I don't agree .In some operas Tebaldi , Caballe' are better than Callas .I love the velvet of Tebaldi 's voice ,and the soft of Caballe' s voice...the dramatic power of Callas' singing
Hello Anna. I love your channel, and opera needs you desperately in this era where children are not routinely taught music. Casta Dive, all by itself on an arias album, turned me from someone indifferent to opera into an Opera Maniac. I thought if Bellini could write this exquisite thing, there was likely more gorgeous music in the complete Norma which someone had lent to me. One joint and six vinyl sides later and Bellini had turned me into a gobsmacked opera freak. And then I heard Callas and it was all over. Down the rabbit hole forever. That was 50 years ago. An interviewer once asked Callas how she prepared to sing Casta Diva which is so difficult to sing and comes so early in Norma when you know you have hours of hard singing ahead and must arrive at the end with all your powers blazing in order to sing the finale effectively. The Divine Maria answered: "Well, first the flute plays it,. And then you sing it." That's all there is to it according to her. Yeah. Right.
Montserrat is singing at the Ampitheatre in Orange, in the south of France.. The wind was caused by a Mistral, which is a heavy wind that occasions this area and this time it persisted for most of the night during this performance. It was what was causing the fabric to and ripple and flow in this manner. This production was almost cancelled due to these Mistral winds, but it was Montserrat who recommend that they at least try it, and it was very successful with these effects. She commented in an interview that this particular performance was her best Norma.
Callas might not have the best voice compared to her contemporaries but she brings us to this whole different world when she sings. Just overflowing of pure emotions and I think that separates her from the rest. Caballet is brilliant as well---too perfect for me tbh in a way that she almost consciously tries to perfect all her notes which she does btw everytime she performs, but this overrides the emotions and rawness that should be present in the aria. I don't know, not an expert but listening to Callas always gives me joy and sadness. She had this thing that magnetised you when she starts singing a single note.
Amén. Not to take any credit from all the great singers from the past, but to me Callas embodies raw emotion and conviction when she sings. She makes me feel opera to my core. Viva la DIVINA. ❤
Callas and Caballe have such different voices. Callas will always be #1 for me in that she causes me to feel the music more deeply, however, I certainly appreciate the glorious high pianissimo Caballe is master of.
Hi, Italian here. I've just stumbled upon your channel and I found it amazing, instant follow. I must confess I'm not an opera habitué when it comes to regular, every-day listening but my dad was (real enthusiast) and he fortunately educated me in good music: this is an aria he often used to listen to while reading in the living room so I basically grew up with Casta Diva (and Verdi, Rossini, Mozart etc.) and I love it so much. You made me relive such sweet memories. Thank you for these analyses and keep up with your ownderful channel. Ciao
okay - my vote goes to Montserrat Caballe - the purity of her voice is what I am drawn to. Funny and self deprecating but resolute in her artistic sensibilities - her way or the highway 🤣
@@jphubert’Callas is always great’ is so facile, and not really apropos as this point of comparion. Caballe, here in her prime, has incredible breath control, and superb pianissimo, but really, much as I admire her, that is it. Callas here, is not in her prime, but her interpretation is so much deeper. Hear her earlier with Stignani or Simionato, and you will hear the Norma for the ages.
there were, there are and there will be amazing singers, but nobody can show emotions like Maria, her body language was out of this world. And yes, there are many similarities between Callas and Ponselle, after all, Ponselle was Callas' favourite soprano. And about Caballe, Maria thought of her as her successor, so this whole video makes so much sense! Thank you for sharing this!!
Anna, I’ve binged your channel the past few days and it’s amazing. I hope your operatic career is taking off and hope you don’t forget about all of us that enjoy your infectious enthusiasm! Oh, and review more tenor arias!! (not because I’m biased or anything)
This was an incredible episode! I love the care and passion you put into these explanations. I already loved casta diva, but I get so excited when I see you’ve posted. You make me love them even more. If you get the chance, could you please do a video about song to the moon from Rusalka? It’s one of my favorites! Thanks again for another great video.
I happened to vacation in Catania, Sicily this past summer. I'm a great lover of opera, but I've never cared much for Bellini. All I knew by him was Norma and the aria Casta Diva from it. By mere accident I ended up visiting Museo Belliniano, housed in a building the composer once lived in. A very good and modern setup, an eye opener indeed! There were many virtual opera boxes to sit in to hear his music and learn how the audiences reacted to it at the time. It came as a surprise to me that his operas got booed out by hostile listeners so many times. And how his dead body entered the city in triumph during his funeral procession, the citizens recieving him not only as native son, but as a national hero.
In relation to the comments at the end of the video, I once heard something like the following about another bel canto composer: Rossini. "There are two types of Rossini singer: Those who show us just how difficult the music is and those who show us just how easy the music is."
There is a lot more to Norma than ‘Casta Diva’ , and to get the full glory of Callas, you must hear it all. Sadly this is the only film of Callas in the role, but is still supreme.
Ponselle might have been one of the earliest recordings of Casta Diva, but the opera debuted in 1830, many many people sang this opera in the 19th century.
Hi Anna,I m italian and I am an enthusiastic opera lover.I wold express my gladness discovering a channel like this of yours,youthful but/and with a very in-depth knowledge about all the wide opera world.Besides the compliments,I would like to see your reaction and review to "Vesti la giubba" aria of Pavarotti,the on stage one,I think Pavarotti was just incredible not only in that,absolutely,but in particular in that performance,simply marvelous.Thanks anyway for your great job for all of us great lovers of music,and I apologize in advance for any mistakes I even committed cuz my bad english.See you soon and keep it up just like you are doing,bye!
Italian subscriber and follower here: your diction of Italian words and names in all your videos is very very good. Not perfect..but very very godd, you can still improve . Thank you for the video and the melodramatic explanation ❤
Italian here as well. I disagree with above comment and your pronunciation of italian words is essentially perfect. Many italian native speakers do not have such clear diction.
