1957 Live [Live]

1. Monitor Blues

2. Stumpy

3. Bohemia

4. In A Mellotone

5. Introduction Sweet Georgia Brown

6. Embraceable You

7. Lover Come Back To Me

8. Little Jazz

9. Rockin' Chair

10. Lady Be Good

11. Introduction

12. Soft Wind

13. Perdido

14. The Long Blues

1957 Live,Roy Eldridge,Jazz Band,Big Bands,Jazz,Pop

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: Good mid-50's Maynard live

Live at Peacock Lane 1956-1957 Maynard Ferguson Manufacturer: Fresh Sounds Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Canada | North America | International | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Band Ain't Draggin' I Have But Two Horns / Plays Bill Holman's Arrangements M.F.Horn 2 & The Ballad Style of Maynard Ferguson New Sound of Maynard Ferguson The Birdland Dream Band ASIN: B0001HN5MW Release Date: 2007-01-08

Tracks:

1. Goodbye Mr. Chops
2. Lady Bug
3. Velvet
4. Maynard the Fox
5. Free Lee
6. More West
7. Great Guns
8. Dancing Nitely
9. Groover Wailin'
10. Ain't Life Grand?
11. Early Hours
12. Wailing Boat

Tracks:

1. Blue Birdland
2. Great Guns
3. Lady Bug
4. My Funny Valentine
5. Dancing Nitely
6. Geller's Celler
7. More West
8. Stand Up and Preach
9. Maynard the Fox
10. Early Hours
11. Little Girl Kimbi
12. Rosebud
13. Christmas for Moderns: The First Noel/White Christmas/O Come All Ye Fai

Album Description

Maynard Ferguson & his swingin' 'Dream Band' featuring Ed Leddy, Joe Burnett, Tom Slaney, Mel Lewis, Bob Fitzpatrick, Herb Geller & more. 25 tracks recorded live at Peacock Lane, Hollywood, December 1956 & January 1957. Fresh Sound. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Good mid-50's Maynard live.......2007-02-06

This is a worthwhile addition to your Maynard Ferguson collection, assuming you've made your way through his basic studio albums. At this point in his career, Maynard had fronted several different groups (combos, octets and "small" big bands) on the West Coast and also had gone to New York to lead a band called the Birdland Dream Band at the Birdland nightclub in NY. This album was recorded live back on the West Coast with a group of fine (largely) West Coast musicians.

A lot of the arrangements are the same charts that were recorded in NY with the Birdland Dream Band, written by folks like Bill Holman, Marty Paich and Willie Maiden. For the most part they are originals, no pop covers or standards.

You should own the studio CD called "Birland Dream Band" first -- because the recording quality is quite a bit better than this one. However, if you own and like the "Birdland Dream Band," then this live recording is a great chance to hear more. Maynard's playing is spectacular, as usual, and it's great to hear him nail the hard stuff in front of a live audience.

One problem w/this CD is the quality of the recording. Even by the standard of live recordings of the day, Disc 1 was not well recorded. It's not horrible, but decidedly mediocre. Disc 2 is much better. But it's hard to give this a better rating given the recording quality

Still very much worth owning. Maynard had a long and distinguished career on the road and in the studio this is a solid addition to any Maynard collection.

Average customer rating: Anna bolena, complete opera Famous live performance from La Scala A great performance of a great opera Best Anna Bolena on Disc Supreme Anna Bolena

Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Gaetano Donizetti , Gianandrea Gavazzeni , Maria Callas , Giulietta Simionato , Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano , Nicola Rossi-Lemeni , Gianni Raimondi , Gabriella Carturan , and Plinio Clabassi Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Cherubini: Medea (complete opera live 1953) with Maria Callas, Fedora Barbieri, Leonard Bernstein, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe Modesti, Leonard Bernstein, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Bellini: I Puritani / Callas, di Stefano, Rossi-Lemeni, Panerai; Serafin ASIN: B00000630Z Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

1. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Ne venne il Re?
2. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Ella di me, sollecita (Giovanna, Smeton)
3. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Si Taciturna e mesta mai non vidi assemblea (Anna, Giovanna, Smeton)
4. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Deh! non voler costringere (Smeton, Anna, Giovanna)
5. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Come, innovente giovane (Anna)
6. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Ma puche omai rimangono (Anna, Giovanna)
7. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Non v'ha sguardo cui sia dato (Anna, Giovanna, Smeton)
8. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: O! qual parlar fu il suo! (Giovanna)
9. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Tremate voi? Si, tremo
10. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: La mia fama e a' pie dell'ara
11. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Anna pure amor m'offria
12. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Tu mi lasci?
13. Anna Bolena: Act One - Scene One: Ah! qual sia cerar non oso (Enrico, Giovanna)
14. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: Chi veggo? In Inghilterra (Percy)
15. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: Da quel di che, lei perduta (Percy)
16. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: Gia la caccia si raduna (Percy)
17. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: Ah! cosi nei di redenti (Percy)
18. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: Desta si tosta (Enrico, Anna, Percy)
19. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: Voi, Regina! E fia pur vero (Percy, Anna, Enrico)
20. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: lo sentii sulla mia mano (Anna, Enrico, Percy)
21. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: Or che reso ai patrii lidi (Enrico, Percy, Anna)
22. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Two: Questo di per noi spuntato (Anna, Precy, Enrico)
23. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: Tutto e deserto (Smeton)
24. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: Bada, bad troggoltra vai (Anna)
25. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: Ne uscir poss'io! (Smeton, Anna, Percy)
26. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: S'ei t'aborre, io t'amo ancora (Percy, Anna)
27. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: Alcun potria ascoltarti in quste mura (Anna, Percy, Smeton, Enrico)
28. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: Tace ognuno, e ognun tremante! (Enrico, Smeton, Percy, Anna)
29. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: In quegli sguardi impresso
30. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: In separato carcere tutti costor sien tratti (Anna, Enrico, Ciovanna, Smeton, Percy)
31. Anna Bolena: Act One - Act Three: Ah! segnata e la mia sorte (Anna, Giovanna, Smeton, Percy, Enrico)

