Operatic Arias – Maria Callas (VINYL) WARNER CLASSICS

As this recital amply demonstrates, Maria Callas encompassed an extraordinary range of roles. She is as convincing in the pinpoint coloratura of Lakme’s ‘Bell Song’ (‘Her chromatic scale is beautifully done and she sails up to the region known as in alt with the greatest ease,’ said Gramophone) as in the sweeping, richly-colored lines of Maddalena’s ‘La mamma morta’ from Andrea Chenier, famously and movingly featured on the soundtrack of the 1993 Hollywood film Philadelphia. ‘There is great tenderness and simplicity, deep emotion, and the most-lovely molding of the vocal phrases,’ wrote Gramophone, ‘Madame Callas’s characterizations… are nothing less than superb, and altogether there is some of her finest singing yet recorded.’

– SIDE 1 –
1 Adriana Lecouvreur, Act 1: “Ecco – Respiro Appena… Io Son L’umile Ancella” (Adriana Lecouvreur)
2 Adriana Lecouvreur, Act 4: “Poveri Fiori” (Adriana Lecouvreur)
3 Andrea Chenier, Act 3: “La Mamma Morta” (Maddalena)
4 La Wally, Act 1: “Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana” (Wally)
5 Mefistofele, Act 3: “L’altra Notte” (Elena)

– SIDE 2 –
1 Il Barbiere Di Siviglia, Act 1: “Una Voce Poco Fa” (Rosina)
2 Dinorah, ‘Le Pardon de Ploermel’, Act 2: “Ombre Legere” (Dinorah- Shadow Song) – Sung in Italian
3 Lakme, Act 2: “Ou Va la Jeune Indoue” (Lakme – Bell Song)
4 I Vespri Siciliani, Act 5: “Merce, Dilette Amiche” (Elena)