Comments on: Happy Birthday La Divina

By: luvtennis

luvtennis — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:37:54 +0000

As ill-considered as Dorion’s comments were (Maria had a fabulous technique for the most part), I think the fetishism of Callas has been a largely negative phenomenon.

She was a great musician. Her attention to detail, her amazing rythmic accuracy, her perfect legato all bespeak a master artist.

BUT, she made a lot of bad choices from a rep perspective. Like so many singers trained in Europe in her era (bad versimo influence), she had real problems managing the ascent into her upper register. And while the extant videos show her to have been a commanding, overwhelming stage presence, she was hardly the first or last great actress in opera.

What bothers me about opera is that despite all of her great qualities, I don’t think her overwhelming fame – especially since her death – has as much to do with her vocal artistry as it does her tabloid life.

Had she not shed all that weight and fallen in love with a thug, I doubt very seriously that she would have become the oppressive presence in opera that she remains.

Finally, her influence has been largely pernicious – mostly due the fact that many confuse her flaws with virtues. The wobble, the shrieking, the overuse of chest voice, the singing of wildly inappropriate rep – they were flaws not the badges of honor that some find so compelling. Maria didn’t sing ugly for the drama (to paraphrase a queen or three), she sang ugly because the voice had really troubled spots, she sang an exposed repetoire that aggravated those flaws, her her personal life interfered with the technical work necessary to fix a voice that she ruined far to soon.

Maria worshipped Ponselle. Too many forget that Callas’ own personal gold standard was the epitome of beautiful singing.

By: CruzSF

CruzSF — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:09:47 +0000

O my goodness. I just learned that Valerie Masterston is 72 years old! She would make a very different Antonia.

By: Macbeths Honor

Macbeths Honor — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:13:12 +0000

Dear Dorian,

It is very unfortunate to see people like you who, for some reason, always try to find what is wrong and ugly. This is their way of satisfying themselves. They live and breathe on that.

I am not sure how educated or skilled you are musically, nevertheless posting unnecessarily negative comments only show your behavior disorder, and not a proper judgment. You sure have the right to your opinion but for those like you, I recommend you to read the recent “Ceci n’est pas un commentaire” and you will understand why. Morevover, if you consider nothing is right in this website, you can go ahead and start your own blog. You sure will have many followers…alas!

On the other hand, I encourage and support La Cieca on her way to improve and clean-up this very magnificent website. Constructive criticism is always welcome, problem children are not.

Regards,

Macbeth

By: kashania

kashania — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:48:26 +0000

I wouldn’t call Dorion an asshole. He just likes to goad people, especially when it comes to Callas, by saying things that he knows are untrue (like “poor technique”) and will get a response!

By: Batty Masetto

Batty Masetto — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:13:09 +0000

I’m amazed nobody has mentioned this audio clip of La Divina teaching the same aria:

Firm yet generous, and marvelously sharp-eared, dealing with a student who has a basic technical problem that means she’s not ready to approach the piece subtly without hurting herself.

By: peluffo

peluffo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:54:52 +0000

Everybody had talked about Callas too flawed voice, specially during her career, this is something cannot be hidden, her too many flaws and her mediocre vocal instrument.
BUT Something always impressed me is that story about how Maria takes into the roles, as Almaviva says.
Honestly I don’t notice a strong temperament or personality in Maria assumptions.She always seems to me weaker and cold too compared with many of the other great sopranos of the last century.To my ears she sings everything like italians calls “voce piangente” that suits good for Lucìa or Puritani o Bolena or Sonnambula or bel canto , Bellini and Donizetti but she had no power for Verdi enad even less for Puccini.I don’t talk only about her voice that does not carry the weight, the steadiness , power and firm tone that ask postverdiam drama, also her personality , she may produce vulnerability but no great power or personality.
About her voice, she sounds mostly well in coloratura, her coloratura is free but singing legato she dissapoints me, her high notes are not beautiful , I am talking about her best years 1948/55, even in those years her high notes are not firm and beautiful, her voice above FA sharp is thin and the notes are wobbly and too lyrical, her low lotes are pushed and not beautiful too and her middle is poor too.
I tried for many years to understand her appeal to her fans but I gave up to this after listening all her legacy.

By: Clita del Toro

Clita del Toro — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:46:37 +0000

Ruxton:

I was just lucky–started going to the opera in 1954 and saw many great singers in the 50′s and 60′s. I was also fortunate to have heard my favorite tenor, Jussi Björling a number of times as well.

By: Ruxton

Ruxton — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:40:18 +0000

Clita del Toro – what a lucky, lucky little veggie you are! I am green with envy. Every week I have morning tea with a friend who also saw her in many performances- he also saw la Nilsson do Salome and Elektra and Sutherland’s first Lucia. If only….

