The One and Only Maria Callas, a two-disc compilation of arias, offers a representative sampling of the singer's recordings, and the selections reflect the unevenness of her career, with some performances spectacular and some less so. EMI is not consistent in listing the dates of the recordings, so listeners are left to speculate about their place in her career based on the sound quality of the recordings and the state of her voice. Her limitations are most evident in the verismo repertoire that makes up most of the first ...
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The One and Only Maria Callas, a two-disc compilation of arias, offers a representative sampling of the singer's recordings, and the selections reflect the unevenness of her career, with some performances spectacular and some less so. EMI is not consistent in listing the dates of the recordings, so listeners are left to speculate about their place in her career based on the sound quality of the recordings and the state of her voice. Her limitations are most evident in the verismo repertoire that makes up most of the first disc, where her tone and intonation are often less than ideal. In the best selections, though, it's easy to hear her star quality and the interpretive force of her characterizations informed by a deeply intelligent and focused musicality. Those include a beautifully nuanced "Mercé, dilette amiche," from I vespri siciliani, and arias from La sonnambula and Lucia di Lammermoor. The second disc includes solos by Bellini, Rossini, and Verdi, but is mainly made up of French repertoire....
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