I agree Dave. Others recorded it and performed on stage for their own satisfaction and the public's demand. But, after the dust of a live performance settled, I, as many others, completed the experience with Callas' recording(s). After THAT, we finally heard Media.
There is an interview by Pasolini where he's basically waxing philosophical about how the landscape of central Anatolia, where the film was shot, and Maria Callas' face were somehow the same thing: mirrors of something archaic and primitive and violent and mythical. It is a very good film, if you can stomach 1960s Marxist arthouse avantgarde cinema. Top notch soundtrack, too.
Six months ago Sondra Radvanovsky revived this role at the Met, and to get familiar with the opera I listened not only to the 1957 Tullio Serafin studio recording with Callas, but also the 1976 Gardelli recording with Sylvia Sass on Hungaroton, which sounds terrific. You can really hear Cherubini's orchestration - a nice blend of Mozart and Beethoven - while Sass strikes the necessary blend of beauty and fury.
I assume that I talk on behalf on quite a substantial segment of opera crazies when I claim that the live Aïda with Callas, Del Monaco, Taddei and Dominguez from Mexico 3rd July 1951 is THE Aïda recording of all time despite being a total sound-wreck.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Hear, hear! I, myself, can tolerate and unflinchingly enjoy listening to vocal recording from 1904-1906 and before (Caruso, Battistini, Tamagno et al.), but to claim, as Igor GVT does, that the 1951 live (sic!), Callas recording is "THE Aida recording of all time" is in my eyes - or, dare I say, to my ears, nothing but preposterous. I don't know, if I agree, but I could understand or at least follow the viewpoint, that you found it the performance to.end all other performances. But that the recording of this performance should go for being THE definitive RECORDING - no way! This would require something like the incomparable 1953 recording of Tosca with Callas/di Stefan, and Gobbi under de Sabata
No singer today could undertake and sing all these roles Medea, Norma, La Traviata, La Sonnambula, Lucia di Lammermoor. and Anna Bolena like Callas did
Hi Dave. Love your videos (just found your youtubes). I agree with just about everything you say about opera fanatics who only seem to care about the 'voice', and can disregard the rest. I'm one of those. And, I'm not a Callas acolyte. I love her singing and artistry and passion, but just can't get past the actual sound of her 'voice'. Just a side note, sort of related to the awful sounding recordings I love. If you ever get a chance, listen to a pirate performance of Cavalleria Rusticana from the MET in 1959 with Simionato and Bjoerling. The sonics are really awfully (probably recorded by the prompter), but the great singing and passion, we can ignore the distortion. It is the voice that matters. Thanks for listening.
Mr Newton, you are absolutely right about the 1959 Cavalleria with Simionato and Bjoerling. Even with the awful sonics, if one is not a pile of mush at the end of that performance, there's something wrong with them. 😊
@@JohnEmpey Thanks for your reply and comments. About that performance; there was a well known voice teacher out here in the valley and he was at that performance. Boy was I was envious. He told me that the audience was so drained by the performance that half of them just ;left and didn't even wait for the Pagliacci. Great story. Not to go on too long, but whoever uploaded this blog didn't include the audience's reaction when Bjoerling made his entrance; beyond wild reception. My friend said Simionato just stared at him giving him the evil eye (all in character). Take care.
I think with Callas, unless you are one of the opera crazies or the Callas cult, it's best to seek out the few recordings that combine everything you'd ideally want: Callas still in her relatively short vocal prime, completely owning a role, and good sonics. There isn't too much out there that fits the bill in all three regards, but I feel that it still is enough to get a good idea of why she was such a magnificent artist. Completism only harms most artists' legacies and basically takes away from your enjoyment, and Callas certainly was a case in point.
Totally agree with you. I've read that the rivalry between Callas and Tebaldi was just a lot of destructive hype. I don't think they were ever friends, but I'm sure they respected each other.
@@davidnewton9496 It was a mixed bag. Publicly they actually said more nice things about each other than one would assume. But there is evidence that privately, they both were either dismissive or critical each other. E.g., when they both were performing in Chicago concurrently, Tebaldi didn't bother attending Callas's performances, whereas Callas did attend Tebaldi's; Callas accused Tebaldi of being manipulative, etc. And I've read and listened to interviews where they both called each other's respective core repertories "easy," although they didn't explicitly mention each other's names of course. All in all, they were both prima donnas, and there was only enough space in any room for one of them.
Nailed it. I've been listening to all her Medeas for years to the point that I don't even register the bad sound anymore.. us opera crazies certainly have no shortage of hyper active imaginations haha And yes, to get technical, HATRED, is the best word to describe Callas' unique genius. She made hatred nuanced and deep.
