Maria Callas, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Herbert von Karajan – Puccini: Madama Butterfly (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Maria Callas, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Herbert von Karajan – Puccini: Madama Butterfly (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 02:19:01 minutes | 1,31 GB | Genre: Classical, Opera
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics

A famous backstage photo was taken in Chicago after one of just three performances that Callas gave of Madama Butterfly; it shows the soprano in her Japanese costume, snarling furiously at a bailiff who had served a writ on her – the very image of the tempestuous diva. By contrast, in her recording of the role, ‘it is, miraculously,’ as the critic John Osborne observed, ‘the 15-year-old girl and not the great Callas who stands before us.’ Her genius for vocal characterization finds an apt complement in Herbert von Karajan’s conducting: ‘a wholly sympathetic rendering [that] brings out more of the detail of the score than I have ever heard before’, wrote Gramophone.

EMI’s 1955 recording of Madama Butterfly features three of the brightest stars of the era: Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, and Herbert von Karajan. Callas hadn’t yet sung Cio-Cio-San on-stage when she made this recording, but she fully inhabits the role and brings penetrating insight to it. She’s completely convincing as an adolescent, a remarkable feat in this role, which requires a voice of considerable heft. Callas beautifully captures Butterfly’s vulnerability and sensitivity with an astonishingly youthful-sounding vocal freshness, and she’s compellingly poignant as Butterfly’s dilemma becomes clear to her. The only caveat about her performance is the intonation and purity of her sustained notes above the staff and several of them are painfully strident. Gedda is thoroughly caddish as Pinkerton, and he sings with passion, but his voice shows some strain in the upper register. Mario Borriello is a resonant, compassionate Sharpless, and Lucia Danieli sings with warmth and security as Suzuki. Karajan, leading the Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, has a sure grasp of the score’s dramatic contour and makes this a highly charged reading. The orchestral playing is of the highest order. The recorded sound is clear and balance is good, but it shows its vintage; it’s somewhat cramped and lacks depth.

Tracklist:
1-01. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “E soffitto… e pareti” (Pinkerton, Goro) (02:12)
1-02. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Questa è la cameriera” (Goro, Pinkerton, Suzuki, Sharpless) (04:14)
1-03. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Dovunque al mondo” (Pinkerton, Sharpless, Goro) (04:15)
1-04. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Qale smania vi prende!” (Sharpless, Pinkerton, Coro, Goro) (04:02)
1-05. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Ah! Ah! quanto cielo!” – “Ancora un passo or via” (Coro, Butterfly, Sharpless) (03:00)
1-06. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Gran ventura” (Butterfly, Coro, Pinkerton, Sharpless, Goro) (03:41)
1-07. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “L’imperial Commissario” (Goro, Pinkerton, Coro, Butterfly, Sharpless) (02:29)
1-08. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Vieni, amor mio!” (Butterfly, Pinkerton, Goro) (02:38)
1-09. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Ieri son salita tutta sola” (Butterfly, Goro, Commissario, Coro, Sharpless, Ufficiale del Registro, Pinkerton) (05:04)
1-10. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Ed eccoci in famigila” (Pinkerton, Coro, Bonzo, Butterfly, Goro, Suzuki) (05:33)
1-11. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Viene la sera” (Butterfly, Pinkerton, Suzuki) (03:19)
1-12. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia” (Butterfly, Pinkerton) (03:37)
1-13. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 1: “Vogliatemi bene, un bene piccolino” (Pinkerton, Butterfly) (07:29)
1-14. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “E Izaghi ed Izanami” (Suzuki, Butterfly) (03:58)
1-15. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Perché con tante cure” (Suzuki, Butterfly) (03:22)
1-16. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Un bel dì vedremo” (Butterfly) (04:43)
1-17. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “C’è. Entrate” (Goro, Butterfly, Sharpless) (03:32)
1-18. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Non lo sapete insomma” (Butterfly, Sharpless, Goro, Yamadori) (01:52)
1-19. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “A voi però giurerei fede costante” (Butterfly, Sharpless, Goro, Yamadori) (03:31)
1-20. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Ora a noi” (Butterfly, Sharpless) (03:18)
1-21. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Qui troncarla conviene” (Butterfly, Sharpless) (02:50)
1-22. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “E questo? e questo?” (Butterfly, Sharpless) (02:25)
1-23. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Che tua madre dovrà” (Butterfly) (03:32)
1-24. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Io scendo al piano” (Butterfly, Sharpless) (01:43)
1-25. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Vespa! Rospo maledetto!” (Butterfly, Suzuki, Goro) (01:59)
1-26. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Una nave da guerra” (Butterfly, Suzuki) (02:30)
1-27. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio” (Suzuki, Butterfly) (05:13)
1-28. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Or vienmi ad adornar” (Suzuki, Butterfly) (02:19)
1-29. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “L’obi che vestii da sposa” (Suzuki, Butterfly) (02:50)
1-30. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: Coro a bocca chiusa (Coro) (03:09)
1-31. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Oh eh! Oh eh! Oh eh!” (Coro) (07:30)
1-32. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Già il sole!” (Butterfly, Suzuki) (02:01)
1-33. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Povera Butterfly!” (Suzuki, Sharpless, Pinkerton) (02:49)
1-34. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Io so che alle sue pene” – “Oh! l’amara fragranza” (Suzuki, Sharpless, Pinkerton) (04:01)
1-35. Herbert von Karajan – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Addio, fiorito asil” (Pinkerton, Sharpless) (01:55)
1-36. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Glielo dirai?” (Kate, Suzuki, Butterfly) (02:13)
1-37. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Che vuol da me?” (Butterfly, Suzuki, Sharpless, Kate) (05:41)
1-38. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Come una mosca prigioniera” (Butterfly, Suzuki) (02:53)
1-39. Maria Callas – Madama Butterfly, Act 2: “Con onor muore” (Butterfly, Pinkerton) (05:22)

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