I think the incredible pianissimo that is performed by Caballe here is very similar to those of Franco Corelli. They both were capable of holding a note for ages. What was so remarkable to me is that they could begin at fortissimo and smoothly transition to pianissimo with no change in quality (no mixed voice or falsetto vocal tricks for Corelli). The two were very well-matched even better than Corelli with Calles or Nillson. This video was superb. I have been interested in opera for over 50 years and I learned many new things from your comments and interpretive insights. Thank you so much.
I’ve read that Callas admired Ponselle very much and studied her recordings carefully. This is a terrific video - your enthusiasm is infectious. Brava. Also: the group Italian facepalm? Hilarious!
Anna - What a wonderful video! Random comments I wanted to write down. You pronounced Cerquetti perfectly and she was a wonderful singer who also only sang for ten years before burnout. Ponselle said that she was forced to sing the arias at a quicker tempo because the 78 discs back then only had so much time on one side to record. So, she may have not pulled the section after those consecutive "A's" for this reason. A host interviewing Callas said when he heard her first records, he thought she was Ponselle, and that record was "Casta Diva". Montsy will always touch me, but Callas is the queen!
I agree. Opera is the farthest thing from boring! There is no greater music and I just do not know how anybody can do it, yet there are so many great ones.
I love your comments about Montserrat. I loved her so much. I am making a doll of her in that roll and I’ll never get it to be good enough! I’ve been working on it for 2 yrs now. Words cannot describe the greatness of Caballe’ and she was also a very fine person, a great lady!
I want to leave this thread, but I agree with your premise. When you said freaking mouth, what a turn off, especially when you are talking about such unparalleled people as these incomparable singers. You shouldn’t use words like that when referring to these great people! It just doesn’t fit! You have such good pronunciation in the words you use, but that phrase just killed what you are discussing. It is repulsive. It negates any credibility you may have!
I'd love to know your thoughts on that relatively recent recording from DECCA (I believe) that is like a "reconstruction" based on the original score with period instruments and Bartoli as Norma and Sumi Jo as Adalgisa?
I'm glad you mentioned the ambiguity of Maria Callas. I've had a love/hate relationship with her for decades. I find her voice quite ugly yet it produces such beautiful sounds. Never heard of Anita Cerquetti. She sounds amazing. Thanks for your videos.
Sono 60 anni che seguo l'opera. Ti volevo ringraziare per l'amore che trasmetti e la speranza che mi doni. Non è importante chi è il tenore o il soprano o baritono ecc ecc, l'importante è che ti faccia battere il cuore. Grazie
Norma is my favorite opera by far and my favorite performance is that by Edita Gruberová as Norma and Elīna Garanča as Adalgisa. I would love if you came back to Norma covering some of the other parts like "Vieni in Roma" or "Mira o Norma".
All great singers! The things that jump at me are the tears in Callas's voice, the sheer richness of Ponselle's, and the fact that Caballe doesn't need to breath. Cerquetti (pronounced Cherkwetti!) should be better known. She was a noted Abigaille as well. I think she spreads a bit too much (not necessarily here though). One reason why Ponselle might've taken the descent fast was because of time restrictions of the recording technology (cylinders, I believe). There was roughly a 4-5 minute time limit. That's why she makes cuts in her recordings of Ritorna vincitor, and why she does not extend the length of the trill in her recordings of the cabaletta of the Ernani aria, whereas she reportedly did in live performances. Fun fact about the Callas performance is that the chorus is completely off in the B section, and she gives them the stink eye. (I do think she was in vocal trouble by that time, which explains the lack of support in the B-Flat in the cadenza.)
Of course!! I should've thought of that when listening to Ponselle. That makes so much sense. I didn't notice Callas putting the chorus in their place, I'll have to pay closer attention next time I listen.. I need to do a full vlog on Callas. Her life was so interesting, and maybe i'll finally have all the dates straight in my head once I do!
She does not give the chorus the stink eye, she tries to let them know that they've come in too soon. Everyone's back on track in a few seconds, Mistakes happen, and she knows that which is why her concentration is not disturbed.
@@Peter-CT I just reviewed it. The chorus is off for the entire B section! Things get a tiny bit better in the second half, but during the first half, half of the chorus is a beat late. I see two stink eyes from her, one to her right and then one to her left. But more seriously, it's interesting: the chorus members are all holding scores. I think it goes to show that Norma wasn't performed all that often. I can't imagine their having to use scores for the choruses in Traviata.
@@Peter-CTshe absolutely does, and she is , rightly, furious. This is Callas debut at the Paris Opera, and for the chorus not to come in on time is disgraceful, thankfully she is in control, and holds her hand up to stop them.
22:05 - Montserrat's from a higher note to diminuendo into pianissimo is so beautiful! The same level of pianissimo (although not held out as long as Montserrat) but more difficult and more beautiful is from a tenor: Giuseppe Di Stefano (ruclips.net/video/cOktnGD8G_0/видео.html). Starting from 5:08 (La présence) - Rudolph Bing (before becoming the GM of the Met) writes that hearing Pippo sing from a High C to a diminuendo into pianissimo was the most beautiful sound he heard (from his memoir: 5000 Nights at the Opera) More parallel to Montserrat's diminuendo into prolonging pianissimo in E lucevan le stelle (ruclips.net/video/ApWhrsP7YcI/видео.html). Starting from 1:29. Also another version is on RUclips (ruclips.net/video/tY72dwaNOf8/видео.html) taken from Pavarotti discussing his influences. Starting the aria from 7:24.
Norma is my favorite opera so I’m thrilled to hear you talk about it. Would you consider doing a video on Adalgisa’s confession aria? It is a very beautiful and sadly underrated moment from the opera and as you are a Mezzo, I would love to hear your thoughts. 😊
Norma is my favorite opera ever. What draws me to it is Norma herself and the complexity of emotions that can be portrayed differently by every singer. To me, she is THE ultimate and true heroine in opera. I like different movement pieces with different performers, but as for Casta Diva, Anita Cerquetti is my favorite. *also the damn coughing and the talking is so unnoticeable but when you notice it, it is so annoying and you can never unnotice it!😂* P.S. but Callas's In mia man is the best interpretation imo.😁
Anita Cerquetti is an absolute dream! It's a shame she stopped singing so early (and took so long to get a career going!) Really sorry about all the cuts! The video was going to be blocked, so I had to keep trimming it down 😢
I knew nothing about Norma until I watched this very video. That aria is used in like chocolate bars and car adverts. Each time I hear it I picture a woman cracking a piece of Caramilk.