Completely agree on the sonics stuff, but I do have a weird nostalgia for old sounding recordings. I’m young so all I have ever had is really good sound quality and when a recording sounds like this one it feels old (because it is) and I’m kind of ok with that. Still wish we had more high quality recordings of her, but at least they’re better than someone like Caruso.
Agreed that the Dallas recording is best. The sound isn’t great, but again, you hear everything. The stereo recording, actually recorded a year before the Dallas performance finds her less prodigious of voice and less involved. Maybe it was Serafin’s overly sensible conducting but what should have been one of her finest studio recordings doesn’t really capture the imagination.
I have all of Callas' Medeas. I agree with his friend's commment that the Dallas performance is the best all around, but i disagree that it is unlistenable. What is the source of this new remastering? All these things have been remastered umpteen times already. The best sources belonged to BJR and last i heard they were owned by Divina records out of Argentina. The 1953 Florence performance is the most complete..
Give Gino Penno some respect. He was a decent singer, who sang in an era of very stiff competition amongst the Italian tenor species. That he was not del Monaco, Corelli, or Bergonzi, should not detract from the fine performances that he gave. Giasone is not the most ingratiating role for a tenor. You might seek out his RAI Ernani performance, now on Warner, which also features Giuseppe Taddei, Caterina Mancini, and is conducted by Fernando Previtali.
As much as I enjoy Callas' Medea, I think there should be a place for a HIP Médée with french dialogues instead of recitatives. I'm only aware of 2 recordings of the french version. The one I have with Iano Tamar in the title role is just so-so, sonically and vocally speaking. Nevertheless it gives you an idea about its potentials as a successor of say Gluck's Alceste. One can only hope someone like René Jacobs and Véronique Gens would consider doing a recording. Just my 2 cents.
Hello David! Do you think that the change of language in Opera makes any difference to the actual music? (I took the Medeé-Medea case as an example) Thank you for reading and take care!
All rather interesting. I have both that recording (or at least the performance) and a 1961 recording of live performance at La Scala with Schippers conducting and John Vickers. In some respects the sound of the later performance is better and Vickers is certainly a wonderful Jason. The downside if by this time Callas was past her prime. Her characterisation had deepened but so had the wobble. Nevertheless it is an interesting listen.
Actually the Dallas cover is not a pic of her singing Medea. It’s a pic of her screaming at a process server after a Butterfly in Chicago. But the feeling is there
Sorry, afraid you are quite mistaken. That picture on the Gala label CD issue front cover IS indeed the photo of the 1958 Dallas Medea. In the notorious picture of her screaming at the process server, she wore a white robe and there was no ornament in her hair.
Actually, it's the studio version that I like least. I have listened it once or twice, while the life versions I've listen over and over and over again. I think that the London one is better than Dallas one. Both great. I I've find good things in the 1960 one.
Medea is the personification of "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". The 1959 London recording with Rescigno and Vickers has much better sound than the Dallas one. I don't like the studio recording that much - Serafin falls into the trap of seeing Cherubini as a Classical composer so conducts it as if it's glorified Mozart. Bernstein (and Rescigno) don't care about any of that. They smash the hell out of it
I think I've gotten to the point where I can appreciate Callas' artistry. I just can't stand to listen to her, especially since nearly everything that she recorded was engineered so poorly. I'm sure this recording makes a great case for Callas herself. But I second or third Sass' recording, which makes a much better case for the opera.
Her stunning last line:
“Al sacro fiume io vo!
Colà t'aspetta l'ombra mia!”
“I go to the sacred river (Acheron in the land of the dead)
There my shade awaits you!”
I get goosebumps just writing it down. Callas’s performance is vocal magic, a human throat launching its genius into the universe, where it lives forever. 🪐🚀
I have the Covent Garden live recording and its quite good too with Jon Vickers.
It's in STEREO
i'm just loving that you're talking about maria callas recordings. thank you so much and keep doing this amazing work❤
Her May 1953 performance conducted by Vittorio Gui is outstanding.
She was amazing as Medea even without her voice! Love her performance in Pasolini's 1969 film. This was a good reminder to go listen to the opera.
There are thankfully a few TH-cam videos of Callas. What a performer.
First thanks for you fabuleus video's about music. I learn so much from you. I also use your commentator for choosing new cd's. I must say in this case i agree with your college. The dallas performance is taken the day after she got the message from the intendant that her contact with the metropolitan operahouse wassen not continued . She gave interviews the whole day and in the evenweg she was so worked up that the whole anger and rage came out. It is a must hear!!!!!!EN!!!! I WAS sometimes taken aback becaurse of the hatred she let free. Talking about real presentaties. The bad quality of the sound, itcwascrecorded on a private recording, just ADS to the dark mooi, helpt it come trough. It let me in awe. I can go on and on but i think for now i xtop
Henk from Holland .
