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Verdi: Aida (complete opera live 1951) with Maria Callas, Mario del Monaco, Oliviero de Fabritis, Orchestra & Chorus of del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
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Average Rating:  out of 15 Reviews
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Price: $23.98
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Sale: $12.25
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Manufacturer: EMI Classics
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UPC (Universal Product Code): 724356267824
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EAN (European Article Number): 0724356267824
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Binding: Audio CD
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Label: EMI Classics
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NumberOfDiscs: 2
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ReleaseDate Date: 2003-11-04
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Description: This 1951 Mexico City performance of Aida has become legendary, largely due to Callas's unbelievable performance in the title role. Aida was not a role strongly associated with Callas (the way, say, Norma was). She dropped it from her repertoire in 1953, only making a studio recording in 1955, which I always found to be a disappointment.
But in this 1951 Mexico City performance, Callas was on fire. Her voice of course never had the glowing beauty of a Tebaldi or Price, but Callas makes her Aida a firy princess. Her "Ritorna vincitor" might be the best sung version I've ever heard. Rosa Ponselle and Giannina Arangi-Lombardi and Renata Tebaldi may sound more beauty but Callas inflects the text to great emotional effect. Her "O patria mia" is a rough moment -- high C was always a rough note for Callas, and she can't sing it "dolce" as marked in the score. But her Act 3 duets with del Monaco and Taddei are remarkable, as is her "O terra addio." And of course, she caps off the Triumphal Scene with the famous E-flat that lasts 7 seconds (yes I've counted). Legend has it that in 1950, when she sang Aida at Mex City with Kurt Baum, she was so annoyed with the tenor that she did the E-flat at the Triumphal Scene. It worked so well that the next year she tried the same stunt.
The rest of the cast is strong. I prefer a Radames who is better able to control dynamics like Franco Corelli or Carlo Bergonzi. Mario del Monaco seems to sing in two ways -- loud and louder. But del Monaco is certainly stentorian and heroic and there just aren't voices like him anymore. Giuseppe Taddei is a wonderfully nasty Amonasoro. His voice practically drips hatred and bitterness. And Oralia Dominguez is not as well-known as the rest of the cast but she's terrific nonetheless, with a beautiful, powerful mezzo voice.
The sound is admittedly bad, but the performance more than makes up for it.
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Customer Reviews
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Review Summary: The AIDA of a generation |
Date: 2008-02-15 |
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Details: I agree with other reviewers that this is, by far, the most exciting live AIDA in existence.
This 1951 Mexico broadcast crushes all critics who accused Maria Callas of never having the voice for the role. They must have been referring to her, admittedly quite ordinary and uneven, 1955 recording. Maria sang Aida live on stage often from 1948 to 1953, then dropped the role from active repertory.
This Mexican evening is simply electrifying, with Oralia Dominguez, Mario del Monaco, and Giuseppe Taddei all in excellent voice, and Oliviero de Fabritiis superb on the podium. Dominguez is especially admirable as Amneris in Act IV Scene 1, which by itself justifies this opera's greatness.
Maria was just 28 years old in 1951, not yet the great international star, and singing in her second Mexican season. The voice is enormous, the instrument untarnished. She offers a passionate, full-bodied, desperate Aida, rich and smooth of tone, even if she sings the exposed high C in "O patria mia" forte, not dolce. But oh what elegant phrasing in the long spinning lines of the Nile Scene, what endless breath control, what a caressing, seductive, magical Aida this is! The final scene is unforgettable, with both Callas and del Monaco having no problem in decibels, soaring effortlessly in the arching phrases of "O terra addio", the orchestra violins swelling and subsiding, and love vanquishing the darkest of destinies. Listen, people, and marvel.
This AIDA (like the 1950 performance, also from Mexico City, which is however inferior in the overall cast) of course features Maria's stunning high E-flat in the end of Act II: held for 7 seconds, the note flashes like a comet over the heavy orchestration with such roundness and accuracy, your jaw drops.
Absolutely, highly recommended.