I can't believe you listened to Anita. Did you already know her, did someone recommend her to you, did you find her by chance on youtube? I ask because very few outside Italy know her. With other opera lovers here in Italy we have often had the same reaction as you upon hearing her voice. Something already heard with a touch of melancholy. I and other friends tried to give an explanation. For us it is like an ancestral voice in the sense of matriarch. A voice of a mother, a grandmother comes to mind. A voice that may be velvety with a touch of melancholy yet retains a spine of almost regal strength and dignity. It can probably make you laugh as a consideration but I wanted to share it with you. Maybe you can tell me what you think. Bravissima, nice video.
I actually found her while researching for this video! I had a bunch of different options, but I thought her voice was just so stunning, plus the story of her replacing Maria Callas. I am definitely going to be listening to her more! Interesting connotation her voice has in Italy!!
@operaanna that I understand. I had the vacation of my life set up(Sicilia), and my knee rebelled. I went and used a cane. Caught Covid on the flight back. My doctor's kid had Covid, so we did phone. He set me up with an orthopedic doctor. They want to do a titanium knee, so I am waiting for the insurance to approve a gel shot to stave off surgery. Meanwhile, work runs my butt off. So I understand
Could you make a video about your lifestyle? (How opera singers exercise, what they are eating) I heard that opera singers are one of the heathiest people
I sure can! I'm planning on filming while working in Vienna so it should be out in March or so? If you follow me on Instagram, I also have some lifestyle stuff, and I'd like to do more
I know you'll hate me for this but I have never cared much for Maria Callas either. She was a definite Primadonna Assoluta of her day, but after her voice dropped and her difficult behaviour as well as her choice in men (virtually becoming a pet of the Greek tycoon Aristoteles Onassis) I lost respect for her.
Yes in cases like Cerquetti in the "que" part each letter should be spelled separately like "q-u-e" differently by Spanish or French. Like in Questa e quella per me pari sono from Verdi's Rigoletto. By the way, so at least singers learns from the composer of the piece and not the other way around, like it has happened to me with musicians? Where there were always but the piece needs to be interpretate, but this is how I felt it, and so on... 😒
Callas is an enigma... She is not the greatest technician or the most impressive but she brings an emotion much more powerful than any other lyrical singer can give... She gives the impression of singing like a whole everyone and that makes her close to us, she doesn't sing an opera aria but she sings about life and pain and that touches us much more deeply....
Casta Diva, no, actually the entire opera is flooded with marvelous music. In fact, the last half an hour of Norma I can only listen to with damp eyes. I really love your enthusiasm. It has some similarities to Antonio Pappano's opera explanations.
React to Diana Navarro is Maria Callas singing Casta Diva 18.11.2017 programa de Antena 3TVE TU CARA ME SUENA (YOUR FACE IS FAMILIAR TO MEI,m suscribe.Diana is the woman with three lungs.Thank you and greetings from Zaragoza (Spain)
Callas sang well, good technique but ugly voice (some critics already said it in their time) Ponselle is an eminence, her style is old school singing (another way of singing) Cerquetti had a very unrefined technique (she opened her voice too much, her sound was not very covered) for me Caballe had the perfect combination to sing Norma, a soft and crystalline voice, sensitivity, and GREAT breathing control, that recording in the old open-air theater (without a roof or dome) fighting the nature of the strong wind (her veil and dress flying in the wind proves it) and her voice above the choir and the orchestra, LIVE recording, and that prolonged final B flat in pianissimo? no soprano could do it better until now.
Dear. Anna, are you not well learned to differ lyric tenor from spinto tenor repertoire! It is unanimously acknowleged, that the part of Calaf has always been solely for Corelli, not Pavarotti, who would never surpass Corelli!!
I'll never forget how disappointed, so many years ago, I was when I first heard this aria, sung by Callas, because I had heard that it was famous and it is soooo sluggishly boring--until it get to the rollicking cabaletta. (I hate Maria Callas and am amazed that people like her.)
While your analysis is excellent, I find your constant interruptions over the course of the aria more than annoying! Perhaps an uninterrupted video of the whole aria followed by a more detailed breakdown of the various parts of the aria would be more satisfactory and informative for your loyal subscribers ❤
While I would love to be able to show the full aria first, unfortunately the copyright on many of the videos I show lead to a video being blocked if I leave it up for too long before stopping it again. However I absolutely understand your point, so perhaps I can direct people to the full video linked in the description box first, so that they might be familiar with it already! I'll try that next time, thank you for the suggestion
Hahaha oh no 😂 sadly, the earliest recording devices stripped the voice of a lot of the richness of and overtones. In our history class, the teacher once brought in a really old recorder (can't remember what kind) and it made everyone sound really similar for exactly the reasons I said. But if you listen to them enough, you can hear the differences and piece together what the voice sounded like.
Callas always struggles with the higher notes. For me is a super turn of because bell canto always have the peak of emotion in the higher note and she always trips in the most important moment. Screams, slows the vibrato and loses harmonics.
I would say that only starts to happen in the later years of her career. Before the voice started to suffer she had a mastery of the high notes, and there are many examples of it to be found. I agree though, in the later years her top notes really really suffer.
@@pepitogrillo8263 I said the later years of her career. Don't forget her incredibly tumultuous personal life that completely shot her confidence, which she herself said was the reason her voice suffered.