Tracks:

1. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene One: Oh! Dove maai ne andarono le turbe adulatrici
2. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene One: Regina! Duolmi l'amaro incarco (Anna)
3. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene One: Dio, che me vedi in core (Anna)
4. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene One: Piange l'afflitta
5. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene One: Tali son trame ordite
6. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene One: Sul guanciale del regio letto
7. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene One: Dal mio cor punita io sono
8. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene One: Ba, infelice, e teco reca (Giovanna, Anna)
9. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Ebben? dinanzi ai giudici
10. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Ecco, ecco Hervey
11. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Scostatevi, il Re giunge (Enrico)
12. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Arresta, Enrico
13. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: sSaro fra poco innanzi
14. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Fin dall'eta pio tenera
15. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Salira d'Inghilterra sul trono (Anna, Enrico, Percy)
16. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Sposa a Percy
17. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Anna vid'io, l'intesi (Enrico, Giovanna)
18. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Per questa fiamma infomita (Giovanna)
19. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Stolta! non sai (enrico, Giovanna)
20. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Two: Ah! pensate che rivolti (Giovanna)
21. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Three: Chi puo vederla a ciglio asciutto
22. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Three: Piangete voi? D'onde tal pianto? (Anna)
23. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Three: Al dolce guidami castel natio (Anna)
24. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Three: Qual mesto suo? (Anna, Percy, Smeton)
25. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Three: Cielo, a' meie lunghi spasimi
26. Anna Bolena: Act Two - Scene Three: Coppia iniqua, l'estrema vendetta

Customer Reviews:

Anna bolena, complete opera.......2007-03-08

Unfortunately one of the CD's was badly marked and therefore virtually unplayable. I would never buy 2nd hand CD's again

Famous live performance from La Scala.......2007-01-16

SOURCE: Live performance from the opening night of the new Visconti production of "Anna Bolena" at La Scala in Milan, April 14,1957.

SOUND: By current standards, the mono sound is boxy and limited. By the standards of Callas' recorded live performances, it is well above average. Voices are generally well-caught in a sort of AM radio-ish way, the orchestra slightly less so. The audience at La Scala that opening night was unusually quiet for an Italian crowd. Perhaps they were a little awed by the occasion. Certainly, they were unfamiliar with the opera. Their recorded responses are positive, generous and at more or less the appropriate spots. All that aside, anyone who listens to this "Anna Bolena" should do so for the performance, not the sound reproduction.

CAST: Anna Bolena, Queen of England - Maria Callas (soprano); Enrico VIII, King of England - Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (bass-baritone); Giovanna Seymour, lady-in-waiting to Queen Anna, king's mistress and next Queen of England - Giulietta Simionato (mezzo-soprano); Percy, a nobleman dangerously in love with Anna - Gianni Raimondi (tenor); Smeton, a young page and musician idiotically in love with Anna - Gabriella Carturan (soprano); Lord Rochefort, Anna's brother who has a talent for being in the wrong place at the wrong time - Plinio Clabassi (baritone); Lord Hervey, a courtier who is acutely aware that his career will not be advanced by being Anna's friend - Luigi Rumbo (baritone). CONDUCTOR: Gianandrea Gavazzeni with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala, Milano.

DOCUMENTATION: Libretto with English translation. Short history of the opera and brief summary of the plot.

TEXT: This was the second major production of "Anna Bolena" in the modern bel canto revival. There are substantial cuts, from which the role of Percy is the greatest sufferer. Many reviewers clearly suffer the vapors at the very thought of losing a single bar of the golden legacy. I am not among their number. Sometimes, less actually is more. I have seldom found note-complete performances, especially those with pseudo-bel canto ornamentations created on the spot, to offer a markedly improved artistic experience. Sometimes, as in the horrifying example of Wagner-length "complete" "Tales of Hoffmann," it can be a dismal downer. In this case, the shortened text of "Anna Bolena" works well enough.

"Anna Bolena" premiered at La Scala on December 26, 1830. It was the big hit that catapulted the 32-year old composer into the great bel canto triad with Rossini and Bellini. For all its success, the opera shared in the general collapse of bel canto fortunes and lay dormant until the 1950s. The post-World War II era saw a revival of the bel canto repertory, largely driven by the presence of Maria Callas and the subsequent development of a group of divas who combined enormous power with extraordinary vocal agility.

(Here in the Twenty-first Century, we find ourselves amid a drought of such divas once again. Where is the next great Medea, Lucia, Norma or Anna Bolena to be found? Almost certainly not among the troops of Handel specialists who come pouring out of today's academies.)

The libretto of "Anna Bolena" rests only lightly on the dreary historical facts. Anne Boleyn is conceived as a fairly typical bel canto heroine, even to the extent of being granted a short mad scene. The reputation Henry VIII is completely slagged in Romani's telling of the tale. The king hasn't a single vestige of honor, generosity or loyalty. He lacks even the self-awareness that makes Shakespeare's monstrous Richard III so entertainingly charming.

It is a part of the received lore among opera fans that the role of Anna is a voice killer. Why this should be when Norma, say, and Turandot and Isolde are not, I can't say. Whatever the dangers, the voice of Callas in 1957 was more than a match for them. Fans of La Divina quite properly regard this as one of her great triumphs. Critics, on the other hand, profess to detect the earliest cracks in the noble vocal facade. Perhaps that is so, but I for one do not choose to ignore the virtues of a performance while searching for its faults.

Callas is better supported by the rest of the cast than is often the case with her live recordings. Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, with his somewhat wooly voice, was not one of the great singers of the Twentieth Century, but he was a good one, nevertheless. I saw him in San Francisco a couple of times toward the end of his career. He was a solid performer who could carry an audience with him. Simionato was very much an A-list singer and sounds like it here, despite the oddly offhand dismissal to be found in the review published by the Good Grey Gramophone Magazine. (Years later she described this "Anna Bolena" as the highlight of her career.) Gianni Raimondi sounds fine to me in what remains of the part of Percy, although some would doubtless argue that his is not the proper type of voice for the role. (The very same argument could be made about Callas herself, despite the too-confident insistence of fans that the remarks of the critic Stendahl about the first Anna, Giudita Pasta, show her to have been something of a Nineteenth Century pre-iteration of Callas.) The singers in the smaller roles, the orchestra, the chorus and the conducting all uphold the reputation of La Scala.

