Ratti

EMI's generous compilation of 100 tracks from its archive of recordings by Maria Callas makes a fine introduction to her legacy. Callas' voice isn't consistent throughout, but when she's at her best, it's easy to hear the musical and dramatic power that made her the most legendary opera singer of the 20th century. She is impressive often enough that it's not hard to forgive the performances that are less than stellar. The six-disc collection is intelligently organized, with each disc dedicated to a particular composer (or several composers) or a theme: Bellini; Donizetti and Rossini; Verdi; Puccini; French operatic heroines; and dramatic heroines.

He never forgot his italian origins, (he liked to say that he was born aboard a ship when his parents emigrated from Italy, also if he was born in Philadelphia), and in last years of his life he played different times in Italy meeting some italian jazz players. The following concert was performed in Turin at Teatro Erba, on March 26, 1971 by an italo-american quartet with the philadelphian jazz pianist Lou Stein (1922-2002) and the italians Marco Ratti (1932-2007): bass and Gil Cuppini (1924-1996): drums. The tapes of this concert were preserved by Venuti's family for years. Many years after they were issued in the 100 LP collection I Giganti del Jazz by italian publisher Curcio and till now never reissued.