Maria Callas: Life & Art

This was my first owned recording of Maria Callas. One day I happened to hear her recording of Caro Nome on NPR and just had to have more. I wasn't disappointed. As has been said about Callas, one thing that makes this soprano stand out from others is the way she immerses herself emotionally in the character; this comes through in a beautiful and unique way. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the recordings, well remastered digitally considering most were originally recorded in the 50's and 60's.

this has to be the best bargain,I really wanted a lovely version of opera sung well,and here is Maria Callas with all the best versions of Puccini,Bellini,Donazetti,Verdi etc etc it is a wonderful collection,and this seller sold it to me for a song! Thank you so much,I am so pleased JP

When you are in the mood for Callas...

THIS ALBUM OF 2 CD'S & A DVD CAPTURE MS CALLAS AT HER BEST VOCAL TIME,,,, THE DVD IS OK,,,

Giftee loves it 💚💚💚💚💚

First off, I think this is a great compilation of Maria Callas' work. It has a little bit of almst everything. It picks the right records and highlights them quite well. I liked the idea of splitting the album into two discs. One of lighter romantic arias. The other with tragic and dramatic arias. Now, to the point...I listen to many operas as it is my music of choice. Whenever I find myself at a loss with a certain soprano for either character or tone I always find myself coming back to Callas. Not having the most tonaly beautiful voice she does for me what is more important. She adds life and passion to the music instead of just singing it. She knows the characters and their motivations. This rare feat comes thru in her voice. Capable of singing almost any soprano role from a light lyric coloratura such as Lakme or to the heavy demands of a Wagnerian role such as Norma. Not only does her range impress but her voice was capable of such colors and shades of those colors. She imparts such pathos and depth with her voice. This for me is most important. A singer can have the most tonaly beautiful voice, but if there is no heart and emotion behind it, forget about it. Callas has that in spades. Maybe that is why 30 some odd years after her death I still find myself turning to her for inpsiration.

Borrowed from library for two weeks then I had to have my own copy.

This 2 set CD and additional DVD are a great sampling of Maria Callas singing various operatic arias. They demonstrate not only her remarkable vocal range but her ability to perform expressively as well. No artist in my opinion can act today as well as Callas. Callas voice may have been flawed later on during her career, but her ability to act truly makes up for any vocal imperfections. After all, she is the only operatic soprano I know of who possessed not only the natural talent for acting, but the ability to sing anything from mezzo to soprano. If you are a fan of Callas, then I highly recommend this set. Even those not familiar with Maria Callas should hear her perform at least once.

The appeal and fascination of Maria Callas still lives on today and for anybody that has the slightest interest in her life and music, this package has got to be the bargain of the decade.The DVD gives a balanced view of her as a person and as a performer, with interesting, and sometimes critical observations from the people who were close to her. Wether she was technicallya great singer or not seems irrelevant, the public adored her and the press and media missed few opportunities to castigate her.Listening to her incredible voice and seeing the passion she injected into her visual performances would soften the hardest of hearts. Whatever one's musical taste this is worth looking at and is much more than an opera compilation. Some sublime singing coupled with some compelling theatrics and a large helping of human frailty. All the facets of this immense talent are explored and displayed in this beautifully conceived and packaged little gem of a box set.

It is one of my favourites and a present for my ex-wife who adores it. Sadly, I heard the broadcast of her last concert which was a disaster. These discs preserve the memory of the purity and the beauty of her voice.