It was perhaps the aria that destroyed several singers. Maria Callas primarily. I believe it was this this opera that smashed Callas in Rome and did not come out after the interval. She probably comitted suicide - her freind Elisabeth Schwarzkopf tried to visit her. And Schwarzkopf was a battleaxe. There is a video with Callas where she recieves applause and is definately not satisfied. Ponselle only appeared in Italy in one - now forgotten opera - otherwise she is an all-american singer. She retired early. Monserrat Caballe had a sad ending as well. She was convicted of taxevasion in Spain through Andorra. She did not go to prison, as she was much reduced and not fit for prison - she died shortly after the pardon. It might be that the operas are beutifull,, but the theater world is ugly. Perhaps that is why so many sopranos are bitches. Nelly Melba being now only remembered for the dessert named after her. Louisa Tetrazzinii is another of food fame. She had a sad ending as well, because her lover stole all her money. Now for taking a bow, there is nobody like the "Gioisa": Bartoli. She once made an encore with "Non piu mesta" in the applause and dragged the whole cast - including choir - into it. She is now the manager of the Monte Carlo opera. Which is a good thing - if you disagree with her in theater matters - you better come prepared, as she will crush hams. Allmost as bad as confiscating the parmesan cheese in her lugage. Now there is a problem with interpretationn.. Mozart f.i. wrote down the bare minimum and in his performances he added ornaments. We know that positively, as there is a letter where his sister Nanrl wants him to write out ornaments - which he does. The other problem is that most arias are tailor fitting to a particular voice. Meaning there are more than one appropriate score. Beethoven is particularly difficult here. He generally had his score for symphonies printed in 50 copies, but when a theater/orchester bought a score he read through it before sending it - and he CORRECTED the damned score - and not consistently. So if you perform a Beethoven work the question is allways: Which version. Beethoven dispared over Fidelio and left it with: It is as good as it is going to get - after writing 3 ouvertures. Carl Nielsen had the same problem: He did not know how to end "Maskerade" and finally threw his hands up and said: That is the best I can do - as his ouverture is one the best pieces in Danish music. He hated his job.
I don't know why but i don't like Callas. My vote is for Montserrat, i think she is one of greatest singers of all time's. I had never heard of this other singer, Anita, but she is good too.
Interesting! Do you not like her specifically here or just in general? I'd also never heard of Anita but upon hearing her in this I had to include her!
I like a lot Anita cerquetti, her voice is really beautiful , no wonder she was THE other Norma in Rome . you said that callas reminds you Ponselle ,yes I agree with you , I feel the same , I imagine she used to listen a lot of live broadcasting from the Metropolitan while living in New York city as a teenager . your channel is fabulous ,I've just discovered . I wish one day you talk about my favorite aria "al dolce guidami" and Edita gruberova .😊❤ best regards
i love opera and i love opera singers i am 55 years old and i cant explain even to my self why i cry when i look and listen to that woman but i dont think it happens because i am greek i think it happens to many many people that woman had something divine if only i could find the words in english to explain what i mean .i can tell you this every time i listen to maria i feal loved as a human in this earth if that make any sence love from greece
Callas was in character even before she sang. No one compares to her!
I don't agree .In some operas Tebaldi , Caballe' are better than Callas .I love the velvet of Tebaldi 's voice ,and the soft of Caballe' s voice...the dramatic power of Callas' singing
Hello Anna. I love your channel, and opera needs you desperately in this era where children are not routinely taught music. Casta Dive, all by itself on an arias album, turned me from someone indifferent to opera into an Opera Maniac. I thought if Bellini could write this exquisite thing, there was likely more gorgeous music in the complete Norma which someone had lent to me. One joint and six vinyl sides later and Bellini had turned me into a gobsmacked opera freak. And then I heard Callas and it was all over. Down the rabbit hole forever. That was 50 years ago.
An interviewer once asked Callas how she prepared to sing Casta Diva which is so difficult to sing and comes so early in Norma when you know you have hours of hard singing ahead and must arrive at the end with all your powers blazing in order to sing the finale effectively. The Divine Maria answered: "Well, first the flute plays it,. And then you sing it." That's all there is to it according to her. Yeah. Right.
Thank you for your comment, Peter! She had quite a directness to her didn't she..
My exact same experience.
Your pronunciation of "Cerquetti" is absolutely correct.
Yay, thank you!
Montserrat is singing at the Ampitheatre in Orange, in the south of France.. The wind was caused by a Mistral, which is a heavy wind that occasions this area and this time it persisted for most of the night during this performance. It was what was causing the fabric to and ripple and flow in this manner. This production was almost cancelled due to these Mistral winds, but it was Montserrat who recommend that they at least try it, and it was very successful with these effects. She commented in an interview that this particular performance was her best Norma.
Callas might not have the best voice compared to her contemporaries but she brings us to this whole different world when she sings. Just overflowing of pure emotions and I think that separates her from the rest. Caballet is brilliant as well---too perfect for me tbh in a way that she almost consciously tries to perfect all her notes which she does btw everytime she performs, but this overrides the emotions and rawness that should be present in the aria. I don't know, not an expert but listening to Callas always gives me joy and sadness. She had this thing that magnetised you when she starts singing a single note.
MARIA CALLAS IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE MOTHER QUEEN OF ANY SOPRANO IN THE WORLD.
Amén. Not to take any credit from all the great singers from the past, but to me Callas embodies raw emotion and conviction when she sings. She makes me feel opera to my core. Viva la DIVINA. ❤
There is Callas and the others....
Well said, and I’ll add to that: I think she will always be the mother queen of any ARTIST in the world. Ave Maria! ❤
100% ❤
Callas is just sublime. But Poncell was incredible too, her voice was so strong and thrilling.
Callas and Caballe are both fantastic in this aria but I just love Anita Cerquetti’s version!
Isn't she great?!? I discovered her for this video!
Definetely, Montserrat Caballé in her antologhical Orange’s Norma in 1974 ❤❤❤
Perfection.
Callas and Caballe have such different voices. Callas will always be #1 for me in that she causes me to feel the music more deeply, however, I certainly appreciate the glorious high pianissimo Caballe is master of.
Great! To me, Callas is the best.
Hi, Italian here. I've just stumbled upon your channel and I found it amazing, instant follow. I must confess I'm not an opera habitué when it comes to regular, every-day listening but my dad was (real enthusiast) and he fortunately educated me in good music: this is an aria he often used to listen to while reading in the living room so I basically grew up with Casta Diva (and Verdi, Rossini, Mozart etc.) and I love it so much. You made me relive such sweet memories. Thank you for these analyses and keep up with your ownderful channel. Ciao
okay - my vote goes to Montserrat Caballe - the purity of her voice is what I am drawn to. Funny and self deprecating but resolute in her artistic sensibilities - her way or the highway 🤣
Lol love it! She's absolutely stunning
I agree. Calles is always great, but IMHO, Caballe was simply stunning here.
