Puccini, Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Franco Calabrese, Angelo Mercuriali, Melchiorre Luise, Dario Caselli, Alvaro Cordova, Coro E Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala, Victor De Sabata – Tosca 3LP

Puccini, Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Franco Calabrese, Angelo Mercuriali, Melchiorre Luise, Dario Caselli, Alvaro Cordova, Coro E Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala, Victor De Sabata – Tosca

Maria Callas is closely identified with Puccini’s Tosca, which in 1965 became the last role she sang on the operatic stage. Tosca’s aria ‘Vissi d’arte’ (I lived for art) can even be understood as Callas’s personal manifesto.

Her first complete recording of Tosca, made in 1953 with the forces of La Scala, is a landmark of the catalogue. It has been described by Gramophone as “one of the great classic performances”. Conducted with searing intensity by Victor de Sabata, it teams Callas with two of her closest colleagues, the ardently lyrical tenor Giuseppe di Stefano and the baritone Tito Gobbi – a performer who could rival his soprano colleague in dramatic finesse and power.

In 2014, the recording engineers at Abbey Road Studios returned to the original studio master tapes, bringing new clarity, brilliance and immediacy to the sound – and to the listening experience offered by this 3-LP box set, a deluxe limited edition which includes the full libretto.

Liner notes & full libretto in EN, FR, DE, IT. Limited edition.

Tracklist:
Tosca (Opera In Three Acts)
A1a Act 1: Ah! Finalmente!
A1b Act 1: Dammi I Colori...Recondita Armonia
A1c Act 1: Gente Là Dentro!
A1d Act 1: Mario! Mario! Mario!
A1e Act 1: Ah, Quegli Occhi...Quale Occhio Al Mondo Può Star Di Paro

B1a Act 1: È Buona La Mia Tosca
B1b Act 1: Un Tal Baccano In Chiesa!
B1c Act 1: Or Tutto È Chiaro...Tosca? Che Non Vi Meda...Mario! Mario!
B1d Act 1: Ed Io Venivo A Lui Tutta Dogliosa
B1e Act 1: Tre Sbirri, Una Carrozza

C1a Act 2: Tosca È Un Buon Falco!
C1b Act 2: Ha Più Forte
C1c Act 2: Meno Male!
C1d Act 2: Act 2: Dov'è Dunque Angelotti?
C1e Act 2: Ed Or Fra Noi Parliam Da Buoni Amici...
C1f Act 2: Sciarrone, Che Dice Il Cavalier?

D1a Act 2: Orsù, Tosca, Parlate 
D1b Act 2: Nel Pozzo...Nel Giardino
D1c Act 2: Se La Giurata Fede Debbo Tradir
D1d Act 2: Vissi D'Arte

E1a Act 2: Vedi, Le Man Giunte Io Stendo A Te!
E1b Act 2: E Qual Via Scegliete?
E1c Act 3: Io De' Sospiri

F1a Act 3: Mario Cavaradossi?
F1b Act 3: E Lucevan Le Stelle
F1c Act 3: Ah! Franchigia A Floria Tosca
F1d Act 3: O Dolci Mani Mansuete E Pure
F1e Act 3: E Non Giungono
F1f Act 3: Com'è Lunga L'Attesa!
F1g Act 3: Presto! Su, Mario! Mario! Su! Presto! Andiam!

Label: Warner Classics 
Released: 1953/2023