Product Description
This dates from near the beginning of Maria Callas's recording career. It was for many fans their first encounter with her, and it contains some of the most beautiful singing she ever did before a recording microphone. Set in 17th-century England, during the struggle between the Puritan supporters of Oliver Cromwell and the Cavalier royalists who supported the Stuart dynasty, this opera focuses on the problems of Elvira, a young Puritan woman in love with Arturo, a member of the Cavalier faction. Complications arise, Elvira believes she has been betrayed by Arturo, and she loses her mind. Her mad scene (a kind of music for which Callas developed a formidable technique) is the opera's musical and dramatic climax, but by no means the only reason for getting to know it. While the role of Elvira towers over the others, ensemble singing is a strong part of
I Puritani's appeal. Callas's voice was in its top form for this recording, and her superb acting skills convey many subtle shades of anguish. She dominates the performance, but her supporting cast is better than those she usually got before becoming a major international star, and they work well together.
--Joe McLellan
Chronique amazon.fr
De toutes les étoiles montées au firmament lyrique, la Callas est sans doute celle qui a projeté, et pour longtemps, la lumière la plus éclatante. Sa carrière prit un tournant considérable au début des années 50, lorsque son interprétation de
Norma, de Bellini, la mena à un triomphe absolu. Dès lors, son ascension fut foudroyante : pour retrouver un style perdu depuis l'âge d'or des divas, elle se lança dans la rédécouverte des ouvrages du bel canto qui avaient permis à ses illustres devancières de briller. A une technique sans faille, à une voix à l'étendue et à la puissance extraordinaires, Maria Callas alliait un art consommé du jeu dramatique, et c'est bien elle qui nous a révélé
I Puritani.
--Pierre-Jean Alain
