Puccini Arias
Though Puccini is one of the composers most associated with Callas, he was not the one closest to her heart. Even the title role ofToscathat showcased her talents so brilliantly (including during her vocal decline) didn't figure among her favorites. You'd never know, though, from this aria collection recorded in 1954--Callas's vocal prime--that was inexplicably overshadowed by her complete opera recordings. Even among the best of singers, aria collections take on a certain vocal sameness; Callas often has a different voice for every character. Her Mimi inLa Bohemeis all lightness and ingenuousness; the timbre of her Suor Angelica (which she sang onstage only once) has a similar but distinctly different lightness, also conveying a sheltered life. Once in a while one hears signs of vocal fatique, but generally, the flapping vibrato that afflicted Callas's high notes only a few years later is well under control, as she's guided through these selections by her longtime mentor, Tullio Serafin.--David Patrick Stearns