In the early '60s, Maria Callas' mystique was in full bloom, but her career was in question, marred by frequent absences and cancellations. This 1964 production of Tosca was a triumph, however, showing her detractors that her voice was still intact, and reinforcing her fans' belief that she was the ideal diva -- brilliant of voice, and convincing on-stage. Tosca was the perfect role for Callas; she was the personification of the diva she played on-stage, and her acting brought an excitement to the part that few sopranos ...
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In the early '60s, Maria Callas' mystique was in full bloom, but her career was in question, marred by frequent absences and cancellations. This 1964 production of Tosca was a triumph, however, showing her detractors that her voice was still intact, and reinforcing her fans' belief that she was the ideal diva -- brilliant of voice, and convincing on-stage. Tosca was the perfect role for Callas; she was the personification of the diva she played on-stage, and her acting brought an excitement to the part that few sopranos have equaled. This performance does show signs of vocal wear -- high passages have lost their bloom and taken on a slow wobble -- but it also has her more possessed of herself as an artist than she was even in her famous performances from the 1950s. Her "Vissi d'arte" alone is enough to show her command of music and the stage. The sound quality is better than her live performances from Mexico. Even non-Callas fans will be interested in this Tosca, largely for the callous and magnetic...
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