Check out today's Google doodle:

[Brigid]

http://www.google.com

Who recognizes her?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I did NOT recognize her, my dear Brigid!

As soon as I saw her name, I did, though...

She has had an amazing life and career!

[longship]

2. My early morning OP from this AM.

First of all, I love opera. Second, even if you do not love opera you probably have heard of Maria Callas.

Her iconic roles are legendary. Norma, Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, but the role which is the iconic Callas one is Puccini's Tosca.

Here it is:

(this is the great one.)

For those who do not have the patience to listen to the entire opera, here is a segment from the second act when evil Scarpia agrees to let Tosca's imprisoned lover go free if Tosca agrees to be Scarpia's gal, she waits for Scarpia to sign the release papers for her beau. As Scarpia attempts to embrace her she sings, "This is Tosca's kiss!" and plunges a knife from his table into his chest.

Nobody ever did that scene better than Maria Callas which is one of the reasons why she is today's Google Doodle.

Here's that scene with Callas and Gobbi:

The end of the opera takes place on the parapet of the Castle Saint Angelo in Rome. Tosca's lover is to go through a fake execution, but Scarpia (who Tosca killed during the second act) has arranged the execution to be real. When her lover dies, Tosca pitches herself off the parapet into the Tiber, singing "Scarpia I will see you before god." . And the opera ends.

It's one of those operas where you know it's over because the last of the principle characters is dead.

It is a profoundly wonderful narrative. And nobody did it better than Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi. Their 1953 recording (linked above) is legendary.

Wiki: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tosca_(1953_EMI_recording)

Don't get me started about other Callas performances. I think I've done enough damage on her great Tosca.

[Brigid]

5. They were great together.

Too bad she and Placido Domingo never performed together, but they weren't the same generation. He made a great Mario Cavaradossi.

[longship]

7. PBS did Tosca with Domingo and Malfitano at the actual locations.

It was broadcast in 1993, I think.

Here's the IMDB entry:
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0105625/

Domingo's favorite role, he says.

[Brigid]

8. I used to have that on VHS.

It was really cool.

[Brigid]

3. I forgot it was her birthday.

She would be 90. I have a number of her recordings -- Medea, Tosca, Norma, even Carmen. Too bad I never got to see her live. But her career was already beginning to wane by the time I was born (1958).

[Brother Buzz]

4. Not until I clicked

and then I have no clue who she was....

My worst nightmare is waking up as a contestant on Jeopardy wearing just underwear, and my categories are: Shakespeare, Hockey, Old Testament, Greek mythology, and Opera.

[Archae]

6. She would have been 90, I am 54.

Yes, it's my birhtday.

It's also Aaron Rodgers' birthday.

[longship]

9. Here's the Habanera for you, Callas, of course.

Happy Birthday!

[Brigid]

10. Cool.

Love the '50's beehive. I never could figure out how the women of that generation did that. I never owned a can of hairspray in my life!