A famous live performance in decent sound with Callas in full La Divina-mode--five stars, of course!

A great performance of a great opera.......2005-12-12

Well, let's get over the caveats first. The performance is heavily cut and this is a live performance from 1957, so the sound is certainly lo-fi, though not completely unacceptable. Otherwise, this is a treasurable account of a historic and absolutely thrilling night at La Scala. The cast is not totally ideal; Rossi-Lemeni as Enrico has great authority but his tone is woolly and leaks air at every emission; Raimondi doesn't have the florid technique for Percy (and consequently much of his role is cut), but he does have the requisite italianate tone. The rest is pure gold. Simionato as Giovanna shows just how exciting a singer she was on the stage; her studio recordings do not do her justice. A high point of the set is the duet with Anna, Callas and Simionato first striking sparks off each other and then blending in sublime harmony. As for Callas, this captures her at the absolute height of her interprative powers in a role that was absolutely right for her at this stage of her career. From the gentle, plangent tone she uses in the first aria, through the fire and brimstone of the Act 1 finale, to the exquisite pathos of the final mad scene, she is sublime. A high point of the set is her voicing of "Guidici ad Anna!" just before the Act 1 finale, where all Anna's queenly outrage is brought to bear with almost unbearable intensity. The finale is capped with a ringing high D and the audience quite rightly goes mad. But it is also in quiet moments that Callas is unique. The ovation she receives after the cavtina in the mad scene is the natural outcome from an audience quite obviously unable to hold its breath any longer - and remember this opera was almost completely unknown at the time. Though EMI did not record Callas in many of her greatest roles, it is good to see that they are now repairing the omission with the official release of some of these live performances. Not to be missed.

Best Anna Bolena on Disc.......2005-11-23

Maria Callas is known as one of the greatest artist of the century because she was responsible for the revival of neglected bell canto operas. April 14, 1957 is one of those memorable days. It is the opening night of a new production of a great neglected opera Anna Bolena. This was staged in the La Scala. I am very happy that this particular event was documented in this recording. At least were able to listen to this spectacular memorable night. The Characterization of the La Divina is one of the most exciting she has done. This is probably because Anna's tragedy comes as a fusion of all the wounded characters she had played previously. This seems to be the catalyst she needed to pour deep emotions for the role. The final scene of this recording will make everybody understand why the La Divina is considered the greatest singing actress of the 20th century. It shows her at the height of her talent both as a tragic actress and of course as a singer. Despite poor recording and untolerable hisses in some parts. This recording should not be missed for any reason for this is the best Anna Bolena on Disc.

Supreme Anna Bolena.......2005-06-08

Anna Bolena, Donizetti's great opera about the English queen who was beheaded by her husband Henry VIII, was a masterpiece rarely revived after its premiere. A year earlier, during 1956, the opera was revived in the composer's hometown. On 1957, with Luchino Visconti's guidance and the genius of Maria
Callas at the helm, the opera was given at La Scala. In the pit was Gianandrea Gavazzenni, and the La Scala orchestra and chorus sang wonderfully that night. The set, a dramatic setting of dark shades contrasted by the fabulously brilliant costumes, helped to heighten the drama of the opera. But most fabulous of all was the Anna Bolena of the evening, Maria Callas. No other Anna had sung the role with much passion before, even approaching the boundaries of a verismo interpretation coupled with a well-schooled bel canto technique. There were many Annas who later would embellish the lines of the queen with greater roulades, but no other interpreter of the role could capture the tragic air that Callas gave the wife of Henry VIII. What makes this role such a great vehicle for her voice is the fact that Anna had much that related to the Druid priestess Norma. Both had lovers who had secretly conducted affairs behind their backs, and both were to discover this in the middle of the plot. What makes Anna different though, is the fact that her lover turned on her and even executed her! The colors brought into the writing of this role demand an entirely different kind of temperament from that of Norma. Anna has to maintain a sense of regality, yet she loses her temper in one of the scenes where she is to be brought before the judges. "Giudici! ad Anna!!!" The excerpt was to be sung to perfection by Callas, and no other singer could capture the fury she imbued in the cabaletta (something only Callas can do). "Va infelice", the duet between Jane Seymour and Anne, is much like Bellini's "Mira o Norma", and Giulietta Simionato and Callas sing it to a level of musicality unachieved by other singers. The madscene, the piece that closes this great opera, is undoubtedly the pinnacle of Donizetti's mad scenes. In my opinion, not even the famous Lucia di Lammermoor mad scene could equal the dramatic intensity of A Dolce Guidami...Coppia Iniqua. And who else could bring such dramatic truth into this mad scene than Callas? This scene alone is worth the entire recording, and I would highly recommend this Donizettian legend for your music library.

Average customer rating: Perhaps for Warne Marsh fans only? Genius revealed....

