Verdi: La Forza Del Destino (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
If it were not for Maria Callas, we would all think thatLa Forza del  Destinois essentially a prime exercise and showcase for great soprano  voices, with a few goodies thrown in for the rest of the cast and the chorus. In  this recording, Callas's voice is not technically great, though it is usually  good.She makes most of her points by other means: close attention to the value  of words, subtle nuances of tone and phrasing, an uncompromising determination  to confront the emotions in the text and convey them honestly and strongly, even  when they reach a terrifying intensity. We have here, under the absurdities of  plot, a compelling psychological portrait of a woman driven beyond her limits--a  woman whose brother wants to kill her lover, who has killed her father. The  supporting cast is skilled and Serafin shapes a powerful interpretation.-- Joe McLellan