Medea

Medea

Track Listings

1. Barbarossa

2. Guy Wonder

3. Alien Baby

4. Medea

5. Giaconda Smile

6. Skin

7. Arms of Cicero

8. Boss and Beauty

9. Shattered Room

10. Sugar Pill

Medea,Sex Gang Children,Cleopatra,Goth Rock,Heavy Metal,Popular Music,Rock

Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11/Orchestral Music; Leonard Slatkin
Average customer rating:

Best Barber CD available

GET this disc- it is absolutely phenomenal

The Best of Samuel Barber

Heavenly

THere's no better value on CD.

Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11/Orchestral Music; Leonard Slatkin
Samuel Barber , Leonard Slatkin , and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Barber's Adagio

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Barber: Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto; Piano Concerto

ASIN: B000002RQE
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Overture To 'The School For Scandal', Op. 5
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11
(First) Essay For Orchestra, Op. 12
Second Essay, Op. 17
Third Essay, Op. 47
Medea's Dance Of Vengeance, Op. 23a

Customer Reviews:

Best Barber CD available.......2006-10-31

Much better than the Zinman disk in my view. Buy it for the Adagio. Love it for all of the pieces. Gorgeous!

GET this disc- it is absolutely phenomenal.......2004-07-27

THis CD is worth 10 times its weight in gold. Just get it, get it now, before you have to hear a minute more bad music.

It'll play in your head for the rest of your life.

What a great investment in your mind.

Have you bought it yet?

The Best of Samuel Barber.......2003-12-23

Samuel Barber's most popular orchestral works have seldom been as well-performed as they were by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin. This wonderful EMI recording is a lasting testament to the great things that Slatkin accomplished during his long tenure in St. Louis.

The overture to "The School for Scandal" was an early triumph for Samuel Barber and it was clearly an exciting, dramatic, and sometimes lyrical work. Slatkin is very sensitive and understanding of this music and was able to lead the St. Louis musicians in one of the best performances of this popular work.

Perhaps Barber's best-known work is the "Adagio for Strings," originally part of a string quartet. It bears the distinction of having a world premiere under the legendary Arturo Toscanini. It's interesting to note that Barber had gone to Italy one summer and managed to meet the Maestro, who was on his own summer vacation. Toscanini was impressed with the aspiring, young composer and was soon even more impressed with the "Adagio for Strings." Toscanini chose to premiere the "Adagio" with the NBC Symphony on a broadcast performance. It is one of the most deeply moving compositions by any American composer. I've seldom heard such a powerful performance as this one by Slatkin and the St. Louis orchestra.

Toscanini also premiered the first of Barber's "Essays for Orchestra." Interestingly, however, the first recording of this energetic, colorfully orchestrated work was by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra in a 12-inch 78-rpm RCA Victor Red Seal recording. Slatkin not only conducted this work but the two essays which followed, the third of which is one of Barber's later works (with rather spectacular, imaginative writing for percussion).

Finally, there is the rather jazzy and compelling "Medea's Dance of Vengeance." One critic referred to this as a boogie woogie for orchestra. It is very syncopated and almost overwhelming in its intensity, particularly in this performance. Anyone familiar with the legend of Medea will recognize that Barber has managed to faithfully depict the horrible events in this memorable work.

Heavenly.......2003-04-12

Slatkin and Barber go hand in hand. This recording will be celebrated for generations to come.

THere's no better value on CD........2002-10-05

I must have listened to this CD a thousand times, and I want to hear it a thousand more. There is so much more to Samual Barber than the one piece he's popular for. Check it out!

Average customer rating:

A sparkling remaster
Great music and a great package
An American Classic
Best of Barber
Is there anything to add...?

Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Barber's Adagio / Munch, Galway, Boston SO Strings
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Hungarian Sketches
Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11/Orchestral Music; Leonard Slatkin
Bernstein Century - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, etc
Haydn: The London Symphonies, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000029V2
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Medea's Dance Of Vengeance, Op. 23a
String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 11: Adagio For Strings
Second Essay For Orchestra, Op. 17
Overture To The School For Scandal, Op. 5
'Andromache's Farewell,' Op. 39: Andromache's Farewell, Op. 39
Intermezzo From Vanessa (Act II), Op. 32
Overture To Amelia al ballo
Interlude From Wozzeck (Act III)
Introduction To Fervaal, Op. 40

Amazon.com

This classic disc has been the prime recommendation for Barber's short orchestral pieces since the early 1960s. Remastered onto CD for the first time, and with the addition of some other items conducted by Thomas Schippers, it sounds better than ever. All of Barber's music is blessed with the virtues of impeccable craftsmanship, tunefulness, and, above all, brevity. Although a Romantic by temperament, Barber had the gift of being able to fit a lot of emotional impact into a very small space. The famous Adagio for Strings and the Second Essay actually sound much bigger than they are, but they don't go on a second too long--which means you can play them again right away! You'll want to. --David Hurwitz

Amazon.com

The most beautiful recording ever made of the Adagio for Strings is at last on CD, thoughtfully coupled with some of the other recordings the young Thomas Schippers made for Columbia Masterworks--of the music of Barber and others--between 1960 and 1965, at the start of his all-too-brief career. Although he was never on personal terms with Barber, Schippers had the ability to put Barber's music across in just the right way, with the perfect blend of energy and lyricism, toughness and warmth, and, above all, the feeling that its sentiment was real, yet ineffably contained. The performance of the New York Philharmonic (in the Adagio, as well as in the Second Essay for Orchestra, the Overture to the School for Scandal, Andromache's Farewell, and Medea's Dance of Vengeance) is aglow with inspiration, and the sound is exceptionally vivid, with a palpable sense of presence and space. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

A sparkling remaster.......2006-12-29

This disc showcases a spectrum of talent from the young Schippers before his tragic death. However, contrary to the other reviews, this is not the best version of the "Adagio" that I have ever heard. The other tracks on the disc are a nice complement and some are hard to find on CD. All in all, a decent buy.