Oh David, just when I think you can't get any better, you go and top yourself! This is one of your best reviews. You are dead on with your description of Operaphiles, of which I am one. As to purely symphonic historical recordings, I would never tolerate for those the abysmal sonics that I tolerate for the sake of great singers.
I would-- and happily do so. Guess that makes me doubly crazy. Or makes Dave insufficiently tolerant. Or both.
I agree Dave. Others recorded it and performed on stage for their own satisfaction and the public's demand. But, after the dust of a live performance settled, I, as many others, completed the experience with Callas' recording(s). After THAT, we finally heard Media.
It's interesting that Pasolini also cast her as Medea in his non-opera film.
There is an interview by Pasolini where he's basically waxing philosophical about how the landscape of central Anatolia, where the film was shot, and Maria Callas' face were somehow the same thing: mirrors of something archaic and primitive and violent and mythical. It is a very good film, if you can stomach 1960s Marxist arthouse avantgarde cinema. Top notch soundtrack, too.
Six months ago Sondra Radvanovsky revived this role at the Met, and to get familiar with the opera I listened not only to the 1957 Tullio Serafin studio recording with Callas, but also the 1976 Gardelli recording with Sylvia Sass on Hungaroton, which sounds terrific. You can really hear Cherubini's orchestration - a nice blend of Mozart and Beethoven - while Sass strikes the necessary blend of beauty and fury.
Oh, the Conundra! Good one. Informative.
I assume that I talk on behalf on quite a substantial segment of opera crazies when I claim that the live Aïda with Callas, Del Monaco, Taddei and Dominguez from Mexico 3rd July 1951 is THE Aïda recording of all time despite being a total sound-wreck.
Nonsense. It can't be. Plain and simple.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Hear, hear! I, myself, can tolerate and unflinchingly enjoy listening to vocal recording from 1904-1906 and before (Caruso, Battistini, Tamagno et al.), but to claim, as Igor GVT does, that the 1951 live (sic!), Callas recording is "THE Aida recording of all time" is in my eyes - or, dare I say, to my ears, nothing but preposterous. I don't know, if I agree, but I could understand or at least follow the viewpoint, that you found it the performance to.end all other performances. But that the recording of this performance should go for being THE definitive RECORDING - no way! This would require something like the incomparable 1953 recording of Tosca with Callas/di Stefan, and Gobbi under de Sabata
No singer today could undertake and sing all these roles Medea, Norma, La Traviata, La Sonnambula, Lucia di Lammermoor. and Anna Bolena like Callas did
I don’t often comment, but appreciate your thoughts on Maria. Yes, I am one of those….
You had me with "Media." Thanx for fixing that!
Hi Dave. Love your videos (just found your youtubes). I agree with just about everything you say about opera fanatics who only seem to care about the 'voice', and can disregard the rest. I'm one of those. And, I'm not a Callas acolyte. I love her singing and artistry and passion, but just can't get past the actual sound of her 'voice'. Just a side note, sort of related to the awful sounding recordings I love. If you ever get a chance, listen to a pirate performance of Cavalleria Rusticana from the MET in 1959 with Simionato and Bjoerling. The sonics are really awfully (probably recorded by the prompter), but the great singing and passion, we can ignore the distortion. It is the voice that matters. Thanks for listening.
Mr Newton, you are absolutely right about the 1959 Cavalleria with Simionato and Bjoerling. Even with the awful sonics, if one is not a pile of mush at the end of that performance, there's something wrong with them. 😊
@@JohnEmpey Thanks for your reply and comments. About that performance; there was a well known voice teacher out here in the valley and he was at that performance. Boy was I was envious. He told me that the audience was so drained by the performance that half of them just ;left and didn't even wait for the Pagliacci. Great story. Not to go on too long, but whoever uploaded this blog didn't include the audience's reaction when Bjoerling made his entrance; beyond wild reception. My friend said Simionato just stared at him giving him the evil eye (all in character). Take care.
I think with Callas, unless you are one of the opera crazies or the Callas cult, it's best to seek out the few recordings that combine everything you'd ideally want: Callas still in her relatively short vocal prime, completely owning a role, and good sonics. There isn't too much out there that fits the bill in all three regards, but I feel that it still is enough to get a good idea of why she was such a magnificent artist. Completism only harms most artists' legacies and basically takes away from your enjoyment, and Callas certainly was a case in point.
Totally agree with you. I've read that the rivalry between Callas and Tebaldi was just a lot of destructive hype. I don't think they were ever friends, but I'm sure they respected each other.
