Signed 1965 promotional Angel Records photograph (uncredited, but by Henry Clarke) of La Divina as shot for her 1965 "Tosca" recording with Georges Prêtre. Slight silvering to edges, mounting stains to verso, else very fine. 4.5 x 7 inches; 11.5 x 17.5 cm.
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.
Tosca was the role in which – in 1965, the year this recording was made – Callas gave her last complete performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera and the Paris Opéra. This 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.
Signed 1965 promotional Angel Records photograph (uncredited, but by Henry Clarke) of La Divina as shot for her 1965 "Tosca" recording with Georges Prêtre. Slight silvering to edges, mounting stains to verso, else very fine. 4.5 x 7 inches; 11.5 x 17.5 cm.
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.
Tosca was the role in which – in 1965, the year this recording was made – Callas gave her last complete performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera and the Paris Opéra. This 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.