“This Armida, part of Warner Classics’ new, bountiful, forty-two-disc compendium, Maria Callas Live, makes it amply clear what the fuss was about. She’s astonishing throughout, but especially in the opening salvo of the work’s finale. The sorceress Armida has just learned that her lover Rinaldo is abandoning her, and she responds with a series of runs, turns and octave leaps that would defeat all but the most technically accomplished singers. Callas’s singing here doesn’t register just as a technical tour-de-force but also as a searing portrait of rage. Her voice remains at full, torrential strength through even the most intricate passagework. Each note is sounded as cleanly as if on a piano, her attack giving the passagework, for all of its rapidity, a sculptural quality. Other singers have been as fleet, but none has been able to articulate coloratura with the same astounding force or ferocity. The passage is as phenomenal a two minutes of operatic performance as exists on disc. In a role that consists mostly of coloratura, Callas offers an encyclopedic display of the expressive variety that florid singing can achieve. In her Act II duet with Rinaldo, it serves as a means of seduction. The sounds she makes aren’t exactly dulcet: the voice’s resin was a defining quality throughout her all-too-short career. But the way she binds those sounds into shapely, alluring phrases makes mere mellifluousness seem beside the point. “D’amore al dolce impero,” Armida’s showpiece rondo, not only dazzles the ear but demonstrates the sorceress’s supernatural capability for erotic enchantment. Still, Callas makes every bit as overwhelming an effect in the andante central section of the finale, when the writing forsakes coloratura in favor of simple declamation: Armida here has the nobility of a Gluck heroine.” Opera News, 2018
I’ve found this performance to be interesting not only vocally but how Callas advances the character. In the first act (especially her first big scena), she paints Armida sweetly and alluringly, the purity of the line being unbroken and complete. Act 2 the seductive side is still there but there’s an added urgency and darkness, as in somethings not totally right about the character. But she is hiding her true nature. Some lines are wild, some reserved and coy. Act 3 she unleashed the monster within, the full evilness and wickedness of the sorceress. The phrasing is violent and spastic, as if Callas is writing Armida’s declarations on the spot. Not that there is a lapse in technique, everything is totally in line with Rossini’s writing. I’m sure if he had been there he would’ve been very proud. The final Eb6 could be seen as excessive by purists but within Callas’ portrayal it can be justified as one last fit of rage and fury. The Callas Way!
@@manolis.799 That's one of the most amazing things about Callas: She had the ability to make everything sound spontaneous, as if the thought had just occurred to her. None of it ever sounded studied or rote. One of the prime examples of this is Lady Macbeth's duet with her husband. It really sounds like you're eavesdropping on the actual event.
H have no fury than a woman scorned!!! Only our Maya can portray such intense revenge. In other words " YOU GO GIRL " 💔👀👁🌩🌪🌀 Thank you my friend. I especially love early Callas for obvious reasons. Arnuad 💙
@@manolis.799 Otherwise having to concede in my more reflective moments that I'm plagued by some quite serious imbalances of perspective, my obsession with Callas redeems my grasp on what extremes are worthy of extreme valuation. Meaning Callas is extremely excellent therefore worthy of extreme appreciation and thus I am well grounded in my passions. Being rational whilst being irrational is easy with her. For she is the great scholar of passion in action in that she is peer reviewed by the creators of the works themselves by realizing and revealing their best and truest intentions frequently better than they themselves could. Like what she did for Puccini with her Butterfly. She redeems it.
@@shaundudley4576 I agree with everything you said, including Butterfly not being the best work. I’ve always found it bloated, and I say this as a fan of Puccini in general.
When the character is so vividly portrayed with such venom and vigor, a little vocal sloppiness would have been forgivable. Yet the singing is flawless. I have never heard such ideal legato, not even from Maria's older self. And the energy and focus of the fiorituræ are exhilarating. Surely this is what the bel canto goddesses of the ottocento sounded like as they ravished the senses of their audiences. A priceless treasure, this recording. Thank you for sharing it, Manoli! And: Καλά Χριστούγεννα φίλε μου! 😀
@@manolis.799 + Jason Hurd Μανώλη και Ιάσσων, εύχομαι ευτυχισμένο το 2022 (I wish a happy 2022, as anglophone people say). Wasn't Ardoin who argued that Maria must be a reincarnation of Pasta or Malibran? I thank you for the video and the interesting comments.
No you're right. That's a boring opera with just a few minutes of nice melodies, the rest is just screams and noise. The final is great though. And Callas always awesome by herself.
“This Armida, part of Warner Classics’ new, bountiful, forty-two-disc compendium, Maria Callas Live, makes it amply clear what the fuss was about. She’s astonishing throughout, but especially in the opening salvo of the work’s finale. The sorceress Armida has just learned that her lover Rinaldo is abandoning her, and she responds with a series of runs, turns and octave leaps that would defeat all but the most technically accomplished singers. Callas’s singing here doesn’t register just as a technical tour-de-force but also as a searing portrait of rage. Her voice remains at full, torrential strength through even the most intricate passagework. Each note is sounded as cleanly as if on a piano, her attack giving the passagework, for all of its rapidity, a sculptural quality. Other singers have been as fleet, but none has been able to articulate coloratura with the same astounding force or ferocity. The passage is as phenomenal a two minutes of operatic performance as exists on disc.
