Warner Classics to Celebrate Maria Callas Centenary with New Box Set
By Francisco SalazarWarner Classics will celebrate Maria Callas‘ centenary with the release of the most comprehensive collection of her recordings on Sept. 22, 2023.
The company, which has been the custodian of Maria Callas’ discography, will release a 131-CD, three Blu-ray disc, and one DVD, “LA DIVINA: Maria Callas” box set. It will be the most complete box of Callas recordings ever released, comprising all 74 roles for which audio documents exist.
It will also include her complete studio recordings, an extensive collection of her best live recordings, the masterclasses she gave at the Juilliard School, and videos. The label also plans to release Dolby Atmos editions of all of Callas’ studio opera recordings.
A notable part of the set is a bonus CD of previously unreleased alternate takes and working sessions from studio recordings of the 1960s. These studio sessions in London and Paris were intended to allow Callas to rework her voice to counteract the difficulties she experienced in her later years. Several hours of raw material give a never-seen-before glimpse into Callas’ interactions with conductor, orchestra and producer in the studio, positive and energetic even as her voice started to fail.
Warner Classics will also release Callas’ entire studio opera recordings available for streaming in Dolby Atmos immersive audio for the very first time and will also reissue full-length Callas opera recordings on vinyl.