Marla Callas
Sir; If I might refer rather belatedly to Robert Skidelsky's would-be definitive estimate of the vocal and operatic talents of the late Maria Callas (1 Oct.), in his article he first proclaims that 'what was essential with Callas was sound', i.e. extra-vocal acting was not, as others have implied, the key to her eminence. He then proceeds to let the Callas out of the bag, if I may so put it, for he tells how through a piece of self-denial on the part of his father he was enabled to attend the Callas Covent Garden Traviata in July 1958 but to little purpose as he now 'cannot remember anything important about if. My memory of this particular Traviata, on the other hand, is indelible: it provided fans with quite simply the most rudimentary rendering of the classic coloratura passages ('Sempre libera . . .' and all that) in Act 2 ever to be heard in this august arena in our life-time. It was in fact a case of La Travestia that no seasoned operagoer would or could ever forget and accordingly I regret that I must decline to set much store by Mr Skidelsky as a judge of sound.
In conclusion perhaps I might add, just in case any reader of this should think the above an arbitrary disparagement, I remember how I wrote privately to Harold Rosenthal (editor of Opera of course and author of the singer's most glowing obituary) at the time and he was constrained to admit there had been a slight lack of severity in professional critical verdicts.
G. Reichardt 13 Hanover Court, Wyebank View, Chepstow, Gwent
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