Maria Callas, the Queen of La Scala and “the greatest artist in the world” (Leonard Bernstein) with original studio and live recordings.

In honour of Verdi and the 120th anniversary of his death in 2021! Four Verdi operas in complete recordings: Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La forza del destino, Un ballo in maschera and highlights from Aida – altogether legendary studio recordings that were made in La Scala in Milan.

She is called “La Divina”, the divine one, and anyone who loves opera appreciates the unconditional emotion and devotion with which Maria Callas loved and suffered on stage. Callas was a high priestess of song. She played a major role in the popularity of opera, as she once again emphasized the great bel canto roles and the drama of it all.

To this day she is a role model and source of inspiration for many a female vocalist. She has set standards for a whole series of parts, not least the great Verdi roles from Rigoletto, Il trovatore, Un ballo in maschera, La forza del destino and Aida, in which she can be heard in this box set. All of these legendary recordings were made in La Scala in Milan, Italy. Callas has sung and performed more operas by Verdi, whose name has become the symbol of Italian opera, than by any other composer.

It was a Verdi opera that confirmed her world fame at La Scala in Milan in 1951 – the legendary house of which she was to become the undisputed queen. One can only speak of a triumph that she experienced when her Elena was greeted with frenetic cheers in this passion-proven venue. In the years of her rise to world fame, she proved with an extreme spectrum of roles, which she owed to her versatility, her great acting talent and an astonishing three octave vocal range, that she was an “Assoluta”, a singer who could do justice to any and all the roles.

“She never died. She is the eternal flame.” – Jürgen Kesting

“Diva of all Divas, empress, queen, goddess, sorceress, hard working magician, in one word: godlike.” – Yves St. Laurent