Live at Dana Point, 1957 Warne Marsh Quartet , and Joe Albany Manufacturer: Vsop Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Music for Prancing Berlin 1980 Red Mitchell-Warne Marsh Big Two, Vol. 1 Intuition Star Highs ASIN: B0002VGS0I Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

1. Things I Love
2. Dahoud
3. Now's the Time
4. Billie's Bounce
5. Body and Soul
6. Limehouse Blues
7. Love Is Here to Stay
8. I've Got You Under My Skin
9. Once in Awhile
10. Night and Day

Tracks:

1. My Little Suede Shoes
2. Darn That Dream
3. After You've Gone
4. Easy to Love
5. 'S Wonderful
6. Tea for Two
7. Song Is You
8. Way You Look Tonight

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps for Warne Marsh fans only?.......2006-03-27

I'm not aware of any tenor player who sounds like Warne Marsh,and there surely were none back in 1957 when this was recorded. Almost all sax players have a sound which is more or less internally consistent, but Marsh's seems to be made up of three or four quite different ones. Sometimes it's big and full; at other times,thin and dry as smoke. In the upper register and the high harmonics beyond it (which he handles with amazing mastery, far beyond that of many far more celebrated players) he gets a clear,bright,unforced alto-like sound. And finally, there's a kind of splintered gargle (think Lester Young playing a hookah...), which description might make it sound awful,which it definitely does not,as he employs it. This enormous tonal variety is accentuated by his penchant for rapidly alternating from loud to soft and in-between,sometimes every two or three bars and at any and all tempos. Though he seems far more interested in the linear elaboration of harmony than in melody,nevertheless his improvisations are full of surprising and thrilling twists and turns. These traits, plus his rhythmic agility (he swings!) make him, IMHO, far more interesting and enjoyable than his fellow Tristano disciple Lee Konitz.

This recording contains some very fine playing by the young Warne Marsh. In addition,the fact that he's playing standards (and Charlie Parker) makes the utter originality of his harmonic/melodic approach stand out more clearly than it would if he confined himself to those rather monotonous Tristano-school "originals". The sound is,all things considering,pretty good,certainly good enough for anybody whose primary interest is in the music itself rather than in sound reproduction per se.

The problems lie in two areas:the place where the recording was made and the other musicians. There's a good bass player. The drummer is adequate so long as he confines himself to basic time-keeping and not so hot when he tries anything more. And the pianist, otherwise unknown to me, is an enigma. At times he plays very well indeed; at others his sense of time and/or his technique let him down pretty badly.

As for where the recording was made, anybody buying this should be aware that Marsh and company are playing in a nightclub where a number of the patrons yak loudly and inanely and incessantly; it's painful to hear the utter lack of respect for the musicians. If you are the kind of person driven nuts by this sort of thing, you should definitely not buy this CD. I found it barely tolerable and often very distracting, especially given Marsh's above-noted tendency to play very softly at times,not just on ballads but also at medium and up tempos.

Genius revealed...........2005-10-18

This has to be some of Warne's most inspired work ever captured.
His sound is absolutely beautiful troughout these 2 sides,and the ideas keep popping out fresh, and never before heard (and swinging to!). The piano player is a character,a little crazy, but warne seemes to respect him a lot. A gem!

Average customer rating:

Live at the 1957 Stratford Festival Duke Ellington Manufacturer: Music & Arts Program ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music ASIN: B000006KEP Release Date: 1993-11-01

Tracks:

1. Hark, The Duke's Trumpets!
2. Harlem Air Shaft
3. Clarinet Melodrama
4. Theme Trambene
5. Sophisticated Lady
6. Take The 'A' Train
7. La Virgen De La Macarena
8. Pretty And The Wolf (Also Known As Monologue)
9. I Got It Bad, And That Ain't Good
10. Harlem Suite

Average customer rating: Sinatra's "Missing" Masterpiece: Hard To Find, But Worth It

Frank Sinatra Live: Seattle, Washington Concert June 9, 1957 Frank Sinatra Manufacturer: © 1995 Special Edition ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000003LXX Release Date: 1995-05-16

Customer Reviews:

Sinatra's "Missing" Masterpiece: Hard To Find, But Worth It.......2003-12-01

I admit it--I'm a fanatic. I own nearly 100 Sinatra albums, spanning every era of his remarkable career. But out of all of them, "Live in Seattle" remains my absolute favorite. It was recorded at Sinatra's creative peak, during his legendary 1950s tenure at Capitol Records. The singing is splendid, the musicianship crisp and impeccable, and even the on-stage banter magical. It doesn't get any better than this. Unfortunately, the original Jazz Hour issue of this CD--from 1995--is long out of print, but the same recording is currently available from DCC as a gold disc entitled "Sinatra '57: Live in Concert." It's expensive, but well worth the money. This is a must for the serious collector, and a splendid introduction for the neophyte.

Average customer rating: To complete a discogrphy

Maria Callas: Live in Milan 1956 and Athens 1957 Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Maria Callas: Live in Rome 1952 and San Remo 1954 Rehearsal in Dallas 1957 Live in London 1958 and 1959 Maria Callas: Live in Paris 1958 The EMI Rarities ASIN: B000069V7P Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

1. Gaspare Spontini: La vestale: Tu che invoco
2. Vincenzo Bellini: I puritani: La dama d'Arturo... Ah, vieni al tiempo
3. Gioacchino Rossini: Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
4. Ambroise Thomas: Hamlet: Ai vostri giochi... Ed ora voi
5. Giuseppe Verdi: Il travatore: Vanne... D'amor sull'ali rosee
6. Giuseppe Verdi: La forza del destino: Pace, pace, mio Dio!
7. Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde: Dolce e calmo
8. Gaetano Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor: Regnava nei silenzio...Quando rapito in estasi
9. Ambroise Thomas: Hamlet: Ai vostri giochi... Ed ora a voi
10. Ambroise Thomas: Encore: Ed ora a voi

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Callas fans prefer her "live" recordings to studio outings for their extra charge of intensity, whether the singer's on the operatic stage or in concert, as she is on this disc, which is part of a series of new reissues from EMI. The first four items derive from a 1956 Radio Italiana program; the final six from her first concert in Greece after an absence of 12 years. Of course, Callas fans will want every scrap of salvaged recorded material they can find, but this will hold interest for anyone interested in the Callas phenomenon and great singing. Not that she's in prime voice here, but she never fails to thrill and enlighten. Her command of line is extraordinary, amply demonstrated by the Milan excerpt from Bellini's Puritani. And while she recorded every selection here on other occasions, such is her artistry that duplication is not a problem. So, even if you have her "Bel raggio" from Rossini's Semiramide, you'll want to hear this more austere version. And the Athens "Liebestod," from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, sung in Italian, is more fiery than in her early Cetra recording. Her late studio recording of the mad scene from Thomas's Hamlet was in French; in Milan, with Callas singing in Italian, it has even more color and tension. The sound is acceptable; the artistry, flaws and all, exceptional. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

To complete a discogrphy.......2007-01-10

There is no doubt that opera will one day look at "before" and "after" Maria Callas. She did not ever have anyhing but a big unruly voice, but it changed the world for the good.