Great music and a great package.......2006-11-10

This reissue of material conducted by Thomas Schippers shows the great style he had conducting Barber's (and Menotti's) work. This CD has been reissued again with a more mundane package as part of the RCA red seal releases. This disc presents background information and pictures that are a delight to the collector and will interest the listener new to this music. Its sound is good for its age and packages material together very well.

An American Classic.......2005-12-03

Like many of the other reviewers, I owned this recording as an LP. Listening to it again in the CD format was a wonderful experience. Barber's lyrical gift was extraordinary. "Romantic" is an inadequate word to describe his music. And it sounds peculiarly American, like Copland's. You can't imagine that a European could have written it. It has too much freedom and sparkle, too much yearning and openess. My only criticism is that this disc omits "Knoxville: Summer of 1915", which I recall was on the old LP, with Leontyne Price as the soloist. Thomas Schippers seems to have been the ideal interpreter of this composer. What a pity that he died young.

Best of Barber.......2004-09-30

The cover and Barber performances come from one of my favorite LPs - an old Odyssey release from the 70s. (Having worn one down, I was lucky to find a new one at a second-hand store - and soon after the CD was, finally, released.) Needless to say, I've listened to these performances frequently but never tire of them. Schippers, who was a close protege of Barber's (his lover?), infuses all of the Barber orchestral pieces with enormous vitality and emotion. The Adagio is one of the two or three best (if not THE best) on record, and the Medea Meditation and Dance of Vengeance is a knockout, more forceful even than Barber's own recording of the music in the Medea Suite for Mercury in the 50s. The School for Scandal Overture is a rollicking and tuneful delight, and the Second Essay is superbly done. My only objection is the CD is a rather scatter-shot collection, a massing culled from the handful of recordings Schippers made for Columbia in the early '60s. The sound is fine, but I'd sure love to hear an SACD version of this recording.

Is there anything to add...?.......2003-09-26

Is there anything to add to the string of glowing reviews of this CD? Perhaps not but I feel an obligation as it has been part of my life since I first bought it in 1967--and wore out several LP versions of it. The combination of composition, interpretation, playing, and engineering of the Barber pieces is unparalleled in my experience; each must be considered as definitive. I particularly favor the Second Essay which comes across as a major work of it era and should appear in concert more often. The contibution by Martina Arroyo is just an extra added attraction in this extended compilation. Legendary!

Average customer rating:

great album
a great selection of Barber works
Pure Americana
Awesome "Knoxville", AwFUL "Overture"
Awesome "Knoxville", AwFUL "Overture"

Music of Samuel Barber

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000003CX0
Release Date: 1992-02-11

Tracks:

Overture To 'The School for Scandal', Op.5
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915, Op.24
(First) Essay For Orchestra, Op.12
Second Essay, Op.17
Adagio For Strings, Op.11
Medea's Dance Of Vengence, Op.23A

Customer Reviews:

great album .......2006-02-12

great album to the previous reviews i cannot add anything that makes sense. I just like this music very much.

a great selection of Barber works.......2005-01-25

The diverse pieces on this CD give us a wonderful example of Samuel Barber's genius, and leaves no doubt as to his place in the hierarchy of American music, from the dramatic and theatrical opening and closing works, to the poignant, exquisite "Knoxville: Summer of 1915", to the much loved "Adagio for Strings", a composition even people who never listen to classical music are familiar with.
"The School for Scandal Overture" has always been a favorite of mine, and "Knoxville", so beautifully sung by soprano Sylvia McNair, uses the words of James Agee, that describes small town living in days gone by, in a profoundly touching way.

The "First Essay for Orchestra" was premiered along with "Adagio for Strings" by the grand maestro Arturo Toscanini in an NBC broadcast when Barber was only 28, and was the beginning of Barber's many huge successes, both critical and popular.
The "Second Essay" was written for Bruno Walter in 1942, and is much more abstract than the "First Essay", and is the least familiar piece on this CD for me, and the "Adagio for Strings" is given an appropriately delicate, somber performance, contrasted by "Medea's Dance of Vengeance", which builds to a fantastic rhythmic finale.

Barber's music stirs the emotions, enchants with his strong melodic lines, and always has that uniquely American "sound", music that could not have been composed anywhere but the U.S.A.
Yoel Levi and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra do justice to these terrific works, and Ms. McNair is perfect in "Knoxville", which is one of the signature pieces in her repertoire.
Recorded in 1991, the booklet insert has liner notes on Barber's life, the text of "Knoxville", a small bio of McNair, and full recording info. Total playing time is 65'29.

Pure Americana.......2002-02-06

This is a terrific collection of works by Barber. Like Copland, Barber's pieces evoke nostalgic images of America, but their overall character is delicate and pensive. The opening overture is as delightful as a summer picnic. It is a perfect lead-in to the soft reminiscences of Knoxville, poignantly rendered by Sylvia McNair. The outpouring of grief from the 1st Essay and the heartbreak of the Adagio are adroitly interrupted by the anger & agitation of the 2nd Essay. Medea's Dance is an appropriate farewell closer. All in all, a well programmed disc with 65 minutes of great music and Telarc's unmatched sonics. Easily recommended!

Awesome "Knoxville", AwFUL "Overture".......2002-01-21

I agree with earlier reviewers regarding this recording of "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" - one of Barber's most beautiful and hauntingly nostalgic works - is exceptional. Sylvia McNair is one of (if not THE) best interpreters of this piece that I've ever come across.

