Tuesday, January 10
Video clips of Callas in Medea
I have no idea if these clips are in wide circulation (I just found out about them today), but since I have the means, I feel the documents are important enough to share with a wider audience. This is Maria Callas in the opening night of the 1961 La Scala Medea. There is no sound proper, but these clips come from some sort of news program dubbed over with a recording of "Dei tuoi figli la madre" and a short audio interview. The video opens with short shots of the chorus, Jon Vickers as Giasone, Nicolai Ghiaurov as Creonte, and Ivana Tosini as Glauce. The first shot of Callas is after she has unveiled herself at her entrance. You can see the famous double-armed pointing gesture made famous in photos such as above.
See as Callas stares down the exiting populace! See as Callas flings her cloak around and charges up the steps like a butch queen! See as Callas gets on her knees in front of both Ghiaurov and Vickers!
There are a few shots of Giulietta Simionato as Neris and even Schippers in action in the pit. We also get bows and a handful of backstage shots, at the end of which is a quick interview with Callas (with audio intact) wherein she discusses the responsibilities of Callas versus those of Medea.
Why did I not know about these videos? I thought we only had the Tosca stuff with Gobbi, the silent Paris Norma bits, and the Lisbon Traviata scenes. What else is there, people?
Comments
Well, there are a few precious seconds of the Chicago "Butterfly" (also silent). I remember the recit from "Norma" in Paris as having sound, though...
I have heard that there are silent super 8 films of the Paris "Tosca" (I seem to remember seeing on a French TV show Tosca's entrance, with Callas running and holding flowers and seeming very ebullient...)
I have read that this entire performance exists on film, albeit with no sound. It is the opening night performance which, unfortunately, was not braodcast. A performance later in the run was broadcast which is readily available.
As for other possible performances on film, it is said that the Scala Sonnambula exists, but it is in very poor quality. The Cologne Sonnambula is also said to exist, but there seems to be some debate as to whether or not it was ever broadcast on TV there. Many of her Mexico City performances were telecast, but none seem to have been recorded on film.
We can be somewhat certain that her Isotta exists/existed because there is surviving correspondence that she asked Lorenz for a copy of it. Hopefully more will surface; last year we heard an excerpt of her 1950 "Turco" which everyone thought was completely lost, so there is still some hope.
I have tried to download this clip, but it doesn't seem to be available any longer. Could someone upload it once more?
Thanks,
TenoreLirico