Average customer rating: The best Sonnambula! ONE OF CALLAS' MOST BRILLIANT EVENINGS Brilliant! But even better live!

Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Nicola Zaccaria, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Bellini: I Puritani / Callas, di Stefano, Rossi-Lemeni, Panerai; Serafin Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Maria Callas ~ Cherbini - Medea [selection] ASIN: B0000BWTKA Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

1. Viva! Viva Amina!... Tutto E Gioia, Tutto E Festa
2. In Elvezia Non V'ha Rosa
3. Care Compagne
4. Come Per Me Sereno...Sempre, O Felice Amina
5. Sovra Il Sen La Man Mi Posa
6. Il Piu Di Tutti, O Amina
7. Perdona, O Mia Diletta
8. Prendi: L'anel Ti Dono
9. Scritti Nel Ciel Gia Sono...Ah! Vorrei Trovar Parole
10. Domani, Appena Aggiorni
11. Come Noioso E Lungo Il Cammin...Vi Ravviso, O Luoghi Ameni...E Gentil, Leggiadra
12. Contezza Del Paese
13. A Fosco Cielo, A Notte Bruna
14. Basta Cosi. Ciascuno Si Attenga
15. Elvino! E Me Tu Lasci
16. Son Geloso Del Zefiro Errante
17. Davver, Non mi Dispiace
18. Che Veggio?
19. O Ciel! Che Tento?
20. Osservate: L'uscio E Aperto
21. E Menzogna
22. D'un Pensiero E D'un Accento
23. Non Piu Nozze

Tracks:

1. Qui La Selva E Piu Folta Ed Ombrosa
2. Reggimi, O Buona Madre
3. Vedi, O Madre...E Afflitto E Mesto
4. Viva Il Conte!
5. Ah! Perche Non Posso Odiarti
6. E Fia Pur Vero, Elvino
7. Signor Conte, Agli Occhi Miei
8. Signor?...Che Creder Deggio?
9. Oh! Se Una Volta Sola
10. Ah! Non Credea Mirarti
11. No, Piu Non Reggo
12. Ah! Non Giunge Uman Pensiero

Customer Reviews:

The best Sonnambula!.......2004-05-16

I'm very pleased with my purchase. Callas sounds lovely. She was the greatest singer ever!

ONE OF CALLAS' MOST BRILLIANT EVENINGS.......2004-02-19

Callas was in absolutely spectacular voice when she performed this "Sonnambula" in Cologne in July, 1957. It is really amazing to think that this magnificently scaled-down voice was equally capable of encompassing the roles of Norma, Medea, Gioconda, Tosca, etc. But Callas was, of course, Callas, and sounding as she does on this performance, no one can come within hailing miles of her accomplishments. The voice has an almost gossamer quality to it, and she negotiates the most intricate and difficult coloratura embellishments, which take her all the up to top E flat. Her lyrical Elvino, Nicola Monti, is the perfect tenor partner for her. Together, they make the duets sound as though they were being sung by teenagers. Amazingly, both Callas and Monti are heard on the studio EMI version of "Sonnambula", which was recorded a few months before this performance ---- but neither of them were anywhere near the form in which they are heard here. Even the usually stolid Antonio Votto musters up an eloquence he seldom achieved elsewhere. I find this "Sonnambula" superior to the 1955 Callas Bernstein version, first because the sound is infinitely better, and second because Callas seems much more relaxed (admittedly, she tossed off a few extra bravura embellishments for Bernstein that she eschews here) and polished.
I cannot recommend this wonderful recording too highly.

Brilliant! But even better live!.......2004-01-14

This is a FANTASTIC Sonnambula! But the live-recording with Callas and Valletti is even BETTER, it's THE standard!

Average customer rating: Interesting Callas is overrated For Callas Diehards

Gluck: Ifigenia in Tauride (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Dino Dondi, Nino Sanzogno, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Gluck, Christoph W. | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Verdi: La Forza Del Destino (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Puccini: Manon Lescaut (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Nicola Zaccaria, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan ASIN: B000006OGF Release Date: 1998-06-02

Tracks:

1. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: O Dei! Propiziate il destino
2. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: La calma rinascea, ma, in fondo al mio cor (Ifigenia)
3. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Oh notte rea! Sogno spietato!
4. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Deh! Pelopea stirpe! Stirpe ognor fatale (Ifigenia)
5. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: O tu, che in tua pieta crudel (Ifigenia)
6. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Ah! quando, o Dei, del lagrimar...Ciel! mi persegue dei Numi il furor! (Toante)
7. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Ciel! mi persegue dei Numi il furor! (Toante - Ifigenia)
8. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Presentimento reo la debil mente assale (Toante)
9. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Placava il nume il suo furor...Me infelice!...Or va, la lama affila (Ifigenia - Toante)
10. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Le colpe ad espiar
11. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Danze - Ballet - Ballett
12. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 1: Qual destin, qual follia vi spingea, o sciagurati (Toante - Pilade - Oreste)
13. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Oh silenzio feral! (Pilade - Oreste)
14. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Oh de' misfatti miei, Numi autori fatali! (Oreste)
15. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Perche di tanto affanno turbar colui che t'ama!
16. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Un sol desio mi preme (Pilade)
17. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Sventurati stranier, io vi debbo separar (Pilade - Oreste)
18. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Nume, patrono dei funesti lidi
19. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: La calma torna nel mio cor! (Oreste)
20. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Pantomima - Pantomime
21. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: L'oltraggio alla natura alfin punito andra (Oreste)
22. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Tutto scorgo l'orror (Ifigenia - Oreste)
23. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Sommi Dei! Tutti estinti i cari miei! (Ifigenia)
24. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: O dolce suol natio
25. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: O sventurata Ifigenia (Ifigenia)
26. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: Onorate con me quest'eroe... (Ifigenia)
27. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 2: La mia voce in un sol pianto (Ifigenia)