In a role that consists mostly of coloratura, Callas offers an encyclopedic display of the expressive variety that florid singing can achieve. In her Act II duet with Rinaldo, it serves as a means of seduction. The sounds she makes aren’t exactly dulcet: the voice’s resin was a defining quality throughout her all-too-short career. But the way she binds those sounds into shapely, alluring phrases makes mere mellifluousness seem beside the point. “D’amore al dolce impero,” Armida’s showpiece rondo, not only dazzles the ear but demonstrates the sorceress’s supernatural capability for erotic enchantment. Still, Callas makes every bit as overwhelming an effect in the andante central section of the finale, when the writing forsakes coloratura in favor of simple declamation: Armida here has the nobility of a Gluck heroine.”
Opera News, 2018
I’ve found this performance to be interesting not only vocally but how Callas advances the character.
In the first act (especially her first big scena), she paints Armida sweetly and alluringly, the purity of the line being unbroken and complete.
Act 2 the seductive side is still there but there’s an added urgency and darkness, as in somethings not totally right about the character. But she is hiding her true nature. Some lines are wild, some reserved and coy.
Act 3 she unleashed the monster within, the full evilness and wickedness of the sorceress. The phrasing is violent and spastic, as if Callas is writing Armida’s declarations on the spot. Not that there is a lapse in technique, everything is totally in line with Rossini’s writing. I’m sure if he had been there he would’ve been very proud. The final Eb6 could be seen as excessive by purists but within Callas’ portrayal it can be justified as one last fit of rage and fury.
The Callas Way!
@@manolis.799 That's one of the most amazing things about Callas: She had the ability to make everything sound spontaneous, as if the thought had just occurred to her. None of it ever sounded studied or rote. One of the prime examples of this is Lady Macbeth's duet with her husband. It really sounds like you're eavesdropping on the actual event.
This opera is incredible difficult!!!💪❤️
Never has eye-popping virtuosity been deployed with more meaning musicality and power.
This is Great Art at its most Thrilling.
Ooo I lost my love ❤️ from the you because I edited after your response. Please restore it!!!
To hear her is to love her. I have since 1959. She can do no wrong!
Thanks Elvira de Hidalgo. Callas is your masterpiece. ❤❤❤❤❤❤
No one has sung this as accurately, dramatically and musically as Callas. Ever.
The eighth wonder of the world! Maria Callas!
H have no fury than a woman scorned!!! Only our Maya can portray such intense revenge. In other words " YOU GO GIRL " 💔👀👁🌩🌪🌀 Thank you my friend. I especially love early Callas for obvious reasons. Arnuad 💙
I love early Callas, I love middle Callas, I love late Callas. I love Callas!
@@manolis.799 dare I call it an obsession I think it's very healthy.
@@arnoldamaral7406 I mean if were to pick someone to obsess over, Maria’s not a bad choice!
@@manolis.799 Otherwise having to concede in my more reflective moments that I'm plagued by some quite serious imbalances of perspective, my obsession with Callas redeems my grasp on what extremes are worthy of extreme valuation.
Meaning Callas is extremely excellent therefore worthy of extreme appreciation and thus I am well grounded in my passions.
Being rational whilst being irrational is easy with her. For she is the great scholar of passion in action in that she is peer reviewed by the creators of the works themselves by realizing and revealing their best and truest intentions frequently better than they themselves could.
Like what she did for Puccini with her Butterfly. She redeems it.
@@shaundudley4576 I agree with everything you said, including Butterfly not being the best work. I’ve always found it bloated, and I say this as a fan of Puccini in general.
Love Callas. Thank you Manoli, a great way to start the year!
When the character is so vividly portrayed with such venom and vigor, a little vocal sloppiness would have been forgivable. Yet the singing is flawless. I have never heard such ideal legato, not even from Maria's older self. And the energy and focus of the fiorituræ are exhilarating. Surely this is what the bel canto goddesses of the ottocento sounded like as they ravished the senses of their audiences. A priceless treasure, this recording. Thank you for sharing it, Manoli! And: Καλά Χριστούγεννα φίλε μου! 😀
Ευχαριστώ πολύ Ίασων! Maria was the 20th century Malibran, Pasta, Lehmann. Not that other lady who claimed to be them, whatever her name was anyway… 😁
@@manolis.799 Oh yes, the one about whom Maria remarked 'Well, if she's the new Malibran, why doesn't she sing better?'
😂😂😂
@@manolis.799 + Jason Hurd
Μανώλη και Ιάσσων, εύχομαι ευτυχισμένο το 2022 (I wish a happy 2022, as anglophone people say). Wasn't Ardoin who argued that Maria must be a reincarnation of Pasta or Malibran?
I thank you for the video and the interesting comments.
Superhuman Callas !!! Maria the breath of God !!!
"The breath of love" love it!!! ❤❤❤👏👏👏
Ma il pubblico era conscio di che meraviglia stava assistendo e ascoltando????
I just am not into armida. Maybe one day I will see why this is so great.
No you're right. That's a boring opera with just a few minutes of nice melodies, the rest is just screams and noise. The final is great though. And Callas always awesome by herself.
@@fan2jnrci think it's a matter of taste.