Awesome "Knoxville", AwFUL "Overture".......2002-01-21

Tracks:

Questo Silenzio Ombroso - Sandrine Piau
Dolce Piange Romito Usignuolo - Sandrine Piau
Or Mentr'io Dormo - Sandrine Piau
Introduction - Sandrine Piau
Filen, Mio Caro Bene - Sandrine Piau
Aria: Chiedi Pur Ai Monti - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Ma Se Prova Bastante - Sandrine Piau
Aria: Che Ti Sembra, Son Fedele - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Cleopatra Mia Reina - Sandrine Piau
Aria: Parto Dunque O Mio Tesoro - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Antonio, E Qual Destino - Sandrine Piau
Aria: Vo Goder Senza Contrasto Te Mia Vita - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Somministriamo A Giove - Sandrine Piau
Duo: Deh, Mio Ben, Troppo Ti Sprona - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Regina, E Scritto In Ciel - Sandrine Piau
Duo: Dunque Mio Core, All'Armi - Sandrine Piau
E Pur Vuole Il Cielo E Amore - Sandrine Piau
In Si Duro Martire Che Piu Penare - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Leandro, Anima Mia - Sandrine Piau
Aria: Non Mi Togliete Il Bene - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Vieni, Leandro, A Consolar - Sandrine Piau
Aria: La Speranza Dice Al Core - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Cosi Fra Se Parlava - Sandrine Piau
Aria: Di Donna Amante - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Mentre Sul Carro Aurato - Sandrine Piau
Aria: Piu Di Te, Mirtillo Mio - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Ma Come In Questi prati - Sandrine Piau
Aria: No, Non Diperar Chi Sa? - Sandrine Piau
Recit: Dimmi, Intatta Per Me - Sandrine Piau
Aria: Si, Per Te, Mio Bene - Sandrine Piau
Recit: E Tu, Clori Gentille - Sandrine Piau
Duo: Sin Che Il Sole Spande I Rai - Sandrine Piau

Tracks:

Medea In Corinto - Sandrine Piau
Soffri, Mio Caro Alcino - Sandrine Piau
I Preludio - Sandrine Piau
II Allemanda - Sandrine Piau
III Giga - Sandrine Piau
D'improvviso - Sandrine Piau
I Grave - Sandrine Piau
II Vivace - Sandrine Piau
III Adagio - Sandrine Piau
IV Vivace - Sandrine Piau
Vicino A Un Rivoletto - Sandrine Piau

Tracks:

Splenda L'Alba In Oriente - Sandrine Piau
La Lucrezia - Sandrine Piau
I Allegro - Sandrine Piau
II A Tempo Ordinario - Allegro Non Presto - Sandrine Piau
III Passacaille - Sandrine Piau
IV Gigue - Sandrine Piau
V Menuett - Sandrine Piau
Mi Palpita Il Cor - Sandrine Piau
Carco Sempre Di Gloria - Sandrine Piau

Tracks:

Preludio - Gerard Lesne
Aria: Siedi Amarilli - Gerard Lesne
Arioso: Lo Ti Miro - Gerard Lesne
Recit: Ah! Si Che I Tuoi Begl' Occhi - Gerard Lesne
Aria: Se Scherza E Ride - Gerard Lesne
Aria: Lasciami Un Sol Momento - Gerard Lesne
Recit: E Possibile, O Dio - Gerard Lesne
Aria: Soffro In Pace - Gerard Lesne
I Andante - Gerard Lesne
II Allegro - Gerard Lesne
III Menuet I (Grazioso) - Menuet II - Gerard Lesne
Ritournelle - Gerard Lesne
Recit: Misero Pastorello - Gerard Lesne
Aria: Se Tarda L'aurora - Gerard Lesne
Recit: Consolati, Cor Mio - Gerard Lesne
Aria: Si, Vi Rivedro - Gerard Lesne
I Tempo Giusto - Gerard Lesne
II Spiritoso - Gerard Lesne
III Lento - Gerard Lesne
IV Allegro - Gerard Lesne
Recit: Giu La Stagion D'Amore - Gerard Lesne
Aria: Vaghe Rose - Gerard Lesne
Recit: Pastorella Gentile - Gerard Lesne
Aria: Occhi Vezzosi - Gerard Lesne

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-07-22

This is a four disc set that includes cantatas by:Alessandro Scarlatti-Caldara-Handel and Giovanni Bonancini. What a treasure trove of music!!!!The cantata, to some extent, is a development from the madrigal that appeared in Italy at the start of the seventeenth century. While the madrigal was refined and delicate, the cantata evolved because composers felt the need to introduce a dramatic narrative element into vocal chamber music and thusly the music took a lighter, wittier turn.Scarlatti is considered as one if the initiators, and also one of the reformers of this genre, whose outlines he established. In his cantatas for a single solo voice and continuo,Scarlatti treats the latter as a true partner of the voice. Caldara,who was Scarlatti's contemporary,played a large part in the development of the chamber cantata for one to five voices. Bonancini,who was essentially centered on opera, nonetheless wrote innumerable cantatas for one or more soloists. Handel's stay in Italy between the years 1706 and 1710 resulted in a time of intense creative activity, and he quite naturally gravitated towards the cantata. One of my favorites of Handels on this disc is:"Splenda l'alba in oriente", Lesne does a very learned and skillful renditon of this music. The lightness of his countertenor voice suits this genre very well. He has good diction and a nice emotional response to the varying moods of the music. Sandrine Piau (soprano) does a nice job of blending and complementing the countertenor tone quality. All in all it's a most enjoyable and varied listening experience.

Wonderfully Sensitive.......2006-01-20

I want to just say that being a countertenor, it's hard to find a partner who can counter your unique tone quality and timbre. Sandrine Piau is one of the best period sopranos I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. The most pure and beautiful tone you can imagine. She plays off Gerard Lesne as if they are one voice, yet still seperate entities in their roles as musical indivuals in this recording. The selections are nothing short of amazing, and had me hooked from the very first track. Every once of energy has been given to the sensitivity of this unworldly pure music. The Handel pieces are a rare find and a surprise to those who think they know G.F. Handel like the back of their hand. And of course Gerard Lesne is one of the most celebrated countertenors on the stage today. His sound is unique yet still beautiful in that he is keen to preserve the music in its intended context. This recording is an amazing find for those who can't get enough of the countertenor sound, and can't find many recordings of Caldara, and Bonocini.

