Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964
by Franco Zeffirelli
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DVD details
Actor: Dennis Wicks, Maria Callas, Renato Cioni, Robert Bowman, Tito GobbiDirector: Franco Zeffirelli
Producer: Bill Ward
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); French (Original Language); English (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 70 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-08-13
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: EMI Classics
DVD Reviews of Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964
DVD Review: History!
Summary: 5 Stars
I give 5 stars to this DVD for the 1964 Tosca's place in La Divina's history. You just must have it! When you watch it, you will wish you had a DVD of Callas and Gobbi in the entire opera; but you will rejoice that you have even these bits.
At age 41, Callas managed to transform herself into this almost-virginal Tosca, and she is awesome! She completely subjects her voice to being Tosca. She infuses incredible pathos and agony most raw into that voice while still doing justice to the music. That's why she was La Divina.
I personally love Tito Gobbi! But, even if I didn't, his Scarpia is a visual and aural treat. While a little long in the tooth, in 1964 Gobbi was still a powerful actor and singer. His Scarpia is one thousand percent despicable!
Unlike other reviewers, for me the 1962 material is harder to discuss. This was a difficult time for Callas as a singer. I want to love it for her and the music; but there we are. To me, she appears and sounds pressed on a number of fronts. By 1964, she seemed in better shape.
The package EMI provides us is a disappointment, to say the least. The notes are scanty and difficult to read. Tiny gold print on black (!!!!!!) for the first page. Not much better for the second page--tiny black print on gold. EMI, what WERE you thinking????
DVD Review: A MUST HAVE for Callas fans.
Summary: 5 Stars
I give this DVD five stars because no one sang Carmen or Tosca like Maria Callas and this DVD shows us exactly why. On the other hand, fans looking for a great performance of the entire opera of Tosca should look to her '53 recording with DiStefano and Gobbi, conducted by Victor DeSabata. This doesn't come close. And that is saying a lot because this is pretty good. The problem is Carlo Felice Cillario's conducting isn't great and the acting by everyone other than Callas and Gobbi (who are phenomenal) is sub-par.
The 1962 aria portion is great even with Georges Pretre's sillyness at the podium. Maria sings "Tu che la Vanita" from Don Carlo, then the "Habanera" and "Seguidille" from Carmen. Pretre's treatment of other scores and his goofball antics aside, I think it's beyond argument that he knew what he was doing as far as Carmen. The same goes for Callas who is the epitome of Carmen.
DVD Review: Maria Callas - At Covent Garden
Summary: 3 Stars
The disc is OK - but the sound leaves something to be desired. However, I have a tape of the same concert and the sound is equally poor, so we have to blame the old-fashioned technology. However, by the time you have paid for postage and packing and then customs and VAT, the discs are very expensive.DVD Review: Callas was Callas in the proper time, in her case - very important.....
Summary: 4 Stars
EMI has done wonderful restoration work on this disc. Those of us who had it on VHS can be grateful for the wonderful digital work that brings superb clarity.
Maria Callas was excellent, commited, interesting, and intelligent to a degree, but more instinctive - all those things. Many of her colleagues spoke about her otherwise, and they were accused of jealousy. For example, Simionato admitted that Callas never moved her, Gina Cigna admitted to her great presence but did not identify with her heroines, and Favero found her not feminine. I don't think this is professional envy. To my understanding these are simply observations. For example, a loud airplane flying overhead is not an opinion, certainly not jealousy but simply an observation. Elena Nicolai was definitely not jealous of La Callas upon saying: "..of Normas...Pacetti was the most sublime....she sang to her children like a mother. With Callas, this never came across, there was something sterile about her, and one felt she had no children of her own....no real warmth." This is exactly what destroys La Callas in this Tosca, and why none of the reviews I've read mentioned being touched or moved. I've read only admiration, respect, and comments on artistry, perfection, presence, style, inflections, gestures, never a spiritual connection, never a reflection, never torture or a truly broken heart. Yes, for all my respect for Callas - in comparison to very moving moments of Muzio in Ombra di nube; even Roman in Otello and Stratas as Mimi - the tigress is barren.
No one will ever rob the attractive Maria Callas, with those lovely middle eastern features, of her glory days. It was her time for sure, but there is a facet of the singers art that she did not master, probably could not master, and that was very simply -- the human quality of empathy, which she showed neither in life nor onstage.
A fabulous historical document!
DVD Review: Maris Callas- At Covent Garden
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent. Makes me cry everytime I watch her. She is the benchmark for all opera singers. Get it!!!!
Description of Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964
The second half of this recording is an important item in the too-scanty video discography of Maria Callas. Matched with another great singing actor, Tito Gobbi as the lecherous, hypocritical Scarpia, she participates in a textbook demonstration of how Act II of Tosca should be performed. There is a subtlety and nuance in their interactions that one seeks in vain in later, technologically more advanced videos. With a murder onstage, torture offstage, sexual harassment, and deep anguish (beautifully expressed in "Vissi d'arte"), this act provides rich opportunities for these performers, and they take full advantage. You may hear it better sung; you are not likely to see it better acted. The first half, a 1964 recital, offers less scope for acting, and Callas's voice is slightly past its prime, but she performs impressively in the mezzo range in two arias from Carmen. --Joe McLellanGeneral DVDs
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