Verdi: Arias, Vol. 2 Review
This collection encompasses music which, for the most part, did not figure in Callas's stage repertoire. The opening scene from Otello Act 4 partially fulfills one's fantasies of what a Callas Desdemona might have been like. Excerpts from Aroldo e Don Carlo, however, find the soprano on shakier ground with thin, effortful high notes, but her raw-nerve response to words and dramatic mood remains as potent as ever. As always, Nicola Rescigno works overtime creating an orchestral context for which Callas can soar, but is hampered by a watery, unidiomatic orchestra. Still and all, the Callas legacy would be poorer without these selections. --Jed Distler. Read more...
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