Tracks:

1. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: Il voto pago andra
2. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: lo ti veggio ad ogni istante (Ifigenia)
3. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: S'avanzano i due prigionier (Ifigenia - Oreste - Pilade)
4. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: Se deluder sapro del re la furia orrenda (Ifigenia - Oreste - Pilade)
5. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: Oh celeste gioir!
6. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: E me d'amar, o mio fedel, presumi
7. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: Che! non sapro domar resistenze funeste? (Pilade - Oreste)
8. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: Ahi! Qual pieta!
9. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: Che! Me stimi salvar la desiata morte? (Ifigenia - Oreste)
10. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 3: Divinita de l'alme grandi (Pilade)
11. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: Ah! l'esecrando rito non so perpetrar
12. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: lo t'imploro anelante, o implacabile Dea! (Ifigenia)
13. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: Sii, Diana, a noi propizia!
14. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: La forza m'abbandona, o condanna crudel! (Ifigenia - Oreste)
15. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: Casta figlia di Latona
16. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: Sommi Dei, sommi Dei, soccorso a me! (Ifigenia - Oreste)
17. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: Non evocar immagini funeste! (Ifigenia)
18. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: Sventura! ahime! Disvelato e il mistero! (Ifigenia)
19. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: Scoverti sono alfin tuoi fini pravi...Dunque vuoi che lo tragga all'ara (Toante - Ifigenia - Oreste - Pilade)
20. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: V'arrestate e s'ascolti il mio parlar! (Diana)
21. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: In questa eterea forma (Oreste)
22. Ifigenia In Tauride: Act 4: Trascorso il tempo omai (Tutti)

Customer Reviews:

Interesting.......2004-01-13

Just like with Wagner there was no possibility to perform it in the original language. If the "Amazon Customer" whose only aim in life seems to be showing off and playing God by explaining why he knows so much better than aknowledged experts like Steane, Porter and Kesting KNEW ANYTHING he'd know that too! Tebaldi sang Tatyana in Italian too!
That such a RARITY was performed came about through Callas' personal wish and fight for the revival of forgotten masterpieces. Callas shines as Ifigenia, I'd rather have this by her than nothing. Also, check out her Armida and Alceste... Now if these were uncut, it would be HEAVEN!

Callas is overrated.......2003-12-17

Only diehard Callas enthusiasts and those who already know the work well should consider buying this CD. To begin with, the opera is sung in Italian-when Gluck actually made a point of writing it in French! In addition, the male singers are all woefully inadequate, and Sonzogno's Gluck sounds more like bad Puccini. As usual with Callas, there are thrilling moments (for instance, the wonderful opening scene), but they never add up to a complete portrayal, and, although she sings with great elegance and poise, the overall peformance is disappointing. Those who wish to hear what wonders she could accomplish in Gluck should listen to her Alceste, which is another matter altogether.

For Callas Diehards.......1999-06-30

Only diehard Callas enthusiasts and those who already know the work well should consider buying this CD. To begin with, the opera is sung in Italian-when Gluck actually made a point of writing it in French! In addition, the male singers are all woefully inadequate, and Sonzogno's Gluck sounds more like bad Puccini. As usual with Callas, there are thrilling moments (for instance, the wonderful opening scene), but they never add up to a complete portrayal, and, although she sings with great elegance and poise, the overall peformance is disappointing. Those who wish to hear what wonders she could accomplish in Gluck should listen to her Alceste, which is another matter altogether.

Average customer rating: A great performance caught in decent radio mono Callas live from La Scala in an all-out, dramatic version of "Ballo" Great performance - terrible mastering Brilliant! Even better than the Studio! The one and only!

Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Maria Callas , Verdi , Lsc , and Gavazzeni Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Cherubini: Medea (complete opera live 1953) with Maria Callas, Fedora Barbieri, Leonard Bernstein, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe Modesti, Leonard Bernstein, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan ASIN: B000069V83 Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

1. Preludio
2. Act One, Scene One: Posa In Pace, E Bei Sogni Ristora
3. Act One, Scene One: S'avanza Il Conte
4. Act One, Scene One: La Rivedra Nell'estasi
5. Act One, Scene One: Il Cenno Mio Di La Con Essi Attendi
6. Act One, Scene One: Alla Vita Che T'arride
7. Act One, Scene One: Il Primo Giudice
8. Act One, Scene One: Volta La Terrea
9. Act One, Scene One: Ogni Cura Si Doni Al Diletto
10. Act One, Scene Two: Zitti...L'incanto Non Dessi Turbare...Re Dell'abisso, Affrettati
11. Act One, Scene Two: Arrivo Il Primo!...E Lui, E Lui!
12. Act One, Scene Two: Su, Fatemi Largo, Saper Vo' Il Mio Fato
13. Act One, Scene Two: Rallegrati Omai
14. Act One, Scene Two: Che V'agita Cosi?
15. Act One, Scene Two: Della Citta All'occaso
16. Act One, Scene Two: Consentimi, O Signore
17. Act One, Scene Two: Figlia D'averno, Schiudi La Chiostra
18. Act One, Scene Two: Su, Profetessa, Monta Il Treppie
19. Act One, Scene Two: Di' Tu Se Fedele
20. Act One, Scene Two: Chi Voi Siate, L'audace Parola
21. Act One, Scene Two: E Scherzo Od E Follia
22. Act One, Scene Two: Finisci Il Vaticinio
23. Act Two: Preludio
24. Act Two: Ecco L'orrido Campo Ove S'accoppia
25. Act Two: Ma Dall'arido Stelo Divulsa
26. Act Two: Teco Io Sto
27. Act Two: Non Sai Tu Che Se L'anima Mia
28. Act Two: Oh, Qual Soave Brivido

Tracks:

