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The Maria Callas Music Mix

Maria Callas was one of opera's most revered sopranos. Hear some of her most mesmerising performances as well as some of the most beautiful overtures in operatic history.

It's been 100 years since the birth of one of opera’s most revered singers, Maria Callas. The celebrated soprano led a complicated, tempestuous and artistically ambitious life. But her legacy was shaped by her intense, lyrical voice and the performances that awarded her standing ovations and international acclaim.

Praised for her dramatic stage presence, this playlist celebrates ‘La Divina’ with her standout performances from Bizet’s Carmen, Puccini’s Tosca and Madama Butterfly and Bellini’s Norma. Alongside some of opera’s most beautiful intermezzi and overtures by composers Mozart, Offenbach, Rossini, Tchaikovsky and Verdi, this is a night at the opera you’ll never forget.

Listen only on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sounds.

Release date:

1 hour

Music Played

  • Georges Bizet

    Carmen, Act 1: "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Carmen, Chorus) [Habanera]

    Performer: Maria Callas. Choir: Chœur René Duclos. Orchestra: National Theater Opera Orchestra of Paris. Conductor: Georges Prêtre.
  • Johann Strauss II

    Die Fledermaus: Ouvertüre

    Performer: Daniel Barenboim. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic.
  • Francesco Cilea

    Adriana Lecouvreur, Act II: Intermezzo

    Performer: Gianandrea Noseda. Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492: Sinfonia

    Performer: Riccardo Muti. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic.
  • Giacomo Puccini

    Tosca, Act 2: "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore" (Tosca)

    Performer: Maria Callas. Orchestra: Orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Conductor: Victor de Sabata.
  • Eduard Strauss

    Carmen-Quadrille, Op. 134

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.
  • Jacques Offenbach

    Galop Infernal (Orpheus in the Underworld)

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.
  • Giacomo Puccini

    Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Un bel dì vedremo" (Butterfly)

    Performer: Maria Callas. Orchestra: Orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.
  • Franz Schmidt

    Intermezzo (Notre Dame)

    Performer: Paavo Järvi. Orchestra: Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Lyricist: Leopold Wilk.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, Act III: Polonaise

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
  • Vincenzo Bellini

    Casta Diva (Norma)

    Performer: Maria Callas. Orchestra: Orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Conductor: Tullio Serafin.
  • Gioachino Rossini

    Il barbiere di Siviglia: Symphony

    Performer: Fernando Corena. Performer: Ettore Bastianini. Performer: Cesare Siepi. Orchestra: Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Conductor: Alberto Erede. Ensemble: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
  • Giuseppe Verdi

    La Traviata: Act I: Libiamo ne' lieti calici (Brindisi)

    Performer: Anna Moffo. Performer: Richard Tucker. Orchestra: Rome Opera Orchestra. Choir: The Rome Opera Chorus. Conductor: Fernando Previtali.