Andrew McGregor dips into Warner Classics’ brand-new collection marking the centenary of Maria Callas
It’s one of the most famous discographies in classical music: La Divina – Maria Callas in All Her Roles (Warner Classics 5419747395; 134 CDs, 3 Blu-ray + DVD-ROM + NFT). If you don’t already have enough of the fascinating and hugely influential soprano in your life, then start here; it’s the new gold standard for Callas’s centenary year. But if you’re an opera enthusiast or Callas fan you’ll have at least one of the previous Callas editions – do you really need this limited edition, even if you can resist the handsome presentation, illustrated book and the promise of exclusive digital content in the form of an NFT? Let’s get one thing straight from the outset; if you want every officially released live Callas performance, then you still need Warner’s Maria Callas Live 1949-1964, because this new box offers every role, not every performance. But that’s still 74 characters, in all the studio recordings plus some of the live ones – they’ve tried to give us two versions of each role and aria.
It’s often enough to hear how Callas’s portrayals developed – three each of Tosca and Norma for example. But some of her roles weren’t recorded and some broadcasts weren’t preserved. As such, there are no major new discoveries here. All the studio recitals are included, plus ten live ones, and the compelling Juilliard
