O terra, addio; addio, valle di pianti - Aida, Maria Callas

Maria Callas - Aida by Giuseppe Verdi.
A rare live recording of Maria Callas' performance as Aida in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. The recording took place in Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London on the 10th of June 1953.
Aida....................................................Maria Callas
Radames.............................................Kurt Baum
Amneris..............................................Giulietta Simionato
Amonasro...........................................Jess Walters
Il Re d'Egitto.......................................Michael Langdon
Ramfis...............................................Giulio Neri
Un Messaggero...................................Hector Thomas
Una Sacerdotessa...............................Joan Sutherland
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Conductor...........................................Sir John Barbirolli
Director..............................................Michael Pickersgill Benthall
Chorus Master....................................Douglas Robinson

[@jmiller05]

Dreamy tears in Callas's voice. That sublime dichotomy of Aida's sorrow and serenity realised entirely.

[@onigbajamo]

This is her best O terra addio for sure.

[@crazyorganist1609]

No-one does Aida better than Callas. Such sorrow in the voice

[@renatosantoro3798]

I think there's some one other with a fluid vocality adapted to this duet

[@crazyorganist1609]

Not like Callas . She just encapsulated everything a role was

[@kabirdas2786]

No one did anything better than Her

[@ghostofyeats]

The received wisdom is that Callas was not suited for Aida. But listen to the firm, gleaming and pliant phrasing that opens the duet -- I can't think of anyone who does it better. Thank you for the upload.

[@zamyrabyrd]

If you want to know who does it better, check out Tebaldi and Bergonzi 1959 with Karajan. The low quality of this recording may explain some of the shrillness, the beauty of the orchestra accompaniment being almost totally wiped out. Radames and Aida simply have too much energy in the last note to be convincing that they are running out of oxygen.

[@ghostofyeats]

@@zamyrabyrd Thanks for the recommendation, but I don't find the 1959 version you suggested as satisfying as this one. Tebaldi's tone in the middle voice is sheer loveliness, but she's shrill and flat with the high notes. I also much prefer the buoyancy of Callas's phrasing.

[@BaroneVitellioScarpia1]

@@zamyrabyrd The Tebaldi/Bergonzi recording is good but not at the level of this one.

[@MissAlexia]

Opera is not all about voice voice is 50% if you want only voice to listen to oratorio lol

[@kabirdas2786]

@@ghostofyeatsnothing is at the level of Callas

[@MissAlexia]

I can’t listen to this without crying …