@@jphubert’Callas is always great’ is so facile, and not really apropos as this point of comparion. Caballe, here in her prime, has incredible breath control, and superb pianissimo, but really, much as I admire her, that is it. Callas here, is not in her prime, but her interpretation is so much deeper. Hear her earlier with Stignani or Simionato, and you will hear the Norma for the ages.
Callas, the great opera singer who sang beautifully without forgetting her acting!!!
She was also a great ACTRESS!
there were, there are and there will be amazing singers, but nobody can show emotions like Maria, her body language was out of this world. And yes, there are many similarities between Callas and Ponselle, after all, Ponselle was Callas' favourite soprano. And about Caballe, Maria thought of her as her successor, so this whole video makes so much sense! Thank you for sharing this!!
Nice one again, great to hear all these great singers and compare them.
Anna, I’ve binged your channel the past few days and it’s amazing. I hope your operatic career is taking off and hope you don’t forget about all of us that enjoy your infectious enthusiasm! Oh, and review more tenor arias!! (not because I’m biased or anything)
you have to love Maria her version of the aria, so amazing!
Excellent - great way to start off my Monday morning
This was an incredible episode! I love the care and passion you put into these explanations. I already loved casta diva, but I get so excited when I see you’ve posted. You make me love them even more. If you get the chance, could you please do a video about song to the moon from Rusalka? It’s one of my favorites! Thanks again for another great video.
So glad you enjoyed it!! Song to the moon is a great one to look at! I'll keep it in mind 😊
Callas is the most awesome 🎉❤👍🙏🌺🎉🎊
So good, glad I found your channel. Of course the master class with Joyce got me here.
María Callas La Eminencia Dé La Ópera Del Siglo XX ❤
I happened to vacation in Catania, Sicily this past summer. I'm a great lover of opera, but I've never cared much for Bellini. All I knew by him was Norma and the aria Casta Diva from it. By mere accident I ended up visiting Museo Belliniano, housed in a building the composer once lived in. A very good and modern setup, an eye opener indeed! There were many virtual opera boxes to sit in to hear his music and learn how the audiences reacted to it at the time. It came as a surprise to me that his operas got booed out by hostile listeners so many times. And how his dead body entered the city in triumph during his funeral procession, the citizens recieving him not only as native son, but as a national hero.
Callas for me all the way. Her voice haunts me... She's so distinct, so... Callas. Loved this video!
OMG. The Bling Bling of Maria Callas, 🤩😍
Fantastic reaction! Very informative and deep. Your italian accent is nice! 🎉🎉🎉
Aw thank you!
OOOOHHHHH *THAT* ARIA!
Great video as always!
In relation to the comments at the end of the video, I once heard something like the following about another bel canto composer: Rossini. "There are two types of Rossini singer: Those who show us just how difficult the music is and those who show us just how easy the music is."
No way! I wish I'd known the quote before ❤ he definitely said it better than I did hhaah
There is a lot more to Norma than ‘Casta Diva’ , and to get the full glory of Callas, you must hear it all. Sadly this is the only film of Callas in the role, but is still supreme.
15:04 if you are not touched by this, you where born without a soul...... seriously....
Ponselle might have been one of the earliest recordings of Casta Diva, but the opera debuted in 1830, many many people sang this opera in the 19th century.
Everyone tell all your friends to Love OperaAnna. Great videos, thank you. A master class.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Hi Anna,I m italian and I am an enthusiastic opera lover.I wold express my gladness discovering a channel like this of yours,youthful but/and with a very in-depth knowledge about all the wide opera world.Besides the compliments,I would like to see your reaction and review to "Vesti la giubba" aria of Pavarotti,the on stage one,I think Pavarotti was just incredible not only in that,absolutely,but in particular in that performance,simply marvelous.Thanks anyway for your great job for all of us great lovers of music,and I apologize in advance for any mistakes I even committed cuz my bad english.See you soon and keep it up just like you are doing,bye!
Italian subscriber and follower here: your diction of Italian words and names in all your videos is very very good. Not perfect..but very very godd, you can still improve . Thank you for the video and the melodramatic explanation ❤
Hhahaa thank you!! I haven't practiced in forever, I really need to... You're welcome as well!
Italian here as well. I disagree with above comment and your pronunciation of italian words is essentially perfect. Many italian native speakers do not have such clear diction.
I think the incredible pianissimo that is performed by Caballe here is very similar to those of Franco Corelli. They both were capable of holding a note for ages. What was so remarkable to me is that they could begin at fortissimo and smoothly transition to pianissimo with no change in quality (no mixed voice or falsetto vocal tricks for Corelli). The two were very well-matched even better than Corelli with Calles or Nillson. This video was superb. I have been interested in opera for over 50 years and I learned many new things from your comments and interpretive insights. Thank you so much.
I’ve read that Callas admired Ponselle very much and studied her recordings carefully.
This is a terrific video - your enthusiasm is infectious. Brava.
Also: the group Italian facepalm? Hilarious!
That makes a lot of sense! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Anna - What a wonderful video! Random comments I wanted to write down. You pronounced Cerquetti perfectly and she was a wonderful singer who also only sang for ten years before burnout. Ponselle said that she was forced to sing the arias at a quicker tempo because the 78 discs back then only had so much time on one side to record. So, she may have not pulled the section after those consecutive "A's" for this reason. A host interviewing Callas said when he heard her first records, he thought she was Ponselle, and that record was "Casta Diva". Montsy will always touch me, but Callas is the queen!
Montserrat caballe the best Casta Diva ever , Orange 1972 just a miracle performance ♥️ 👏 ❤️ ✨️ 👌 🙌 ♥️
I'd love to see more of these videos, especially analysis of Maria Callas. The goddesses of opera are so terribly underappreciated by my generation.
Ask and you shall receive 😏 next video goes up Oct 1!