@@davidnewton9496 It was a mixed bag. Publicly they actually said more nice things about each other than one would assume. But there is evidence that privately, they both were either dismissive or critical each other. E.g., when they both were performing in Chicago concurrently, Tebaldi didn't bother attending Callas's performances, whereas Callas did attend Tebaldi's; Callas accused Tebaldi of being manipulative, etc. And I've read and listened to interviews where they both called each other's respective core repertories "easy," although they didn't explicitly mention each other's names of course. All in all, they were both prima donnas, and there was only enough space in any room for one of them.
Nailed it. I've been listening to all her Medeas for years to the point that I don't even register the bad sound anymore.. us opera crazies certainly have no shortage of hyper active imaginations haha
And yes, to get technical, HATRED, is the best word to describe Callas' unique genius. She made hatred nuanced and deep.
Completely agree on the sonics stuff, but I do have a weird nostalgia for old sounding recordings. I’m young so all I have ever had is really good sound quality and when a recording sounds like this one it feels old (because it is) and I’m kind of ok with that. Still wish we had more high quality recordings of her, but at least they’re better than someone like Caruso.
There are some Caruso recordings that will blow you out of the room. In a good way, I mean.
Agreed that the Dallas recording is best. The sound isn’t great, but again, you hear everything. The stereo recording, actually recorded a year before the Dallas performance finds her less prodigious of voice and less involved. Maybe it was Serafin’s overly sensible conducting but what should have been one of her finest studio recordings doesn’t really capture the imagination.
I have all of Callas' Medeas. I agree with his friend's commment that the Dallas performance is the best all around, but i disagree that it is unlistenable. What is the source of this new remastering? All these things have been remastered umpteen times already. The best sources belonged to BJR and last i heard they were owned by Divina records out of Argentina. The 1953 Florence performance is the most complete..
Give Gino Penno some respect. He was a decent singer, who sang in an era of very stiff competition amongst the Italian tenor species. That he was not del Monaco, Corelli, or Bergonzi, should not detract from the fine performances that he gave. Giasone is not the most ingratiating role for a tenor. You might seek out his RAI Ernani performance, now on Warner, which also features Giuseppe Taddei, Caterina Mancini, and is conducted by Fernando Previtali.
I was waiting for that. As I said, who cares? So he was adequate. That's nice.
As much as I enjoy Callas' Medea, I think there should be a place for a HIP Médée with french dialogues instead of recitatives. I'm only aware of 2 recordings of the french version. The one I have with Iano Tamar in the title role is just so-so, sonically and vocally speaking. Nevertheless it gives you an idea about its potentials as a successor of say Gluck's Alceste. One can only hope someone like René Jacobs and Véronique Gens would consider doing a recording. Just my 2 cents.
Hello David!
Do you think that the change of language in Opera makes any difference to the actual music? (I took the Medeé-Medea case as an example)
Thank you for reading and take care!
Yes, at least in terms of rhythm.
I do think it does!
All rather interesting. I have both that recording (or at least the performance) and a 1961 recording of live performance at La Scala with Schippers conducting and John Vickers. In some respects the sound of the later performance is better and Vickers is certainly a wonderful Jason. The downside if by this time Callas was past her prime. Her characterisation had deepened but so had the wobble. Nevertheless it is an interesting listen.
Dave, does this Warner reissue of the Callas/Bernstein "Medea" include a printed libretto with the Italian text and English translation?
Actually the Dallas cover is not a pic of her singing Medea. It’s a pic of her screaming at a process server after a Butterfly in Chicago. But the feeling is there
Sorry, afraid you are quite mistaken. That picture on the Gala label CD issue front cover IS indeed the photo of the 1958 Dallas Medea. In the notorious picture of her screaming at the process server, she wore a white robe and there was no ornament in her hair.
@@TobyS77 yes you’re right!!!
Actually, it's the studio version that I like least. I have listened it once or twice, while the life versions I've listen over and over and over again. I think that the London one is better than Dallas one. Both great. I I've find good things in the 1960 one.
So, there was a diva on this recording, AND Maria Callas ....
It's spelled Medea
That too (thanks).
Medea is the personification of "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". The 1959 London recording with Rescigno and Vickers has much better sound than the Dallas one. I don't like the studio recording that much - Serafin falls into the trap of seeing Cherubini as a Classical composer so conducts it as if it's glorified Mozart. Bernstein (and Rescigno) don't care about any of that. They smash the hell out of it
I think I've gotten to the point where I can appreciate Callas' artistry. I just can't stand to listen to her, especially since nearly everything that she recorded was engineered so poorly. I'm sure this recording makes a great case for Callas herself. But I second or third Sass' recording, which makes a much better case for the opera.