Spontini’s La Vestale is a peculiar
and perplexing work. Clearly it’s an
important bridge between late eighteenth
century classicism and the Romanticism
of Berlioz. And it bears some similarity
with Bellini’s Norma in its focusing
on a character whose abandonment of
sacred love leads to her undoing (though
La Vestale is a much more benign
opera in that respect). But although
there are long sections of Act II that
are riveting in their theatrical tension
elsewhere there are "by the yard"
paragraphs of pretty numbing tedium.
That said the different techniques Spontini
uses – arioso, sung recitative, aria
and the like - do provide variety and
internal dynamism.
It’s the kind of work
that needs a heroine of outstanding
stature; Ponselle was one such and she
sang it with success. Nearer our time
Caballé has essayed it as well.
But the most notable impersonation was
probably that of Callas. She made commercial
recordings of her standout arias but
this live 1954 La Scala performance
has long been admired by her legion
of delirious worshippers. And quite
rightly too. The sound is pretty awful,
let’s be frank. There’s shatter, and
a very constricted range. The balances
are none too clever – either vocally
or orchestrally – but it’s worth persevering.
It’s not all Callas
of course. In the first Act we can hear
a wide range of talent on the La Scala
stage. The overture, for a start, is
driven with tremendous brio by Votto,
who tends to be mocked for his conducting
but whom I find here galvanic (Golovanic?)
in his direction, at least in the early
stages. Then there’s the young Corelli,
his voice in superb estate, fresh, ringing,
firmly centred. He makes a fine team
with Enzo Sordello not least in their
Act I exchange Presso il sublime
tempio (naturally this is all sung
in Italian). Stignani is characterful,
powerful, and an impressive stage creature
but she cedes to Callas whose early
scene Oh di funesta possa is
dramatically incisive and her recitative
is endlessly fascinating for its compelling
insight into theatrical expressive gesture
and timing.
The Chorus is lusty
and whilst their contribution to the
end of Act I can hardly be termed subtle
(and whilst the chorus submerges the
band in the balance) there is, despite
all the imperfections and aural sludge,
the requisite piety conveyed. It’s Callas’
Act II Tu che invoco that really
rivets the ear. There’s great passion
to be sure but it’s corralled through
the strictest of vocal means. The emotion
apex is incendiary here, for all the
problems with the recording, and it’s
no wonder the audience applauds well
before they should, so intense is the
spell Callas has cast – and through
the most legitimate of vocal means as
well. Act III’s La Vestale infida
mora sees Callas joining with Stignani
once more - they make a formidable pair.
Rossi-Lemeni appears but briefly though
his contribution are still notable.
This set has been available
before of course, most recently on Opera
d’Oro. I’m afraid I can’t follow the
provenance of Andromeda’s tape because
apart from the cast list and a bare
running order (à la Walhall etc)
there’s no other information provided.
So I can’t tell you whether their transfer
is better than or identical to - or
worse than - any previous one. I think
that even if you have the commercial
Callas-Spontini extracts the white heat
of inspiration shades it.
Jonathan Woolf
Maria Callas (soprano) – Giulia 