Love this comparison format! Personally, i love Bartoli's rendition more than Callas. And i love Cabale! Thank you
Bartoli 👎👎👎
I agree. Opera is the farthest thing from boring! There is no greater music and I just do not know how anybody can do it, yet there are so many great ones.
I love your comments about Montserrat. I loved her so much. I am making a doll of her in that roll and I’ll never get it to be good enough! I’ve been working on it for 2 yrs now. Words cannot describe the greatness of Caballe’ and she was also a very fine person, a great lady!
I want to leave this thread, but I agree with your premise. When you said freaking mouth, what a turn off, especially when you are talking about such unparalleled people as these incomparable singers. You shouldn’t use words like that when referring to these great people! It just doesn’t fit! You have such good pronunciation in the words you use, but that phrase just killed what you are discussing. It is repulsive. It negates any credibility you may have!
Shut up!
I'd love to know your thoughts on that relatively recent recording from DECCA (I believe) that is like a "reconstruction" based on the original score with period instruments and Bartoli as Norma and Sumi Jo as Adalgisa?
First time I heard all of Norma, I was stunned...
Ok. Please help lol
Wtf is happening during Te Deum (Tosca)???? I'm just trying a few new arias tonight and ran into that one.
Girl I got you!
Great video! Love your channel.
Thank you!!!
I'm glad you mentioned the ambiguity of Maria Callas. I've had a love/hate relationship with her for decades. I find her voice quite ugly yet it produces such beautiful sounds. Never heard of Anita Cerquetti. She sounds amazing. Thanks for your videos.
Such an interesting phenomenon! Thanks for your comment ❤️
Sono 60 anni che seguo l'opera. Ti volevo ringraziare per l'amore che trasmetti e la speranza che mi doni. Non è importante chi è il tenore o il soprano o baritono ecc ecc, l'importante è che ti faccia battere il cuore. Grazie
È troppo vero! 🙌
Norma is my favorite opera by far and my favorite performance is that by Edita Gruberová as Norma and Elīna Garanča as Adalgisa. I would love if you came back to Norma covering some of the other parts like "Vieni in Roma" or "Mira o Norma".
All great singers! The things that jump at me are the tears in Callas's voice, the sheer richness of Ponselle's, and the fact that Caballe doesn't need to breath. Cerquetti (pronounced Cherkwetti!) should be better known. She was a noted Abigaille as well. I think she spreads a bit too much (not necessarily here though).
One reason why Ponselle might've taken the descent fast was because of time restrictions of the recording technology (cylinders, I believe). There was roughly a 4-5 minute time limit. That's why she makes cuts in her recordings of Ritorna vincitor, and why she does not extend the length of the trill in her recordings of the cabaletta of the Ernani aria, whereas she reportedly did in live performances.
Fun fact about the Callas performance is that the chorus is completely off in the B section, and she gives them the stink eye. (I do think she was in vocal trouble by that time, which explains the lack of support in the B-Flat in the cadenza.)
Of course!! I should've thought of that when listening to Ponselle. That makes so much sense. I didn't notice Callas putting the chorus in their place, I'll have to pay closer attention next time I listen.. I need to do a full vlog on Callas. Her life was so interesting, and maybe i'll finally have all the dates straight in my head once I do!
@@operaanna She also raises her hand before she enters, I think to try to get them to stop!
A video on Callas would be great!
She does not give the chorus the stink eye, she tries to let them know that they've come in too soon. Everyone's back on track in a few seconds, Mistakes happen, and she knows that which is why her concentration is not disturbed.
@@Peter-CT I just reviewed it. The chorus is off for the entire B section! Things get a tiny bit better in the second half, but during the first half, half of the chorus is a beat late. I see two stink eyes from her, one to her right and then one to her left. But more seriously, it's interesting: the chorus members are all holding scores. I think it goes to show that Norma wasn't performed all that often. I can't imagine their having to use scores for the choruses in Traviata.
@@Peter-CTshe absolutely does, and she is , rightly, furious. This is Callas debut at the Paris Opera, and for the chorus not to come in on time is disgraceful, thankfully she is in control, and holds her hand up to stop them.
22:05 - Montserrat's from a higher note to diminuendo into pianissimo is so beautiful! The same level of pianissimo (although not held out as long as Montserrat) but more difficult and more beautiful is from a tenor: Giuseppe Di Stefano (ruclips.net/video/cOktnGD8G_0/видео.html).
Starting from 5:08 (La présence) - Rudolph Bing (before becoming the GM of the Met) writes that hearing Pippo sing from a High C to a diminuendo into pianissimo was the most beautiful sound he heard (from his memoir: 5000 Nights at the Opera)
More parallel to Montserrat's diminuendo into prolonging pianissimo in E lucevan le stelle (ruclips.net/video/ApWhrsP7YcI/видео.html). Starting from 1:29. Also another version is on RUclips (ruclips.net/video/tY72dwaNOf8/видео.html) taken from Pavarotti discussing his influences. Starting the aria from 7:24.
The t in Monserrat is pronounced. Love your channel. Thank you !
My mother loved opera and Norma was her favorite
Requesting again; React to Mario del Monaco please, him and corelli were "rivals", both seeking the perfection in the art of singing the whole life.
Yes! On the list, coming up
Gorgeous! thank you
Love this! Excellent
Callas was not the most beautiful voice, ever. But the most divine one.
You are mistaken. With Caballe’ this is 1974 in Orange, France in an amphitheater. The winds blowing are called the mistral winds.
How am I mistaken?
Maria is the last example of the enternal Hellenistic spirit.
QUEEN OF Opera
So you remember that Magic Flute trailer? Apparently it's out on hulu. I do not have Hulu
Really! I'll have to look
Norma is my favorite opera so I’m thrilled to hear you talk about it. Would you consider doing a video on Adalgisa’s confession aria? It is a very beautiful and sadly underrated moment from the opera and as you are a Mezzo, I would love to hear your thoughts. 😊
Absolutely!! Would love to
Norma is my favorite opera ever. What draws me to it is Norma herself and the complexity of emotions that can be portrayed differently by every singer. To me, she is THE ultimate and true heroine in opera. I like different movement pieces with different performers, but as for Casta Diva, Anita Cerquetti is my favorite. *also the damn coughing and the talking is so unnoticeable but when you notice it, it is so annoying and you can never unnotice it!😂*
P.S. but Callas's In mia man is the best interpretation imo.😁
Anita Cerquetti is an absolute dream! It's a shame she stopped singing so early (and took so long to get a career going!)
