Maria Callas, the American born, Greek soprano, redefined the bel canto with such ferocity and perfection future divas would be hard pressed to follow.
The soundtrack's first Aria is from the Opera Norma, written in 1831, the piece is "Casta Diva" by Vincenzo Bellini, the conductor was Tullio Serafin conducting the Milan Teatro alla Scala Orchestra, an EMI label release, in stereo. The exact part Maria Callas is singing in "Casta diva" with an English translation can be found here:
http://www.aria-database.com/translations/norma04_casta.txt
The second Aria, is from the Opera La Wally, written in 1892 by Alfredo Catalani, the piece is "Ebben" , the conductor was again Tullio Serafin, conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra, an EMI label release, a mono recording. DSP chips can do miracles even in mono recordings with Callas' voice.
The heroine in Act I of La Wally, vows to escape an arranged marriage and contemplates the dangers of the long journey away from home. Dangers, Hellenic expatriates, the world over, are very familiar with. The libretto for La Wally can be found here: http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/catalani_wally.html
The exact part Maria Callas is singing in "Ebben," with an English translation, can be found here: http://www.aria-database.com/translations/wally03_ebben.txt
Both excerpts are examples of "Bel Canto" meaning "to sing beautifully," the style Maria Callas "La Voix Du XXeme Siecle" singlehandedly revived. A very difficult and demanding style, only "La Divina" could sing sing perfectly.
Stelios Galatopoulos' book Maria Callas Sacred Monster is a good start, despite what some pinheads might suggest.
Serious students of the diva, might want to dig deeper.
"What made her performance so uniquely individual and demonstrated conclusively that high art is life itself, was the characters she portrayed were human beings, full of seductive contradictions: chasteness and eroticism, innocense and guilt, kindness and cruelty and an exotic ferocity that would change to infinite feminine vulnerability. Callas redefined for her generation the foundation and contours of acting in opera."
Stelios Galatopoulos "Maria Callas Sacred Monster" p.447
In the end Maria sought to find redemption thus, according to Galatopoulos:
"The character of Mary Magdalene attracted her greatly and she lamented the fact there was no good Opera about her. She longed for the opportunity to portray her and perhaps even find redemption." p.461 Galatopoulos "Maria Callas Sacred Monster".
Perhaps Galatopoulos is referring to her years married to her manager/hubby Meneghini.
Deep in her heart, I don't think she ever regretted the glorious earthquakes with Aristo and in her lonely moments, she missed them very much.
Euripides since 438BC with his play "Alcestis" has set the bar sky high for Hellenes:
Alcestis: "To honor you (Admetus, her husband and one of the Argonauts), and at the cost of my own life, that you may still behold the light, I die." verses 283-284. In ancient Greek: "Ego se presvevousa, k'anti tis emis psyhis, katastisasa fos tod' eisoran, thnisko."
Maria Callas having recorded Alcestis on 4.4.1954 knew the story well and wanted her life to imitate her art. Jackie O. regrettably was not too familiar with the story.
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