Dellightful Baroque performances from a masterful contralto.......2004-03-29

One wonders how Virgin Classics manages to produce and market these "Pleasure 4" 4-CD sets for such low prices, but prospective buyers need not worry that they might be getting an inferior product. While an avid lover of Baroque music, before buying this set I had never been aware of contralto Gérard Lesne's name, though I soon noticed that it appears on a number of disks that I already owned--along with the names of great Baroque maestros like Philippe Herreweghe and William Christie and outstanding performers like Fabio Bondi and Véronique Gens. The discography of Lesne and his Il Seminario Musicale is nothing short of astounding in quantity and range, including many disks that have received rave reviews from Amazon reviewers and customers. Lesne is certainly as versatile a countertenor as Andreas Scholl and David Daniels, though he is apparently a little less in the limelight. The cantatas presented here are well arranged so that there is considerable contrast in style and tempo from one piece to the next, assuring that the listener never feels a sense of monotony. Moreover, we have four disks of cantatas each by a different composer, and many of these works will be new to even the average Baroque aficionado. I myself was not even aware of Caldara (c. 1670-1736), ten years younger than Scarlatti, who though "one of the most prolific composers of his generation," gets less than eight minutes on Harmonia Mundi's 15-disk Les Lumieres du Baroque (on the CD called "The Golden Age of the Oratorio"). Bononcini (1670-1747) was an equally prolific writer of vocal music, a pioneer of Italian opera, and an associate--and later rival--of Handel (1685-1759) in London. It is a delight to be able to revel in and compare some of the many delightful cantatas produced more-or-less contemporaneously by these great composers, performed with an alternation of loving gentleness and sprightly vitality by Lesne and ISM with instrumental interludes and accompaniments that can stand with the best of Baroque period performances. Lovers of late 17th and early 18th century music will find these relaxing disks ideal not only for dedicated listening, but also for playing in the background while working, doing household chores, or driving. If you already have some of Lesne's recordings, you will want this set as well, and for those who do not, this set is likely to become the beginning of a Lesne collection you will cherish for years.

Cherubini: Medea (complete opera live 1953) with Maria Callas, Fedora Barbieri, Leonard Bernstein, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

Average customer rating:

Why 5?... Find Out!
A classic
Great performance - terrible mastering
The Mighty Medea
Great

Cherubini: Medea (complete opera live 1953) with Maria Callas, Fedora Barbieri, Leonard Bernstein, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Maria Callas , Cherubini , Lsc , and Bernstein
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
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Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Ponchielli: La Gioconda (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Fiorenza Cossotto, Antonino Votto, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Bellini: I Puritani / Callas, di Stefano, Rossi-Lemeni, Panerai; Serafin

ASIN: B000069V7R
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

Sinfonia
Act One: Che? Quando Gia Corona Amor
Act One: O Amore, Vieni A Me!
Act One: No, Non Temer
Act One: O Bella Glauce
Act One: Colco! Pensier Fatal!
Act One: Or Che Piu Non Vedro
Act One: Ah, Gia Troppo Turbo
Act One: Pronube Dive
Act One: Signor! Ferma Una Donna
Act One: Qui Tremar Devi Tu
Act One: Taci, Giason
Act One: Dei Tuoi Figli La Madre
Act One: Son Vane Qui Minacce
Act One: Nemici Senza Cor

Tracks:

Act Two: Introduzione
Act Two: Soffrir Non Posso
Act Two: Date Almen Per Pieta
Act Two: Medea, O Medea!
Act Two: Solo Un Pianto Con Te Versare
Act Two: Creonte A Me Solo Un Giorno Da?
Act Two: Figli, Miei, Miei Tesor
Act Two: Hai Dato Pronto Ascolto
Act Two: Ah! Triste Canto!...Dio Dell'Amor!
Act Three: Introduzione
Act Three: Numi, Venite A Me
Act Three: Del Fiero Duol Che Il Cor Mi Frange
Act Three: Neris, Che Hai Fatto
Act Three: E Che? Lo Son Medea!

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein learned the score to Medea in five days after another conductor fell ill. It was also the first time he worked with Maria Callas. The result is electrifying. Bernstein hardly sees the score as the "classical" composition it had been considered, and Callas agrees--this is high drama, as close to verismo as possible. The performance, taped live in 1953, is a whirlwind of emotions. Callas, at her vocal best, with high notes blazing and solid and chest voice so dangerously pushed that it's a wonder her career lasted as long as it did, is an utterly malignant Medea, spitting out her rage in a way that is almost visible. The rest of the cast is good enough (or better than that), and the La Scala forces are in a controlled frenzy. EMI has cleaned up the sound of this (previously) "private" recording and eliminated much of the applause (after her first aria, Callas received a 10-minute standing ovation). Even if you own the old, studio-recorded Callas Medea, this will open your ears to the opera anew. Simply staggering--and midprice. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Why 5?... Find Out!.......2006-12-29

As is often the case with me, this Medea is my favorite but not my first. I purchased the Serafin Medea (Picchi + Scotto) just in time for summer break. I became very, very closely acquainted with a very, very bad version of the opera. Then, a month later, intrigued, I purchased this one. I was completely blown away! This recording is one of the few Callas recordings where no one in the cast is bad. Everyone (especially, as Berger puts it, "good old Gino Penno") sings wonderfully, and Callas provides a stunning example of what she dubbed in her later years as "bloody miraculous" singing. The dramatic aspects of her voice are completely overshadowed by the fact that she sang OUT! Callas herself said that Medea is "a role for moderation". As is stated in the libretto, if this recording has been somehow moderated or toned down, it makes one wonder what an UN-moderated performance might sound like. This thrilling Medea has certainly earned its five stars!

A classic.......2006-08-30

While the performance is first rate, the quality of the recording leaves a lot to be desired; some cases of "static" on Disk 2.

