[woodsyi]

An interesting  observation is Tabaldi and Callas. The former having a sweeter
voice. Wonderful sound for Puccini. Callas could be shrill in the upper range but no diva could match her acting and stage presence.

That's what I understand.  Callas was a force on stage as she projected more than just her voice into the role.  Unfortunately, I have never seen her on stage live or recorded.  Opera is half visual production and it's a shame that we can only judge the old singers by their recorded (often poorly) sound without the visuals.  I just placed an order for Maria Callas - La Callas... Toujours (1958) which has a second act of Tosca live.  According to Google, there is no video of her performing a complete opera.  Her voice alone doesn't do it for me but maybe the whole package might.  I will report back.

[jerryleefish]

There was a complete movie of Tosca with Callas. I saw it at a theater in Seattle years ago.

[jerryleefish]

We should not overlook some of the great Divas over the last fifty years:
Joan Southerland, Kiri Te Kanawa, Elizabeth Schwatzkopf, Marion Anderson
(not a Diva but an astonishing voice ),Kirsten Flagstad, Birgit Nilsson,Renata Tebaldi,

[goldlizsts]

Maria Callas...simply an angelic voice.........................

Angelic?  I beg to disagree.  Her magic was the fusion of her acting in line with her singing.  Somehow there's a magic in there, but not the voice, IMO.  It was good, in her prime.  Her voice toward the end of her singing career was, IMHO, less than pleasing in many places, esp. in the upstairs area.  It keeps you alert though, when she hit those rough corners.

[etcarroll]

With all the classical I bought in last 2 years, I grabbed some opera along the way.

Tonight I start to listen. I have 3 different Madama Butterflys, let's start with a clean vinyl version I got for $1;

Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Erich Leinsdorf (Conductor), RCA Italiana Opera Chorus and Orchestra (Orchestra), Arturo la Porta (Performer), Philip Maero (Performer), Robert Kerns (Performer), Anna di Stasio (Performer), Fernanda Cadoni (Performer), Rosalind Elias (Performer), Gianna Lollini (Performer), Leontyne Price (Performer), Silvia Bertona (Performer), Piero de Palma (Performer), Richard Tucker (Performer)

[woodsyi]

This is a historic recording of Price's only Butterfly.  She never sung in on stage.  What did you think? 

[etcarroll]

Listened to it twice.

First time read the libretto along with it, and as a result missed the impact of the music.

Cued it up a second time and just listened, found it enjoyable. Can't say how 'good' it was as I have no frame of reference for Opera yet.

I'll have to put on the other Butterflys I have. One with Freni and Pavarotti in lead roles and Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, the other with Tebaldi and Bergonzi in leads, Serafin conducting L'ACCADEMIA DI SANTA CECILIA, ROME.

And then I found I have Callas in Tosca to look forward to.

[Russell Dawkins]

Leontyne Price is a favorite of mine. Listen to the snippet on track ten of this CD:



http://tinyurl.com/dxmkz7p

On this page, 4th item down - the DVD with Herbert von Karajan conducting a young Pavarotti and Price in Verdi's Requiem, see the comments below!
http://tinyurl.com/8hdb5a9

[etcarroll]

I think I have that on vinyl as well, I'll work it into the rotation.

Yup - nice, clean 'Shaded Dog', but side 2 has a horrific scratch, that will never see my stylus.

Leontyne Price is a favorite of mine. Listen to the snippet on track ten of this CD:



http://tinyurl.com/dxmkz7p

On this page, 4th item down - the DVD with Herbert von Karajan conducting a young Pavarotti and Price in Verdi's Requiem, see the comments below!
http://tinyurl.com/8hdb5a9