This evening at 8 p.m., the Instituto Francés in Madrid will screen the documentary Callas – Paris, 1958, directed by Tom Volf.
As part of its international premiere, this screening is a tribute to the emblematic opera diva. A night to remember. Maria Callas, the quintessential diva and the face of opera in the 20th century, made her Paris debut with this legendary performance at the sumptuous Paris Opera House on 19 December 1958, for one night only.
It was a major social event, attended by “Le Tout Paris” (including French President Coty, Jean Cocteau, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Charlie Chaplin, Brigitte Bardot, among many others). Callas appeared on the famous stage wearing her most elegant couture and jewellery worth a million dollars. She opened with her signature role, the Casta diva from Norma, followed by the haunting Miserere scene from Verdi’s Il Trovatore, before lightening the mood with the mischievous Una voce poco fa from The Barber of Seville. The climax of the evening came in the second half: a fully staged performance of Act II of Puccini’s Tosca.
The repertoire of this performance showed Callas at her best, both in recital and as an operatic actress. The visual elements were as important as the vocal dimensions in her art. Meticulously restored from the recently discovered original reels and sound source, this is an opportunity to experience this historic performance as never before.