Great performance - terrible mastering.......2006-03-28

This great recording is totally sabotaged by the mastering EMI used. This was one of the recordings issued by EMI in conjunction with Callas' horendous sister Jackie, who claimed ownwership of Callas' live material (and EMI believed her????) Anyway this is a copy of old Verona CDs but the sound is muffled - if you want this performance in better sound, try and find the original Verona CDs 27088/9; also the Melodram is supposed to be OK. But avoid this set.

The Mighty Medea.......2005-11-02

This EMI recording will never dare get out of print. Recorded at La Scala in the 50's it finds Maria Callas in her prime, singing with bite, feral power and dramatic commitment in a role that equalled her greater performance as Bellini's Norma. This would be her second greatest role. The rest of the cast sings well and supports her with harmonic and dramatic integrity, particularly Fedora Barbieri, one of the few mezzo-sopranos who could raise her chest voice above the orchestra. Leonard Bernstein, ranking high in the list of quality conductors of the 20th century, takes the baton in a powerful, visceral interpretation of Cherubini's originally classical/Gluckian score. Bernstein was the one conductor who stood out by pulling out all the stops and delivering tricks that were innovative. His conducting was bombastic and modern and usually strayed from the mainstream, orthodox, old-school way of conducting that such famous names as Toscanini, Stokowski and Karajan conducted. Bernstein works well with Callas, bringing out more passion and dynamics than even De Sabata or Tullio Serafin, her champion conductors, ever did. Bernstein knows that Callas was at this time at the top of the opera scene and he wholly supports her temperament and bravura in a sublime performance. Medea is based on the old Greek legend of the wife of Jason, leader of the Golden Fleece-searching Argonauts. When Jason was unfaithful, Medea became crazed with jealousy and even murders her own children. The intensity of the opera lies in Medea's emotional downward spiral, which Callas, with terrific musicianship and vocal ability gets into easily. This is a must have for fans of the diva and while I don't much care for all her roles I think that Norma, Medea and Tosca are his best roles.

Great.......2005-10-01

Artists: Maria Callas, Gino Penno, Fedora Barbieri, Maria Luisa Nache et al.

Maria Callas' approach to Medea changed somewhat through her career. Here, her Medea, much like her Norma at Covent Garden in 1952, is of greater elemental strength than later in her career, compared with her portrayal at Dallas in 1958 for example, although not quite so complete. At Dallas, her voice was no longer the same dramatic soprano that graced the stage in 1953; instead, the voice is even finer on the coloratura high notes, if less secure than before, and Medea becomes less of a tigress and more `human'. However, her Medea remains remarkable at La Scala.
Gino Penno, an exciting singer, is a fine partner - he was at home in the heavier Italian repertoire e.g. Pollione (Norma), Manrico (Il Trovatore) and Ernani - several excellent "live" recordings and broadcasts of his exist; the Ernani with Cetra was particularly great.
Maria Luisa Nache was a quality singer and makes Glauce seem interesting.
Leonard Bernstein's conducting remains somewhat controversial but the result is extremely exciting and potent.
The sound is average - the chorus is tarnished by distortion and swamps just about everything else - soloists and orchestra - when at full pelt. The sound is usually adequate, if rather murky - excluding some high-notes and occasionally overpowering bass.

Recommended
D. Bennett

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Violin Concerto; Orchestral & Chamber Works

Average customer rating:

Most valuable Barber set.

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Violin Concerto; Orchestral & Chamber Works

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Barber: Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto; Piano Concerto
Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915/Dover Beach/Hermit Songs/Adromache's Farewell
Barber Premiere Recording
Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers
The Best of Barber

ASIN: B0007RO59S
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings Op.11 - Leonard Slatkin
Overture, Op.5 - Leonard Slatkin
I. Allegro - Elmar Oliveira
II. Andante - Elmar Oliveira
III. Presto In Moto Perpetuo - Elmar Oliveira
Essay For Orchestra Op.12 - Leonard Slatkin
Second Essay For Orchestra Op.17 - Leonard Slatkin
Medea's Dance Of Vengeance Op.23a - Leonard Slatkin

Tracks:

I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Israela Margalit
II. Adagio-Presto - Israela Margalit
III. Alegro Appassionato - Israela Margalit
Canzone For Flute & Piano Op.38a - Israela Margalit
I. Un Poco Allegro - Israela Margalit
II. In Slow Blues Tempo - Israela Margalit
III. Allegretto - Israela Margalit
IV. Allegro Molto - Israela Margalit
Nocturne (Homage To John Field) Op.33 - Israela Margalit
Slow And Indolent - Stanley Drucker
Faster - Stanley Drucker
Lively, Still Faster - Stanley Drucker
With Motion, As Before - Stanley Drucker
Joyous And Flowing - Stanley Drucker
Tempo I - Stanley Drucker
Pas De Deux - Israela Margalit
Two-Step - Israela Margalit
Third Essay For Orchestra Op.47 - Leonard Slatkin

Customer Reviews:

Most valuable Barber set. .......2005-09-14

Having virtually all the shorter orchestral works plus some of the best chamber and instrumental music makes this set more than its weight in gold -- especially now that EMI has sensibly lowered the price even further by issuing it on its Gemini line. This set also fills a void as an adjunct to RCA France's two-disc release of the First Symphony and three concertos with Slatkin and the St. Louis Orchestra. (Or, if you don't want the symphony -- and which Barber lover wouldn't? -- RCA now has those concertos on one very full mid-price disc.) The only major work missing is Knoxville, which no one coming to Barber's music should be without. But, depending on what you want with that heavenly masterpiece, there are ways to easily solve that problem.

Of course, the fiercest competition to these recordings comes from Naxos through Marin Alsop and the Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Both Alsop and Slatkin have Barber's music fully in their blood. They practically breathe and move by the pulse and cadence of the music, and they intuitively understand the yin and yang of its dramatic and the rhapsodic qualities.