1. Act Two: Ahime! S'appressa Alcun
2. Act Two: Amico, Gelosa T'affido Una Cura
3. Act Two: Odi Tu Come Fremono Cupi
4. Act Two: Seguitemi
5. Act Two: Ve', Se Di Notte Qui Colla Sposa
6. Act Three, Scene One: A Tal Colpa E Nulla Il Pianto
7. Act Three, Scene One: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia
8. Act Three, Scene One: Alzati! La Tuo Figlio
9. Act Three, Scene One: Eri Tu Che Macchiavi Quell'anima...O Dolcezze Perdute! O Memorie
10. Act Three, Scene One: Siam Soli. Udite
11. Act Three, Scene One: Dunque L'onta Di Tutti Sol Una
12. Act Three, Scene One: D'una Grazia Vi Supplico
13. Act Three, Scene One: Qual E Dunque L'eletto?...Ah! Del Conte La Morte Si Vuole!
14. Act Three, Scene One: Il Messaggio Entri
15. Act Three, Scene One: Ah! Di Che Fulgor, Che Musiche
16. Act Three, Scene Two: Forse La Soglia Attinse
17. Act Three, Scene Two: Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti
18. Act Three, Scene Two: Ah! Dessa E La
19. Act Three, Scene Three: Fervono Amori E Danze
20. Act Three, Scene Three: Saper Vorreste Di Che Si Veste
21. Act Three, Scene Three: Fervono Amori E Danze
22. Act Three, Scene Three: Ah! Perche Qui! Fuggite
23. Act Three, Scene Three: E Tu Ricevi Il Mio!
24. Act Three, Scene Three: Ella E Pura: In Braccio A Morte

Customer Reviews:

A great performance caught in decent radio mono.......2007-02-08

When Callas and Di Stefano went into the studio to record Un Ballo in 1956, critics marveled that she had never sung the role of Amelia on stage and yet managed to give one of her most convincing, intense performances. Fortunately, Callas did sing a single run of the opera in 1957, and the electricity increased greatly, as did the naturalness of her characterization. She was in prime voice; her entry in Act 2 has never been equalled (a slight drawback is that she's a bit far from the mike). The sonics here are decent AM radio mono, thankfully free of fizz and shatter in the high notes.

Callas was extremely disciplined, even on stage, which can't be said of Di Stefano, but the role of Riccardo was perfectly suited to his voice, and for once he doesn't shout to the gallery. He really was the ideal partner for Callas, and their great Act 2 duet is intense and passionate (expect some microphone shatter in the top notes, however, and roll-back from the engineers). As for the supporting roles, Bastianini as Renato and Giulietta Simianato as Ulrica are both splendid.

But the greatest advantage over the studio set is that the utterly pedestrian Votto, who mars several great Callas performances, has been replaced by the exciting Gavazzeni, who equals the principal singers in passion. There are no words to express how heart-wrenching and thrilling Callas is as Amelia. Highly recommended on all counts except the sound.

Callas live from La Scala in an all-out, dramatic version of "Ballo" .......2006-09-04

SOURCE: Broadcast of opening night performance of "Ballo" at La Scala, December 7, 1957.

CAST: Riccardo, Royal Governor of Boston who loves Amelia - Giuseppe Di Stefano (tenor); Renato, Riccardo's friend and chief political supporter - Ettore Bastianini (baritone); Amelia, Renato's wife - Maria Callas (soprano); Ulrica, a witch who holds open meetings on the Boston docks - Giulietta Simionato (mezzo-soprano); Oscar, Riccardo's page - Eugenia Ratti (soprano); Samuele, a conspirator with a grudge against Riccardo - Giuseppe Morresi (bass); Tomasso, another conspirator who also has a grudge - Antonio Cassinelli (bass); Silvano, a low-ranking naval officer in pursuit of promotion (baritone); a judge - Angelo Mercuriali (tenor); a servant to Amelia - Antonio Ricci (tenor). Conductor: Gianandrea Gavazzeni with Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano.

SOUND: I think it's a fairly safe assumption that the original tape was recorded off the air by means of an AM radio receiver. From time to time there are noticeable changes in the recorded ambience. Some choruses were recorded too far off-mike, the final moments of Act II, for example. On the whole, though, the mono sound is not bad--and certainly far better than many of the truly horrific recordings of Callas' live performances.

For those many fans who are concerned only and always with La Divina, she comes through quite well from beginning to end.

COMMENTARY: "Un Ballo in Maschera" premiered at the Apollo in Rome on February 17, 1859. It followed the first version of "Simone Boccanegra" and the revision of "Steffelio" into "Aroldo," both in 1857. It was followed by "La forza del destino" in 1862. It is based on a libetto by the ubiquitous Eugene Scribe, "Gustave III."

"Ballo" is firmly in what was then already being called Verdi's "second style" and what we now know as middle-period Verdi. It remains very much a standard repertory opera, but it is not as widely beloved as "La Traviata" or as well known as "Aida." Nevertheless, "Ballo" is a truly brilliant work with soaring melodies, unforgettable ensembles and even a sense of humor. Verdi was at his full power and had achieved complete control over all the elements of composition and production. The second act is a perfect example of music drama, reaching that faultless level of mastery occupied by the first act of "La Traviata" and the second act of "La Boheme."

On the other hand, it must be acknowledged that the libretto is riddled with one preposterous thing after another. The reason. of course, is politics. In 1792 King Gustavus III of Sweden was shot in the back by one Count Anckarstrom during a masquerade ball at the Stockholm Opera House. When Scribe wrote his libretto, he--of course!--made everything hinge on a love story rather than on dreary, dull Swedish politics. Verdi thought the libretto was worth putting to music (as had both Auber and Mercadante before him.) Verdi hired a hack named Antonio Somma to compress Scribe's five flabby acts into a leaner, meaner three and to turn the original French into acceptable Italian verse. Verdi then sat down to write his music in preparation for a premier in Naples.

All of this was very straightforward. Then the censors took hand. Verdi was informed that the Bourbon monarchy of Naples would not allow any public performance that included the murder of a king--no way, no how, no never! A great deal of kerfuffle and popular agitation followed, including a lawsuit. No, it was decided--no royal murder, no masked ball, no opera.

