As part of its ongoing centennial tribute to Maria Callas, The Greek National Opera presents Callas at the Herodium on Saturday, 16 September, which marks the anniversary of Maria Callas’s passing. The gala features the repertoire the legendary soprano performed at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in 1944 and 1957. Anna Pirozzi, Catherine Foster, Vassiliki Karayanni, and Nina Minasyan pay tribute to Callas’s remarkable talent and leave their own mark on the iconic venue with this special tribute, led by conductor Philippe Auguin. The program features arias from composers Kalomiris, Beethoven, Wagner, Verdi, Donizetti, and Thomas and celebrates the legacy of Maria Callas at the historic venue that she helped make famous.
Maria Callas’s legacy in Greece is deeply rooted in her performances at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. In 1944, before she left Athens for New York, she sang the role of Smaragda in The Masterbuilder by Manolis Kalomiris, and Leonora in Beethoven’s Fidelio, both under the baton of acclaimed conductors and directors. Thirteen years later, in 1957, she returned to the same venue to give a legendary recital as part of the Athens Festival, showcasing her vocal range and virtuosity in arias from such operas as Tristan und Isolde, La forza del destino, Il Trovatore, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Hamlet.
Opera gala
Callas at the Herodium
September 16, 2023
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Starts at: 8:30 pm
Conductor: Philippe Auguin
Soloists: Anna Pirozzi, Catherine Foster, Vassiliki Karayanni, Nina Minasyan
With the Orchestra of the Greek National Opera
GALA PROGRAM
Manolis Kalomiris, The Masterbuilder
— Overture
— “The sun, the sun”
Smaragda’s aria from Part II – Vassiliki Karayanni
Ludwig van Beethoven, Fidelio
— Overture
— “Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin? … Komm, Hoffnung” / “Monster! Where are you hurrying? … Come, hope”
Leonore’s recitative and aria from Act I – Catherine Foster
Ambroise Thomas, Hamlet
— “À vos jeux, mes amis” / “To your games, my friends”
Ophélie’s “mad scene” from Act IV – Nina Minasyan
Giuseppe Verdi, La forza del destino
— Overture
— “Pace, pace, mio Dio” / “Peace, peace, my God”
Leonora’s aria from Act IV – Anna Pirozzi
Gaetano Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor
— “Regnava nel silenzio” / “Reigning in the silence”
Lucia’s aria from Act I – Vassiliki Karayanni
Giuseppe Verdi, Il trovatore
— “D’amor sull’ali rosee” / “On the rosy wings of love”
Leonora’s aria from Part IV – Anna Pirozzi
Richard Wagner, Tristan und Isolde
— Prelude and Isolde’s “Liebestod” – Catherine Foster
Filed under: Maria Callas, music news
MEMETERIA by Thomas May 