The temperament-filled role of Abigaille in Nabucco is notorious for its extreme vocal demands, but the young Callas – just 26 when she performed the role at Naples’ Teatro San Carlo – conquers it confidently and commandingly. Her astonishing capacities for both barnstorming power and intricate delicacy are called into play in this, her earliest live recording of a complete opera. These performances at one of Italy’s most celebrated opera houses represent the only occasion Callas sang the role of Abigaille on stage.
20 December 1949 Napoli, Teatro San Carlo
20 December 1949 Napoli, Teatro San Carlo
