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Tebaldi and Callas
By the early 1950s, Tebaldi was firmly entrenched at La Scala. But a new star had appeared on the scene: Maria Callas. Callas took over some performances of Aida for La Scala shortly after Tebaldi had sung the role there for the first time. Matters came to a head in 1951 when both were with an Italian company touring South America. Perhaps unwisely, the two of them were engaged to appear in the same concert. Afterwards Callas accused Tebaldi of breaking a no-encore agreement, when she delivered not one but two extra arias. The squabble continued when Callas criticised Tebaldi’s interpretation of Violetta in Traviata, which Tebaldi has to transpose down, and suggested that she give up the role.[citation needed] The in-fighting continued during the rest of an acrimonious tour.[citation needed] The culmination of this rivalry came in an article in Time magazine where Callas was quoted as saying that comparing herself to Tebaldi was like comparing champagne with Coca-Cola.[1] However, witnesses to the interview stated that Callas only said "champagne with cognac" after which a bystander quippped, "No, with Coca-Cola", but the Time reporter attributed the comment to Callas.[2]
In actuality, Callas and Tebaldi were two singers who should never have been compared. Callas was a dramatic soprano with formidable coloratura technique, and she could sing roles from the heaviest dramatic soprano roles to the lightest coloratura showpieces. Tebaldi always considered herself a lyric soprano, and she centered her career on verismo and late Verdi roles where her limited upper range and lack of florid technique did not pose a problem. How much of the rivalry was real, and how much whipped up by fans and the press is open to question. Some also believe that the entire rivalry was instigated by their respective recording companies in order to boost sales, and that they were instructed to play along. Tebaldi herself felt that this was ultimately good for both their careers, since it aroused so much interest in the two of them.
In the end, however, there was a reconciliation. After Tebaldi had inaugurated the 1968 Met season with Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur, Callas, who by that time had given her last opera performance, went backstage to congratulate Tebaldi. It was the last time the two sopranos were to meet.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Tebaldi and Callas
By the early 1950s, Tebaldi was firmly entrenched at La Scala. But a new star had appeared on the scene: Maria Callas. Callas took over some performances of Aida for La Scala shortly after Tebaldi had sung the role there for the first time. Matters came to a head in 1951 when both were with an Italian company touring South America. Perhaps unwisely, the two of them were engaged to appear in the same concert. Afterwards Callas accused Tebaldi of breaking a no-encore agreement, when she delivered not one but two extra arias. The squabble continued when Callas criticised Tebaldi’s interpretation of Violetta in Traviata, which Tebaldi has to transpose down, and suggested that she give up the role.[citation needed] The in-fighting continued during the rest of an acrimonious tour.[citation needed] The culmination of this rivalry came in an article in Time magazine where Callas was quoted as saying that comparing herself to Tebaldi was like comparing champagne with Coca-Cola.[1] However, witnesses to the interview stated that Callas only said "champagne with cognac" after which a bystander quippped, "No, with Coca-Cola", but the Time reporter attributed the comment to Callas.[2]
In actuality, Callas and Tebaldi were two singers who should never have been compared. Callas was a dramatic soprano with formidable coloratura technique, and she could sing roles from the heaviest dramatic soprano roles to the lightest coloratura showpieces. Tebaldi always considered herself a lyric soprano, and she centered her career on verismo and late Verdi roles where her limited upper range and lack of florid technique did not pose a problem. How much of the rivalry was real, and how much whipped up by fans and the press is open to question. Some also believe that the entire rivalry was instigated by their respective recording companies in order to boost sales, and that they were instructed to play along. Tebaldi herself felt that this was ultimately good for both their careers, since it aroused so much interest in the two of them.
In the end, however, there was a reconciliation. After Tebaldi had inaugurated the 1968 Met season with Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur, Callas, who by that time had given her last opera performance, went backstage to congratulate Tebaldi. It was the last time the two sopranos were to meet.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