Slatkin lingers more than Alsop in the quieter spots, and takes bigger risks, yet maintains greater control and tension in overall pacing. In The School for Scandal Overture, a wider ranging ride through the valleys and expertly picking up the pace through the dramatic peaks shows Slatkin at his best. He adopts takes an even broader pace than Alsop out of the gate in the Third Essay. Once past any thought of ponderousness, one hears how Slatkin links the notes like Alsop, phrasing the lines and even that percussion solo at the onset, taking more time than her in projecting the emotive weight and complexity, which is so easy to miss in this work. The results, as in Alsop's reading, are enormous, but richer and more rewarding.

The other way this set sweeps the field is through the impressive stable of chamber and instrumental works - nearly a full disc's worth. Each performance is very good to exceptional, and together yields a much wider (and welcome) range and variety in Barber's music than we are normally accorded. All of the players deserve special mention: cellist Alan Stepansky and pianist Isreala Margalit in the Cello Sonata; flautist Jeanne Baxtresser and Margalit in the Canzone for flute and piano; Margalit as soloist in Excursions, Nocturne in homage to John Field and two pieces arranged from the piano four-hands Souvenirs; and Baxtresser, Joseph Robinson, clarinetist Stanley Drucker, bassoonist Judith Le Clair and French hornist Philip Myers in Summer Music.

The Violin Concerto is the only also-ran, and not because it is a bad performance - just a less than fully persuasive one. Soloist Elmar Oliveira combines Isaac Stern's firm tone with some of the Kyoko Takezawa's rhapsodic approaches to the melodies. The key word here is "some." As good as Oliviera is - and he is very good - where he lacks is striding one leg on Stern's stay-on-the-rail firmness to the work's structure and the other on Takezawa wider-ranging, more mercurial jaunt around the course. He's astride two horses with very different temperaments and riding styles, not giving either mount his full attention but doing all he can just to keep them together. Slatkin gives this piece his all, but Oliviera holds him back. When you hear Slatkin and Takezawa, you hear how Slatkin and his team are willing to deliver a much more exciting a ride.

Average customer rating:

The single greatest recital CD from Callas

Maria Callas: Opera Arias

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002RNU
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

The single greatest recital CD from Callas.......2005-09-27

This is Callas in her prime, and every single selection sets the standard for that aria. Her famous La mamma morta from Andrea Chenier, the centerpiece of an unforgettable scene with the dying Toms Hanks in the movie Philadelphi, comes from this recital. In eveyr respect this is a supreme recording, matched only by her mad scenes recital and perhaps her first Verdi recital--they're are all indispensable.

Maria Callas ~ Cherbini - Medea [selection]

Average customer rating:

Deserved Reputation
A stage on fire!
ruslan
When ancient greek spirit meets opera, in one word, Callas..
Callas' musical abilities

Maria Callas ~ Cherbini - Medea [selection]
Luigi Cherubini , Nicola Rescigno , Vittorio Gui , Maria Callas , Teresa Berganza , Judith Raskin , Jon Vickers , Nicola Zaccaria , Peter Bender , Mary MacKenzie , Fedora Barbieri , and Carlos Guichandut
Manufacturer: Gala
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Verdi: La Traviata
Verdi: Aida (complete opera live 1951) with Maria Callas, Mario del Monaco, Oliviero de Fabritis, Orchestra & Chorus of del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
Bellini - Norma / Maria Callas
Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Nicola Zaccaria, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

ASIN: B000001XNI
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

Medea: Act Two - Creonte a me solo un giorno da? (Medea) (Neris) (Giasone)
Medea: Act Two - Figli miei, miei tesor (Medea) (Giasone)
Medea: Act Two - Hai dato pronto ascolto (Medea) (Neris)
Medea: Act Two - Ah ! Tristi canto ! ... Dio dell'Amor ! (Medea) (Giasone)
Medea: Act Three - Introduzione
Medea: Act Three - Numi, venite a me (Medea) (Neris)
Medea: Act Three - Del fiero duol che il cor mi frange (Medea)
Medea: Act Three - Neris, che hai fatto (Medea) (Neris)
Medea: Act Three - E che? Io son Medea ! (Medea) (Giasone) (Neris)
Medea: Act Three - Introduzione
Medea: Act Three - Numi, venite a me (Medea) (Neris)
Medea: Act Three - Del fiero duol che il cor mi frange (Medea)
Medea: Act Three - Neris, che hai fatto (Medea) (Neris)
Medea: Act Three - E che? Io son Medea ! (Medea) (Giasone) (Neris)

Tracks:

Medea: Sinfonia
Medea: Act One - Che? Quando gia corona Amor
Medea: Act One - O Amore, vieni a me!
Medea: Act One - No, non temer (Giasone)
Medea: Act One - O bella Glause
Medea: Act One - Colco! Pensier fatal! (Giasone)
Medea: Act One - Or che piu non vedro (Giasone)
Medea: Act One - Ah, gia troppo turbo
Medea: Act One - Pronube dive (Giasone)
Medea: Act One - Signor! Ferma unna donna (Medea) (Giasone)
Medea: Act One - Qui tremar devi tu
Medea: Act One - Taci, Giason (Medea) (Giasone)
Medea: Act One - Dei tuoi figli la madre (Medea)
Medea: Act One - Son vane qui minacce (Giasone)
Medea: Act One - Nemici senza cor (Medea) (Giasone)
Medea: Act Two - Introduzione
Medea: Act Two - Soffrir non posso (Medea) (Neris)
Medea: Act Two - Date almen per pieta (Medea) (Neris)
Medea: Act Two - Medea, o Medea!
Medea: Act Two - Solo un pianto con te versare (Neris)

Customer Reviews:

Deserved Reputation.......2005-06-05

This recording deserves its reputation. The recording quality is
good (for the time and place) and Callas is terrifying. The searing
quality of her chest voice is ( and needs to remain) unique. Young
singers, beware: don't attempt this at home, or any place else. When
you hear this and other recordings of Medea, you understand her
later vocal collapse, but hey: better 10 years of glory than 20 of
treading operatic water. While other singers might challenge her
in other rep, NO ONE can touch her in this role. There is a reason it
stays out of the repertiore: the tessitura is deadly.
Musically, it has some very interesting moments, and Cherubini's harmonic language takes some daring turns. Great performance ,
great music, great theater.

