Maria Callas
Teatro alla Scala, Milano 15 Jul 1957
Studio Remastered 2014
2CD 0825646341009 - DIGITAL

Puccini: Turandot

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Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano

Tullio Serafin

Callas sang the role of Turandot 24 times on stage, in the late 1940s. It was the role originally planned for her US debut, but the opera company went bankrupt and the performances (scheduled for Chicago in 1947) never took place. She brings unusual subtlety to Puccini’s icy princess, while Elisabeth Schwarzkopf – more readily identified with Fiordiligi and the Marschallin – is surprise casting as the self-sacrificing Liù.

Puccini: Turandot

La principessa Turandot: Maria Callas
Calaf (Il principe ignoto): Eugenio Fernandi
Liù: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
L’imperatore Altoum: Giuseppe Nessi
Timur: Nicola Zaccaria
Ping: Mario Borriello
Pang: Renato Ercolani
Pong/Il principe di Persia: Piero De Palma
Un mandarino: Giulio Mauri
Prima voce: Elisabetta Fusco
Seconda voce: Pinuccia Perotti