by Adriel Bettelheim

The folks who bid up Maria Callas memorabilia on eBay will appreciate this grab bag of highlights and fiascos from La Divina’s career.  The connecting theme is Callas in Chicago, which is strange considering the most worthwhile item on the disc is an extended excerpt from her 1952 Covent Garden debut as Norma.  The performance, widely regarded as one of her greatest, has been available on pirate recordings for decades and was reissued in its entirety on EMI a few years ago.  This cleaned-up dub of the original master leaves a lot to be desired sonically but vividly captures the crackling intensity of the young Callas, before weight loss, Aristotle Onassis and emotional problems took her into premature decline.

Callas is savage but extremely focused confronting Mirto Picchi’s Pollione in “In mia man,” then transitions effortlessly to the other end of the emotional scale in confessing her guilt to bearing his two children.  Her subtle tonal shadings leave the impression this is a real flesh-and-blood character, unlike Joan Sutherland’s estimable but somewhat cardboard renditions.  The key here is the conducting of Vittorio Gui (uncredited on the CD sleeve), who allows Bellini’s rich and lyric score to pulse naturally without excessively milking the drama.  Picchi is no match for Franco Corelli, heard in Callas’s 1954 studio Norma, but is perfectly adequate and tastefully phrases his part.

Callas, the artist, is next heard in an intriguing 1957 Chicago TV interview with Norman Ross.  Asked about her then-celebrated rivalry with Renata Tebaldi, she professes no ill will toward her colleague and brushes off comparisons with the Italian soprano, saying her talent is unique.  She also laughs off the oft-told tale in which she is said to have kicked tenor Mario del Monaco in the shins in order to take a solo curtain call.  Callas says it’s difficult to nurture her unique vocal gifts and keep up with her operatic commitments, and expresses bewilderment that some in the music world might hate her.  One is left with the impression that this is a highly competitive diva well aware of her talents, but perhaps not quite the head case she was often depicted to be.

The final segment is sad document of Callas’ March 1974 Chicago recital with longtime collaborator Giuseppe Di Stefano, part of her widely criticized farewell tour.  Both singers try in vain to rekindle their old magic, egged on by some wildly cheering audience members who almost sound in better voice than the artists.  Callas’ instrument is much diminished in volume and considerably less secure, but still sounds pliant in “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi and the duet “Quale, o prode” from I Vespri Siciliani.  The concert takes an air of hopelessness when Di Stefano, suffering from a cold, loses his voice during the duet “Io vengo a deomandar” from Don Carlo, then bleats his way through “Tu qui, Santuzza” from Cavalleria Rusticana.  The applause is nonetheless rapturous, an acknowledgement of the strong bond both artists forged with their public.

 

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