Signed March 25, 1965 extracted single program sheet from Callas's final Metropolitan Opera performance. Mounting stains to edges and a block of light toning, else fine. Sold together with a halftone magazine advertisement for her Tosca recording of the same year and featuring her in a photograph by Henry Clarke. 11 x 8 inches; 20.5 x 28 cm.
Callas finally agreed to return to the Met in 1965 and it would also be her Met farewell. The two performances of Tosca, both with her old friend baritone Tito Gobbi as Scarpia and two different tenors, Franco Corelli and Richard Tucker, created a furor for tickets the likes of which the Met has rarely seen. Lines formed outside for standing room the previous day.
Tosca was the role in which, that same year, Callas also gave her last complete performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Paris Opéra. And it was her final complete recording of an opera, and, 12 years after her first version of Tosca, it reunited her with the Scarpia of Tito Gobbi. They were joined by Carlo Bergonzi as Cavaradossi. Gramophone praised ‘a thrilling and very complete interpretation, with scene after scene, bar after bar, brought to life by sheer intelligence and dramatic insight’. Some weeks earlier she had collapsed before the final act of Norma at the Paris Opera and had to cancel the remaining three performances scheduled.
Callas's collaboration with renowned photographer Henry Clarke for Vogue during the 1950s highlighted her elegance and beauty, cementing her status as a fashion icon as well. The elegant black-and-white photographs by Clarke not only captured Callas's exceptional artistry but also reflected her captivating personality, which captivated audiences worldwide. Her partnership with Vogue was part of a broader cultural moment where opera stars were becoming integrated into the glamorous world of high fashion, thus enhancing her appeal to a wider audience beyond opera enthusiasts. Callas's fashion-forward presence, combined with her operatic prowess, positioned her as one of the most celebrated figures in both music and culture during her time.
Signed March 25, 1965 extracted single program sheet from Callas's final Metropolitan Opera performance. Mounting stains to edges and a block of light toning, else fine. Sold together with a halftone magazine advertisement for her Tosca recording of the same year and featuring her in a photograph by Henry Clarke. 11 x 8 inches; 20.5 x 28 cm.
Callas finally agreed to return to the Met in 1965 and it would also be her Met farewell. The two performances of Tosca, both with her old friend baritone Tito Gobbi as Scarpia and two different tenors, Franco Corelli and Richard Tucker, created a furor for tickets the likes of which the Met has rarely seen. Lines formed outside for standing room the previous day.
Tosca was the role in which, that same year, Callas also gave her last complete performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Paris Opéra. And it was her final complete recording of an opera, and, 12 years after her first version of Tosca, it reunited her with the Scarpia of Tito Gobbi. They were joined by Carlo Bergonzi as Cavaradossi. Gramophone praised ‘a thrilling and very complete interpretation, with scene after scene, bar after bar, brought to life by sheer intelligence and dramatic insight’. Some weeks earlier she had collapsed before the final act of Norma at the Paris Opera and had to cancel the remaining three performances scheduled.
Callas's collaboration with renowned photographer Henry Clarke for Vogue during the 1950s highlighted her elegance and beauty, cementing her status as a fashion icon as well. The elegant black-and-white photographs by Clarke not only captured Callas's exceptional artistry but also reflected her captivating personality, which captivated audiences worldwide. Her partnership with Vogue was part of a broader cultural moment where opera stars were becoming integrated into the glamorous world of high fashion, thus enhancing her appeal to a wider audience beyond opera enthusiasts. Callas's fashion-forward presence, combined with her operatic prowess, positioned her as one of the most celebrated figures in both music and culture during her time.