Really sorry about all the cuts! The video was going to be blocked, so I had to keep trimming it down 😢
I knew nothing about Norma until I watched this very video. That aria is used in like chocolate bars and car adverts. Each time I hear it I picture a woman cracking a piece of Caramilk.
Man I wish I'd known about that beforehand!
@@operaanna Maybe it's a false memory, not certain where I heard it before, but I'm fairly sure it was in an advert.
I can't believe you listened to Anita. Did you already know her, did someone recommend her to you, did you find her by chance on youtube? I ask because very few outside Italy know her. With other opera lovers here in Italy we have often had the same reaction as you upon hearing her voice. Something already heard with a touch of melancholy. I and other friends tried to give an explanation. For us it is like an ancestral voice in the sense of matriarch. A voice of a mother, a grandmother comes to mind. A voice that may be velvety with a touch of melancholy yet retains a spine of almost regal strength and dignity. It can probably make you laugh as a consideration but I wanted to share it with you. Maybe you can tell me what you think. Bravissima, nice video.
I actually found her while researching for this video! I had a bunch of different options, but I thought her voice was just so stunning, plus the story of her replacing Maria Callas. I am definitely going to be listening to her more! Interesting connotation her voice has in Italy!!
Caballé=Casta Diva. She is the perfection and the elegancy
it has been a long time since you posted a new video
Unfortunately it has 😖 I have some videos lined up, but life has been completely ridiculous lately. I will be posting again soon!!
@operaanna that I understand. I had the vacation of my life set up(Sicilia), and my knee rebelled. I went and used a cane. Caught Covid on the flight back. My doctor's kid had Covid, so we did phone. He set me up with an orthopedic doctor. They want to do a titanium knee, so I am waiting for the insurance to approve a gel shot to stave off surgery. Meanwhile, work runs my butt off. So I understand
Is this the song that is in the movie Bridges of Madison county?
No idea! I'll look into it.
Could you make a video about your lifestyle? (How opera singers exercise, what they are eating) I heard that opera singers are one of the heathiest people
I sure can! I'm planning on filming while working in Vienna so it should be out in March or so? If you follow me on Instagram, I also have some lifestyle stuff, and I'd like to do more
@@operaanna thank you very much!
bella e brava, ciao from Italy
I know you'll hate me for this but I have never cared much for Maria Callas either. She was a definite Primadonna Assoluta of her day, but after her voice dropped and her difficult behaviour as well as her choice in men (virtually becoming a pet of the Greek tycoon Aristoteles Onassis) I lost respect for her.
Perché tanti rumori ,tanto parlare per confrontare due grandi così diverse?
Cause it's fun? I love seeing how singers I really love approach an Aria completely differently 🤗
And I thought Mozart's characters were naughty.
Yes in cases like Cerquetti in the "que" part each letter should be spelled separately like "q-u-e" differently by Spanish or French. Like in Questa e quella per me pari sono from Verdi's Rigoletto. By the way, so at least singers learns from the composer of the piece and not the other way around, like it has happened to me with musicians? Where there were always but the piece needs to be interpretate, but this is how I felt it, and so on... 😒
Callas is an enigma... She is not the greatest technician or the most impressive but she brings an emotion much more powerful than any other lyrical singer can give... She gives the impression of singing like a whole everyone and that makes her close to us, she doesn't sing an opera aria but she sings about life and pain and that touches us much more deeply....
Callas Is not the greatest technician, AHAHAHAHAHAHA fa già ridere così.
I've heard Monserrat Caballe.
Callas has not sung one single note without emotion in her entire career.
Please react to Caballé in Maria Stuarda!
Casta Diva, no, actually the entire opera is flooded with marvelous music. In fact, the last half an hour of Norma I can only listen to with damp eyes. I really love your enthusiasm. It has some similarities to Antonio Pappano's opera explanations.
An italian : the pronounce of Anita Cerquetti is very well. Your italian is fairly good, not perfect but good. Brava!
React to Diana Navarro is Maria Callas singing Casta Diva 18.11.2017 programa de Antena 3TVE TU CARA ME SUENA (YOUR FACE IS FAMILIAR TO MEI,m suscribe.Diana is the woman with three lungs.Thank you and greetings from Zaragoza (Spain)
Callas sang well, good technique but ugly voice (some critics already said it in their time) Ponselle is an eminence, her style is old school singing (another way of singing) Cerquetti had a very unrefined technique (she opened her voice too much, her sound was not very covered) for me Caballe had the perfect combination to sing Norma, a soft and crystalline voice, sensitivity, and GREAT breathing control, that recording in the old open-air theater (without a roof or dome) fighting the nature of the strong wind (her veil and dress flying in the wind proves it) and her voice above the choir and the orchestra, LIVE recording, and that prolonged final B flat in pianissimo? no soprano could do it better until now.
Hay que ser muy fanatico para preferir ESTA version de Callas antes que la de Caballé.
No, you just have to have a different opinion, not everyone will like what you like.
Big OperaAnna fan
❤️❤️❤️
Caballe own norma forever
American and opera singer on top.. take it a bit easier, maybe
Dear. Anna, are you not well learned to differ lyric tenor from spinto tenor repertoire! It is unanimously acknowleged, that the part of Calaf has always been solely for Corelli, not Pavarotti, who would never surpass Corelli!!
There is no tenor in this aria...
Do you r😢eallything l am that ignorant? I just couldn',t find that. cl😊ip in which you admire Pav.
Caballe wins.
It is not a contest, and it is simply your opinion !
I'll never forget how disappointed, so many years ago, I was when I first heard this aria, sung by Callas, because I had heard that it was famous and it is soooo sluggishly boring--until it get to the rollicking cabaletta. (I hate Maria Callas and am amazed that people like her.)
To each his own, but posterity always has the last word, Callas is still the most listened to soprano of the twentieth century .