By: Clita del Toro

Clita del Toro — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:47:51 +0000

I saw Callas in Norma, Lucia, Traviata, Tosca and Il Pirata. She was a great, great artist/singer, who could also act.

Happy birthday, Maria.

btw, Dorian is a total ASSHOLE!

By: callasorphan

callasorphan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:23:03 +0000

I truly would have had a very dismal life without her opening the world of opera to me–thanks mom!

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:10:21 +0000

Oh didn’t mean to suggest that at all. I really am just a dummy when it comes to this stuff.

By: Maury

Maury — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:51:22 +0000

She opened the doors of opera to me, as well.

Do I recall correctly that on the same day we bid a happy anniversary to Parterre Box, at least in its moment of inspiration?

By: kashania

kashania — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:45:40 +0000

Bravo, Lindoro.

By: callasorphan

callasorphan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:43:18 +0000

Yes indeed, mother is at her most beautiful!

By: judycadanna

judycadanna — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:27:18 +0000

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/

By: judycadanna

judycadanna — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:25:52 +0000

Feminine nom d’opera and Gay Superpowers to Recognize a gown a la Balenciaga notwithstanding, Dan, I don’t like the implication that you’re the only guy reading this blog.

By: CarlottaBorromeo

CarlottaBorromeo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:07:36 +0000

And often under-rated… Talking recently to a singer who worked with him she had nothing but praise and felt he knew his business much better than many more highly-celebrated maestri with whom she sang

By: soubrettino

soubrettino — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:28:13 +0000

Even with only the right headphone working, Divina shines. And oh, the things I’d do to be on the end of a spit.

By: Theseus

Theseus — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:54:26 +0000

Sure, and Rosalind Plowright a better Norma, right? Too much fish & chips…

By: Ruxton

Ruxton — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:14:03 +0000

Wernato, don’t torture yourself….that’s our job!

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:21:51 +0000

Maybe being a guy puts me at a disadvantage, but how the hell can you tell who did her hair and who made her clothes?

Is it like looking at a painting and knowing intuitively that it’s a Kandinsky or a Gorky, a Botticelli or da Vinci?

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:14:09 +0000

That “?” should have been a “!”

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:13:44 +0000

True this? My first encounter with La Divina was a late recording…I don’t even know which one it was. My piano teacher played it for me. I wasn’t immediately turned on by it, but since I respected my teacher, I knew there was something there. Then she played me someone else’s recording. I’ve worshipped at the altar of La Divina ever since.

I bought the 1953 Tosca with de Sabata–the only Puccini I liked for a long time–and never ever looked back.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:09:27 +0000

Wasn’t Callas a huge fan of red meat? Like big f*cking steaks smothered in butter?

Anyway, yea Callas was the queen of yo-yo dieting LONG before Oprah.

By: tannengrin

tannengrin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:31:37 +0000

Listening to and watching Callas made me ‘get’ the romance of singing opera – beyond perfect technique, elocution, hitting the notes & all that.

By: mrmyster

mrmyster — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:19:44 +0000

Vicar, don’t you think Valerie Masterson a far better
Antonia than Netrebko? I surely do.
As for Hoffman, where is Walter Widdop when we need
him or Midgley?
Oh, for the good old days of Empire!

By: messa di voce

messa di voce — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:07:27 +0000

And isn’t Callas at absolutely her most beautiful here? Hair by Alexandre, wool boucle sheath a la Balenciaga, drip earrings, and an emerald the size of Central Park on her hand. Greek chic!

By: The Vicar of John Wakefield

The Vicar of John Wakefield — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:04:00 +0000

Lot of tosh about nothing. Tinsley outsang her at every turn. Plus`Jennifer Eddy was a finer Lucia, Marie Collier a finer Tosca and Lois McDonall a better Violetta.

By: richard

richard — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:37:51 +0000

This was not at all as exciting as it might sound.
I crashed a reception following a public press conference Callas held at the Julliard announcing the master classes. Callas was escorted into an elevator. I was very brazen
and called the elevator and took it up to the floor Callas was taken to.

All these people were talking to her and I was mostly interested in getting some autographs. While people where chatting, I stuck a few LP
booklets in front of her and she signed them.

After a while someone in authority noticed that there were a couple of gate crashers and directed me and my friends back into the elevator.

I did exchange a few pleasantries with her and she was polite but not terribly interested.
That was pretty much it.

By: Countess Guess-wit

Countess Guess-wit — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:19:48 +0000

Yes, please! Pretty please! Details!