A stage on fire!.......2005-05-30

A friend who attended this performance told me he was totally flabbergasted by the riveting performances of everyone on stage that night. But don't take his word for this, listen to the performance and hear for yourself!

Callas' fury that night certainly made me believe the story that says she was addressing her curses both to Jason and Mr. Bing for sacking her. Her frightening vocal attacks that night are not for the faint-hearted. This is a lesson of what not to do when singing but I guess knowing no limits is what made Callas so popular and unfortunately voiceless in the end. She was in unusually firm voice that evening and delivers all the drama there is in this classic heroine.

For once she's parted by excellent artists! The young Vickers makes a heroic, mythical Jason and the even younger Berganza soars as Neris. Zaccaria offers his usual sumptuous bass and noble stage personality. For some reason I've never taken Rescigno seriously but he succeeds in creating an exciting atmosphere. The Gala sound is an improvement and the beautiful set offers excerpts from Callas' earlier Florence Medea.

One of Callas' all-around best recordings!

ruslan.......2005-02-25

if it were embodiment of Drama it would be Callas in this Medea.
outstanding performance.don't miss you chance to listen real Opera .

When ancient greek spirit meets opera, in one word, Callas.........2004-11-15

In 1958 Maria Callas was on a tour, right after recording the Mad scenes and Verdi arias I for the EMI in september, she arrived in octomber in New York and lunched with Mr Bing for the following season at the Met. They discussed for Traviata, Tosca and Lady Macbeth.

She began her tour with a concert in Birmingham, then in Atlanta, in Montreal, in Toronto and then she gave two performances of Traviata and two performances of Medea in Dallas. In her first performance of Medea she received a telegram from Mr Bing with which he was dissapointed from the Diva and confirmed that their agreement had ended, because she didnt agree to the repertoire he was offering her. She was quite furious and this can be understood by the way she sung in this Medea, with anger and dissapointment, which was fortunatelly preserved in good sound. She gave about five more concerts ending her tour in Los Angeles in a concert which is also preserved.

In this Medea we can see her acting like Callas, the furious Diva that the press had created, but this made her act as well her best as Medea. She was not a singing machine. This is why she used to cancel her performances when she was sick ....not in the mood to sing and to give her best performance (sviatoslav rochter could cancel a perfoamnce 3 minutes before its beginning if the lights were not good enough!!!).

She gives her voice in full sound and does not stop singing passionatelly from the first note to the last one. I consider it to be her best live Medea, because her voice is totally sublime. Even if she had given so many concerts and recorded in studio a month earlier, she sung her best . This was Callas, the phenomenon. No other artist gave so much to this opera. No other artist could sing Medea like Callas did , she was unique in this role. Some people that worked in La Scala in Milan had said that in her Medeas there, the blood of the public froze in the first words of hers...'e fors'e qui...io Medea!!!'.

For those who wish to listen to a more clear sound, but a Callas Medea as she only knew how to sing it, buy the recorded Medea in 1957. Her voice is a bit exhausted there, because of an exhausting tour of La Sonnambula in Cologne, a Lucia in Rome, then studio recordings of Manon Lescaut and Turandot, (Manon recording sessions ending on 15 of july and turandot's starting on 18 of July (!!!)), which were also recorded at La Scala in Milan with terrible conditions, then a tour in Edinburgh with La Sonnambula again...(and i still cant think of the reason why she didnt agreed to sing the fifth performance of La Sonnambula which was scheduled on 3rd of September, for which she was not contracted, by the way...she was not that tired..what do you think???...just kidding..)...and after all in september, her studio Medea, for which everyone can easily jump to conclusions, that she seemed to be tired.

Of course Tereza Berganza was a great artist and a great Neris, Nicola Zaccaria a wonderfull Creonte and of course Jon Vickers, her companion in her last Medeas in Milan, a strong and wonderfull Jason with a magnificent voice. (This recording also contains the third act of her first Medea, in 1953 when her voice was like a thunder, and what a thrill it is to be able to listen to her first steps in this role...)

Enjoy Medea, in flesh and blood, and be amazed by her unique artistic nature......

Callas' musical abilities.......2004-02-20

Reading one reviewer's idea of Callas admitting to not being interested in her voice and technique and her being a sloppy vocalist I had a good laugh because it's totally untrue. Young Callas spent 14 of 24 hours a day at the conservatory. Then, a sloppy vocalist is hardly capable of singing Rossini's Armida to perfection, learning this most difficult role (Sutherland never sang it) in five days only, a time in which other famous songbirds struggle with just one cadenza. A sloppy vocalist isn't capable of doing "I Puritani" and "Die Walküre" in the same week. Before you act like an expert, do your homework or you'll expose yourself to ridicule.

Tracks:

Casta Diva...Fino Al Rito...Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna
Oh, Rimembranza!...Ah Si, Fa Core
Perfido! Or Basti!
Mira, O Norma...Cedi, Deh Cedi!...Si, Fino All'ore Estreme
In Mia Man Alfin Tu Sei
Deh! Non Volerli Vittime
Sorgete; E In Me Dover...Quando A Un Tratto - Various Artists
Ah! Lo Sento
Cedo Al Destin Orribile
Oh! S'io Potessi Dissipar Le Nubi...Col Sorriso D'innocenza..Oh, Sole! Ti Vela Di Tenebra Fonda

Tracks:

Care Compagne...Come Per Me Sereno...Sovra Il Sen
Son Geloso Del Zefiro Errante
D'Un Pensiero E D'un Accento...Non Piu Nozze - Various Artists
Ah! Non Credea Mirarti
Ah! Non Giunge
Regnava Nel Silenzio...Quando Rapito In Estasi
Qui Di Sposa...Verranno A Te
Soffriva Nel Pianto...Tu Che Vedi Il Pianto Mio
Chi Mi Frena - Various Artists
Il Dolce Suono...Ardon Gli Incensi...Spargi D'amaro Pianto - Various Artists