For another superb live AIDA please refer to the 1982 Berlin Varady/Pavarotti/Barenboim recording, creamy and smooth and beautifully balanced. My favorite studio recording remains the first Leontyne Price (1962) with Jon Vickers, Rita Gorr, and Solti conducting. Vickers is outstanding as Radames. The 1974 Caballe/Domingo/Muti recording comes a close second. |
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Review Summary: 5 Stars for Performance |
Date: 2007-07-30 |
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Details: It pains me to give this product only 4 stars because in every respect of the performance it deserves a perfect score (5 stars !). Callas is an astonishing Aida here. But, rather than expound on its musical merits (I think the other reviewers here have already made it clear that this is a must have), I will just comment on the quality. EMI can do a much better job at cleaning up this recording, but seeing that people will buy it anyway in its present condition, they choose not to spend the money. I think as consumers we should be more demanding of better quality from these precious pieces of recorded art. I'd certainly pay more money for a well re-mastered version of this, and other great recordings. |
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Review Summary: Why 5... Find Out! |
Date: 2006-10-12 |
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Details: This Aida is perhaps the best I've ever heard. Even in the libretto it states that it is a full-blooded performance. I whole-heartedly agree. Callas, once again giving her exciting performances in Mexico City, turns her Aida into the stuff of legend. Again. Del Monaco is the best of any Radames. Yes, Domingo had the dramatic capability, but Del Monaco's overpowering voice should well be the trademark of the overpowering Egyptian military leader. Dominguez is the best of any Amneris I've heard, and also is mentioned in the libretto as having "opulent" tones. The word "opulent" doesn't begin to describe the effect she had on me in "L'aborrita rivale a me sfuggia". In the "Rivedrai le foreste imbalsamate" duet with Aida and Amonasro, Giuseppe Taddei tops all expectations, blowing back even Tito Gobbi. Altogether, this recording is a must even for people who hate Callas. 5 stars. |
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Review Summary: Callas Aida, Mex. City, 1951 |
Date: 2006-07-21 |
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Details: Everyone is on fire in this performance. Singers today do not have that "fuoco". Thanks to recordings like these, opera fans of the post Callas era, like myself, can get a "glimpse" into her glorious past. Callas and Del Monaco soar over everything else in the second act! And of course, the famous E flat! O. Dominguez as Amneris! I became an instant fan; hard to find other recordings of her. Some of the reviewers refer to Anmeris as Simionato, it is Dominguez! Taddei is perfect as Amonasro - great visceral singing- no baritones like him around anymore. Who cares if the sound is not perfect? I like all the environmental sounds, it makes me feel like I am right there. I only listen to live stuff anyway, because it is the real deal; I find most studio recordings boring. It is the best AIDA I have heard. Get it! |
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Review Summary: Callas's most famous Aida -- all I can say is wow |
Date: 2006-02-17 |
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Details: This 1951 Mexico City performance of Aida has become legendary, largely due to Callas's unbelievable performance in the title role. Aida was not a role strongly associated with Callas (the way, say, Norma was). She dropped it from her repertoire in 1953, only making a studio recording in 1955, which I always found to be a disappointment.
But in this 1951 Mexico City performance, Callas was on fire. Her voice of course never had the glowing beauty of a Tebaldi or Price, but Callas makes her Aida a firy princess. Her "Ritorna vincitor" might be the best sung version I've ever heard. Rosa Ponselle and Giannina Arangi-Lombardi and Renata Tebaldi may sound more beauty but Callas inflects the text to great emotional effect. Her "O patria mia" is a rough moment -- high C was always a rough note for Callas, and she can't sing it "dolce" as marked in the score. But her Act 3 duets with del Monaco and Taddei are remarkable, as is her "O terra addio." And of course, she caps off the Triumphal Scene with the famous E-flat that lasts 7 seconds (yes I've counted). Legend has it that in 1950, when she sang Aida at Mex City with Kurt Baum, she was so annoyed with the tenor that she did the E-flat at the Triumphal Scene. It worked so well that the next year she tried the same stunt.
The rest of the cast is strong. I prefer a Radames who is better able to control dynamics like Franco Corelli or Carlo Bergonzi. Mario del Monaco seems to sing in two ways -- loud and louder. But del Monaco is certainly stentorian and heroic and there just aren't voices like him anymore. Giuseppe Taddei is a wonderfully nasty Amonasoro. His voice practically drips hatred and bitterness. And Oralia Dominguez is not as well-known as the rest of the cast but she's terrific nonetheless, with a beautiful, powerful mezzo voice.
The sound is admittedly bad, but the performance more than makes up for it. |
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