2014 Maria Callas re-mastered series reissue. With this Abbey Road 24-bit 96kHz re-master, engineers returned to the original master tapes, bringing new clarity & brilliance to her legendary studio recordings. A famous backstage photo was taken in Chicago after one of just three performances that Callas gave of Madama Butterfly; it shows the soprano in her Japanese costume, snarling furiously at a bailiff who had served a writ on her - the very image of the tempestuous diva. By contrast, in her recording of the role, 'it is, miraculously,' as the critic John Osborne observed, 'the 15-year old girl and not the great Callas who stands before us.' Her genius for vocal characterization finds an apt complement in Herbert von Karajan's conducting: 'a wholly sympathetic rendering [that]brings out more of the detail of the score than I have ever heard before', wrote Gramophone.
1 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "E Soffitto... E Pareti" (Pinkerton, Goro) - Nicolai Gedda, Renato Ercolani, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
2 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Questa la Cameriera" (Goro, Pinkerton, Suzuki, Sharpless) - Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
3 Puccini: Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Dovunque Al Mondo" (Sharpless, Pinikerton, Chorus) - Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
4 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Quale Amania VI Prende!" (Pinkerton, Sharpless, Goro, Chorus) - Nicolai Gedda, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
5 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Ah! Ah! Quanto Cielo!... Ancora Un Passo or Via" (Butterfly, Sharpless, Chorus) - Maria Callas, Mario Borriello, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala, Milano, Herbert Von Karajan, Nicolai Gedda
6 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Gran Ventura" (Butterfly, Pinkerton, Sharpless, Goro, Chorus) - Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
7 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "L'imperial Commissario" (Butterfly, Pinkerton, Sharpless, Goro, Chorus) - Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von
8 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Vieni, Amor Mio!" (Butterfly, Pinkerton, Goro) - Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Renato Ercolani, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
9 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Ieri Son Salita Tutta Sola" (Butterfly, Goro, Comissario, Sharpless, Official Registrar, Chorus) - Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Enrico Campi, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Te
10 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Ed Eccoci in Famigila" (Butterfly, Suzuki, Pinkerton, Goro, Bonzo, Chorus) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Renato Ercolani, Plinio Clabassi, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di M
11 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Viene la Sera" (Butterfly, Pinkerton, Suzuki) - Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan, Lucia Danieli
12 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Bimba Dagli Occhi Pieni Di Malia" (Butterfly, Pinkerton) - Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
13 Madama Butterfly, Act 1: "Vogliatemi Bene, Un Bene Piccolino" (Pinkerton, Butterfly) - Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
14 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "E Izaghi E Izanami" (Suzuki, Butterfly) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
15 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Un Bel Di Vedremo" (Butterfly) - Maria Callas, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
16 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "C'e Entrate" (Butterfly, Sharpless, Butterfly) - Maria Callas, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
17 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Non Lo Sapete Insomma" (Butterfly, Sharpless, Goro, Yamadori) - Maria Callas, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Mario Carlin, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
18 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "A Voi Pero Giurerei Fede Costante" (Butterfly, Sharpless, Goro, Yamadori) - Maria Callas, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Mario Carlin, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
19 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Or a Noi" (Butterfly, Sharpless) - Maria Callas, Mario Borriello, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
20 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "E Questo? E Questo?" (Butterfly, Sharpless) - Maria Callas, Mario Borriello, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
21 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Che Tua Madre Dovra" (Butterfly) - Maria Callas, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
22 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Io Scendo Al Piano" (Butterfly, Sharpless) - Maria Callas, Mario Borriello, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
23 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Vespa! Rospo Maledetto!" (Butterfly, Suzuki, Goro) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Renato Ercolani, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
24 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Una Nave Da Guerra" (Butterfly, Suzuki) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
25 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Scuoti Quella Fronda Di Ciliegio" (Suzuki, Butterfly) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
26 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Or Vienmi Ad Adornar" (Suzuki, Butterfly) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
27 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: Coro a Bocca Chiusa (Humming Chorus) - Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
28 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Oh Eh! Oh Eh! Oh Eh!" (Chorus) - Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
29 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Gia Il Sole!" (Butterfly, Suzuki) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
30 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Povera Butterfly!" (Suzuki, Sharpless, Pinkerton) - Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Mario Borriello, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
31 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Io So Che Alle Sue... Oh! L'amara Fragranza" (Pinkerton, Sharpless) - Nicolai Gedda, Mario Borriello, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
32 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Addio, Fiorito" (Pinkerton, Sharpless) - Nicolai Gedda, Mario Borriello, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
33 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Gllielo Dirai?... Premetto" (Kate, Suzuki, Butterfly) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Luisa Villa, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
34 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Che Vuol Da Me?" (Butterfly, Suzuki, Sharpless, Kate) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Luisa Villa, Mario Borriello, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
35 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Come Una Mosca Prigioniera" (Butterfly, Suzuki) - Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
36 Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Con Onor Muore" (Butterfly, Pinkerton) - Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Herbert Von Karajan
2014 Maria Callas re-mastered series reissue. With this Abbey Road 24-bit 96kHz re-master, engineers returned to the original master tapes, bringing new clarity & brilliance to her legendary studio recordings. A famous backstage photo was taken in Chicago after one of just three performances that Callas gave of Madama Butterfly; it shows the soprano in her Japanese costume, snarling furiously at a bailiff who had served a writ on her - the very image of the tempestuous diva. By contrast, in her recording of the role, 'it is, miraculously,' as the critic John Osborne observed, 'the 15-year old girl and not the great Callas who stands before us.' Her genius for vocal characterization finds an apt complement in Herbert von Karajan's conducting: 'a wholly sympathetic rendering [that]brings out more of the detail of the score than I have ever heard before', wrote Gramophone.
