Callas's stage jewelry on display

[dirac]

London’s Royal Opera House is exhibiting stage jewelry worn by Maria Callas through January of next year.

Included in the collection are: Callas' bridal jewels from her 1956 Tosca; the crown she wore for a 1949 Naples performance of Nabucco; the laurel wreath crown from her American debut in a 1954 Chicago Norma; and necklaces and earrings made for a 1955 La Scala Traviata, which – per the insistence of the production's director Luchino Visconti – are accurate reproductions of genuine period jewelry.

[richard53dog]

London’s Royal Opera House is exhibiting stage jewelry worn by Maria Callas through January of next year.

Included in the collection are: Callas' bridal jewels from her 1956 Tosca;  for a 1955 La Scala Traviata, which – per the insistence of the production's director Luchino Visconti – are accurate reproductions of genuine period jewelry.

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Hmmmmm. I can't figure out what Tosca "bridal jewels" are. She doesn't come close to getting married in the opera! I wonder what the ROH means.

On the period Traviata jewelry, as well as costumes, they were quite beautiful, at least from photos I've seen. In mabe one of the earliest operatic updatings though, Visconti didn't set the production in the mid 19th century, which at this point is tradtional, or the 18th century,which I have trouble imagining. The 18th century setting was to try to take the somewhat delicate subject matter of the plot and put some distance on it, sort of using the theory of if it's right now it's a scandal but if it happened a long time ago, it's historical and it will slip past the censors.

He set his production in the 1890 and it looked very glamorous.

Richard

[dirac]

I’m familiar with that production of Traviata mainly through the wonderful photographs in John Ardoin’s coffee table size “Callas.” And the pirated recording, of course. The production was indeed beautiful, and the slimmed down Callas looks ravishing (as do the jewels; I’m going to go back and take another look at them as I didn’t know previously that Visconti had insisted they conform to the period.)

I didn’t really get the “bridal” thing, either. Perhaps if someone checks out the exhibit they can report back to us?

[Jane Simpson]

I didn’t really get the “bridal” thing, either.  Perhaps if someone checks out the exhibit they can report back to us?

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There are some fine photographs of some of the exhibits, including the 'bridal' jewels, on the Royal Opera House site

[dirac]

Much obliged for those, thanks!