HiFi and Film: Diva and La Wally

HiFi and Film: Diva and La Wally

Catalani's La Wally is a much neglected and seldom staged opera for many reasons. My first encounter was not via records and certainly not in the opera house. The year was 1981, the venue the local movie theater. Jean-Jacques Beineix's Diva was an instant hit, and I certainly enjoyed the film very much and later even got the soundtrack (on LP).

Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez' rendition of the most famous aria in La Wally, "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana", was warm-hearted and touched many people, even brought the opera back from obscurity, at least for a moment. Here you can watch and hear her sing:



If you must compare, here's Callas:



And here's Tebaldi:



You can decide who's your favorite. There's no need to fight like the comments on youtube.