Tracks:

Dei Tuo figli...O Fatal Vello D'or
Creonte A Me Solo
E Che? Io Son Medea!
Come, Innocente Giovane...Non V'ha Sguardo
Io Sentii Sulla Mia Mano - Various Artists
Ove Sono?...In Quegli Sguardi Impresso...Ah! Segnata E La Mia Sorte - Various Artists
Va, Infelice
Fin Dall'eta Piu Tenera...Salira D'Inghilterra Sul Trono
Piangete Voi?...Al Dolce Guidami...Qual Mesto Suon?...Coppia Iniqua - Various Artists

Tracks:

Di Mio Padre...Deh! Pelopea Stirpe!...O Tu, Che In Tua Pieta Crudel
Sommi Dei!...O Sventurata Ifigenia
Il Voto Pago Andra...Io Ti Veggio
Ah! L'esecrando Rito...Io T'imploro Anelante
Di Quai Soavi Lagrime
Omai Da Lunge...Perche Di Stolto Giubilo
Donna...Che! Possente Numi!...Quest'alma E Troppo Debole
Ah! Fuggi Da Morte
Ecco Il Segnal!
Ecco L'orrido Campo...Ma Dall'arido Stela Divulsa
Teco Io Sto...O Qual Soave Brivido
A Tal Colpo...Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia

Tracks:

Libiamo, Ne' Lieti Calici
E Strano! E Strano...Ah! Fors'e Lui...Sempre Libera
Non Sapete...Ah! Dite Alla Giovine
Dammi Tu Forza, O Cielo!
Teneste La Promessa...Addio Del Passato
Ah, Violetta!...Se Una Pudica Vergine - Various Artists
Ritorna Vincitor!
Al Tuo Consiglio Io Cedo...Gloria All'egitto - Various Artists
Qui Radames Verra!...O Patria Mia
Ciel! Mio Padre!
O Terra, Addio

Tracks:

Nel Di Della Vittoria...Vieni! T'afferetta!...Or Tutti Sorgete
La Luce Langue
Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora
Gente La Dentro!...Mario! Mario!...Non La Sospiri, La Nostra Casetta
Orsu, Tosca, Parlate - Various Artists
Vissi D'arte
Senti, L'ora E Vicina...Amaro Sol Per Te...Presto! Su, Mario! - Various Artists
Ecco L'altare...Ervate Possente
Come Sa Amare!...La Mamma Morta
Benedico Il Destino! - Various Artists

Tracks:

Ben Io T'invenni...Anch'io Dischiuso Un Giorno (Abigaille, Act II)
Dov'e L'indiana Bruna? (Bell Song) (Lakme, Act II)
Tutte Le Torture (Costanze, Act II)
Ahime! Che Notte Oscura...Ombra Leggera (Shadow Song) (Dinorah, Act II)
Depuis Le Jour (Louise, Act III)
D'amore Al Dolce Impero (Armida, Act II)
Bel Raggio Lusinghier (Smiramide, Act I)
Ma Chi E Questa Bella...Ai Vostri Giochi...Ed Ora A Voi (Ofelia, Act IV)
Vanne, Lasciami...D'amor Sull'ali Rosee (Leonora, Act IV)
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio! (Leonora, Act IV)
Dolce E Calmo (Liebestod) Isolde, Act III)

Tracks:

Una Voce Poco Fa (Rosina, Act I)
Tu Che Vedi Il Mio Tormento (Tu Che Invoco) (Giulia, Act II)
Surta E La Notte...Ernani! Nernai, Involami (Elvira, Act I)
Tu Che Le Vanita (Elsabetta, Act IV)
Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi (Mimi, Act I)
L'altra Notte In Fondo Al Mare (Margherita, Act III)
L'amour Est Un Oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Carmen, Act I)
Pres Des Remparts De Seville (Seguedille) (Carmen, Act I)
Nacqui All'affanno...Non Piu Mesta (Cenerentola, Act II)
Je Ne Suis Que Faiblesse...Adieu, Notre Petite Table (Manon, Act II)
Werther! Qui M'aurait Dit...Des Cris Joyeux (Charlotte, Act III)
Tu? Tu? Piccolo Iddio (Butterfly, Act II)
O Mio Babbino Caro (Lauretta)

Customer Reviews:

Just the best of the best........2006-02-08

From all the compilations of Maria Callas EMI has issued this is BY FAR the best one.

Unlike her studio recitals, unequal and mostly recorded when her voice was starting to decay, this live records take you back to the glorious early fifties when the young Callas was changing the history of opera forever.

The first 6 CD's are scenes from stage performances and the last 2 from recitals.

Chronollogically, this compilation starts with the legendary (and controversial) 1951 Mexico-City "Aida" and ends with the 1964 Covent Garden "Tosca" (when Callas' voice was just the shade of itself but at the peak of her dramatic skills).
Listen to the electrifying poetry of the 1952 "La sonnambula", to the devorating flame of 1955 "La traviata" and "Lucia". Not to forget the 1952 "Norma", the 1957 "Ana Bolena" and some rarities like "Andrea Chénier", "Ifigenia in Tauride" and "Poliuto".
The only great absent of this collection is "Armida"...

As for the the 2 recital CD's, the first one contains arias from concerts between 1952 and 1958, when Callas was in full command of her voice. Nobody else was capable of singing arias from Nabucco and Lakmé on the same recital! And listen to the last aria: Wagner's Isolde's dead.

The second one, contains arias from 1959 to 1963. Here, Callas voice had diminished considerably and she was not anymore capable of the same technical miracles, but she still managed to give thrilling dramatical interpretations (listen to the dead scene of Madama Butterfly of the 1963 Paris recital!!!)

In 80% of this compilation you can hear the young Callas creating her own legend, giving herself completly on the stage.