Verdi gave up on Naples and entered into negotiations for an opening in Rome. Now the papal censors became involved. By this time, Verdi was fed up with the whole thing and wearily agreed to changes in about sixty lines of Somma's libretto. The opera that had dealt with life in a late 18th Century royal court was transferred, courtiers, confiscated castles, witches, pages, chorus-singing conspirators, elaborately costumed masqueraders, Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all to the Boston of about 1750. Il Re Gustavo III became Riccardo, Earl of Warwick (pronounced in fine Italian form as WarWEEK), Royal Governor of Boston (but not, apparently, Massachusetts).

"Un Ballo in Maschera" lends itself to differing interpretations. In the wartime recording with Gigli, Caniglia and Bechi, it is a lighthearted schoolboy romp that goes unexpectedly and horribly wrong. In the old Met broadcast with Bjorling, Milanov and Sved (in pretty terrible sound, alas), it is a stand-and-deliver romance that overwhelms with sumptuous singing. This "Ballo" is tense, hard-knuckle drama from beginning to end, a sort of "Un Ballo in Medea."

Maria Callas had recorded "Ballo" in the studio with Antonino Votto in 1956. This live recording from a bit over a year later features her in a much less restrained mode. The presence of Gavazzeni, who was a much better opera conductor, is a big help. (Why Votto, who was Toscanini's assistant for more than thirty years, was incapable of generating any heat in his own performances has always been a mystery to me.) Callas is in fine voice. She smooths over the two breaks in her voice--she, herself, made jokes about her three voices--as neatly as she ever managed to accomplish throughout her career. Her power and her high notes are all that could be wanted from a Callas performance and the audience at La Scala responds appropriately.

Despite singing well, her inner demons were already beginning to catch up with her. Highly publicized cancellations in Athens and Edinburgh had preceded this run at La Scala and soon after would come painful and very public cancellations in Rome and San Francisco. Even there at La Scala, she was feuding with Di Stefano to such an extent that rehearsals for this "Ballo" became physically painful for her.

Callas' Amelia is a completely thought-out portrait. Purely as a matter of personal taste, I prefer the sheer, singerly sumptuousness of Milanov's Amelia, as well as the spontaneous intensity of Caniglia (wrong notes and all), but Callas is vastly impressive.

Di Stefano is very good but Riccardo is far from being his best role. He attempts the risi, laughs, in "E'scherzo od e follia" when informed that his best friend will kill him, but without any real success. (Listen to Bonci or Gigli to discover how it should be done.) If you are familiar with any of several great tenors in the role of Riccardo, Di Stefano seems just a little bit underpowered in the over-the-top passages in the wonderful duets of Act II.

This is one of the few live Callas performances in which the whole cast is worthy of her. Bastianni and Simionato represent luxury casting and they are both excellent. Eugenia Ratti is occasionally somewhat effortful but always amusing and bright. Sam, Tom and Silv are fine in their respective roles.

A good, live Callas performance that is well cast and pleasing to hear is a rarity well worth five stars.

Great performance - terrible mastering.......2006-03-28

This great live performance is unfortunately sabotaged by a terrible mastering. A result of the collaboration between EMI and Callas' horrid sister Jackie, who claimed ownership of Callas live material (!), this mastering is drawn from a source with the first phrase missing, the second copied in its place, making the opera appear to open with two identical phrases in subdominant harmony; Golden Melodrams version has no such ridiculous error. Avoid this set.

Brilliant! Even better than the Studio!.......2005-01-26

Oddly, Callas only performed a single run of Amelias during her entire career. Her Amelia was preserved in the studio, yes, but nonetheless her artistic brilliance is more exemplified in this live version of the opera! And what a night it was! Giulietta Simionato as Ulrica, Giuseppe di Stefano as Riccardo, and the great Verdian baritone Ettore Bastianini as Renato! True, he doesn't have the dramatic prowess of Tito Gobbi, but still, with such a cast, one would expect a great deal of effort and beautiful singing concentrated in this Un Ballo in Maschera. And of course, the conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni conducts Verdi with such panache and pizzazz that you would prefer this over Antonino's good, yet not as impressive conducting. The Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Coro did a good job of supporting such a fine cast. Di Stefano's death scene was also heartfelt, and I have never found a better singer of Riccardo's part than him. Giulietta Simionato is an excellent Ulrica with a bone-chilling timbre exuded in the witch's part. Ettore Bastianini conveys an air of deviousness and deception. Maria Callas is the ultimate Amelia, and how lucky we truly are to have such an impressive cast on an impressive night singing a score rarely performed today because of its intricate complexities. Brava!

The one and only!.......2004-02-23

I have several recordings of "Un ballo in maschera" in my collection and I love almost all of them. But only two move me, only those two are the essence. The first being the live-broadcast from the Met 1944 with Zinka Milanov and Jussi Björling and this live-recording with Callas and di Stefano. Callas only sang one run of Amelias in her career so we have to be thankful for this broadcast and her studio-recording. Where to begin when so much beauty is before you? The torment before the love-duet when Amelia wants to renounce Riccardo for ever? The gleaming, GLOWING passion in "Si! T'amo!" (YES! I love you!) Amelia, a victim, a suffering woman and a heroine has never been brought to life like this. The tenderness and grandeur of "Morro, ma prima in grazia" is devastating. She KNOWS who she is and doesn't surrender. This "simple" woman is brought to life by an artist of the greatest kind. Vocal colouring, passion, true Verdian style! Ecco un artista! Di Stefano was one of the most acclaimed Riccardos ever and here you'll hear why. A mezzavoce like honey, DELIRIOUS passion and brilliant phrasing. Bastianini COMMANDS in the role of the betrayed friend and husband who recognizes his error too late. His "Eri tu" is one of the greatest, most beautiful recordings ever. A voice like dark velvet. One of Callas' most amazing evenings at La Scala!

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1957 Live Joe Darensbourg & His Dixie Fliers Manufacturer: American Music Rec. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000001YJ8 Release Date: 1999-12-25

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