Lady Macbeth

Verdi wanted for Lady Macbeth a voice that was "harsh, stifled, dark" — a voice meant to disturb rather than seduce. A century later, Maria Callas gave that demand its most celebrated embodiment… in a single run of performances.

On 7 December 1952, she opened the La Scala season in Macbeth, conducted by Victor de Sabata. Five evenings — and she never sang the role on stage again. No more was needed: the live recording captured that night remains one of the absolute references for the work, and proof that Callas could turn a role debut into a definitive event.

Her Lady was no shrieking harpy but a will: ambition sung as a gnawing thought, from the Act I letter scene — "Vieni! t'affretta" — to the sleepwalking scene, murmured at the edge of silence, where the voice itself seems to walk in its sleep. Sopranos have measured themselves ever since against that shadow, born of a single Milanese run.

In the Foundation's collection

Photographs and documents from Callas's great Milan seasons — including the 1952 opening — are preserved in the Foundation's collection. Discover the collection · Licensing

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