HMG. Are you serious? Are you deaf? Are you an alien?
You are missing one of the most pure joys our bad times gave us.
While your analysis is excellent, I find your constant interruptions over the course of the aria more than annoying! Perhaps an uninterrupted video of the whole aria followed by a more detailed breakdown of the various parts of the aria would be more satisfactory and informative for your loyal subscribers ❤
While I would love to be able to show the full aria first, unfortunately the copyright on many of the videos I show lead to a video being blocked if I leave it up for too long before stopping it again. However I absolutely understand your point, so perhaps I can direct people to the full video linked in the description box first, so that they might be familiar with it already! I'll try that next time, thank you for the suggestion
Just shut up and listen to the beautiful voice of Callas!
If you'd like to watch the uninterrupted version of Callas' interpretation, I have it linked in the description box! ❤️
Better still, buy the Scala live Norma with Callas at her peak, in my opinion, she leaves the others far behind !
Now I got tired of your comments, zip it
If you read the description, you'd know it and abuse I'm trying to keep the video from getting blocked. 🤷
I also find it slightly annoying 🤐🙈
Hey Anna! What is it about very old opera recordings that make their Divas sound like mature 60 year olds when they open their mouths?
Bad/primitive recording tech at the time. Also different criteria for the voice. That's my hypothesis anyway.
Hahaha oh no 😂 sadly, the earliest recording devices stripped the voice of a lot of the richness of and overtones. In our history class, the teacher once brought in a really old recorder (can't remember what kind) and it made everyone sound really similar for exactly the reasons I said. But if you listen to them enough, you can hear the differences and piece together what the voice sounded like.
Callas always struggles with the higher notes. For me is a super turn of because bell canto always have the peak of emotion in the higher note and she always trips in the most important moment. Screams, slows the vibrato and loses harmonics.
I would say that only starts to happen in the later years of her career. Before the voice started to suffer she had a mastery of the high notes, and there are many examples of it to be found. I agree though, in the later years her top notes really really suffer.
@@operaanna She never had later years she retired at 40. Most greater sopranos have their peak at that age.
@@pepitogrillo8263 I said the later years of her career. Don't forget her incredibly tumultuous personal life that completely shot her confidence, which she herself said was the reason her voice suffered.
It was perhaps the aria that destroyed several singers. Maria Callas primarily. I believe it was this this opera that smashed Callas in Rome and did not come out after the interval. She probably comitted suicide - her freind Elisabeth Schwarzkopf tried to visit her. And Schwarzkopf was a battleaxe. There is a video with Callas where she recieves applause and is definately not satisfied.
Ponselle only appeared in Italy in one - now forgotten opera - otherwise she is an all-american singer. She retired early.
Monserrat Caballe had a sad ending as well. She was convicted of taxevasion in Spain through Andorra. She did not go to prison, as she was much reduced and not fit for prison - she died shortly after the pardon.
It might be that the operas are beutifull,, but the theater world is ugly. Perhaps that is why so many sopranos are bitches. Nelly Melba being now only remembered for the dessert named after her. Louisa Tetrazzinii is another of food fame. She had a sad ending as well, because her lover stole all her money.
Now for taking a bow, there is nobody like the "Gioisa": Bartoli. She once made an encore with "Non piu mesta" in the applause and dragged the whole cast - including choir - into it.
She is now the manager of the Monte Carlo opera. Which is a good thing - if you disagree with her in theater matters - you better come prepared, as she will crush hams. Allmost as bad as confiscating the parmesan cheese in her lugage.
Now there is a problem with interpretationn.. Mozart f.i. wrote down the bare minimum and in his performances he added ornaments. We know that positively, as there is a letter where his sister Nanrl wants him to write out ornaments - which he does.
The other problem is that most arias are tailor fitting to a particular voice. Meaning there are more than one appropriate score.
Beethoven is particularly difficult here. He generally had his score for symphonies printed in 50 copies, but when a theater/orchester bought a score he read through it before sending it - and he CORRECTED the damned score - and not consistently. So if you perform a Beethoven work the question is allways: Which version.
Beethoven dispared over Fidelio and left it with: It is as good as it is going to get - after writing 3 ouvertures. Carl Nielsen had the same problem: He did not know how to end "Maskerade" and finally threw his hands up and said: That is the best I can do - as his ouverture is one the best pieces in Danish music. He hated his job.
Callas didn't commit suicide. It's confirmed that she had dermatomyositis, which contributed to her vocal decline as well
God, you are long winded, enough already !
I don't know why but i don't like Callas. My vote is for Montserrat, i think she is one of greatest singers of all time's. I had never heard of this other singer, Anita, but she is good too.
Interesting! Do you not like her specifically here or just in general? I'd also never heard of Anita but upon hearing her in this I had to include her!
@operaanna I'll never liked her. Not her voice and not and not who she tries to be. I feel she is not "real" and plays always the same role.
@operaanna I am a big fan from Joyce DiDonato, she is real and a great person too. She has a fantastic voice.
I like a lot Anita cerquetti, her voice is really beautiful , no wonder she was THE other Norma in Rome . you said that callas reminds you Ponselle ,yes I agree with you , I feel the same , I imagine she used to listen a lot of live broadcasting from the Metropolitan while living in New York city as a teenager . your channel is fabulous ,I've just discovered . I wish one day you talk about my favorite aria "al dolce guidami" and Edita gruberova .😊❤ best regards
@@santi7616 I'll add it to the list! So glad you like the content! 🥰
Good that you recognise good music...perhaps you should talk a little less and listen more
They all sound fabulous in their own style but for me Caballe is the best Norma❤️
i love opera and i love opera singers i am 55 years old and i cant explain even to my self why i cry when i look and listen to that woman but i dont think it happens because i am greek i think it happens to many many people that woman had something divine if only i could find the words in english to explain what i mean .i can tell you this every time i listen to maria i feal loved as a human in this earth if that make any sence love from greece
Makes sense! I agree, she had something divine
6:54 yeah.....
Can you do Come E Bello from Lucrecia Borgia
Consider it done!
@@operaanna awesome!!! I forgot to add Tranquillo ei posa before come e bello❤️ So excited!