The Callas Conversations offers some rare and fascinating glimpses of Maria Callas, whose life and art are well-documented by books and records but less so in video formats. What is documented here is mostly Callas as an interview subject, not Callas as an operatic actress who transfixed audiences with her visual presence. The two 1968 BBC interviews are her most important appearances on television. Her conversations with George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, a dominant figure in English opera, and a friendly, knowledgeable interviewer, put her completely at ease. They discuss her early career (as Isolde and Brunnhilde, believe it or not), her conversion to bel canto, conductor Tullio Serafin who was her mentor, her vocal style, and her (often surprising) views on her best-known roles. Samples of her singing are scattered through the interviews in audio recordings artfully linked with still photos.

Also included (in French with subtitles) are her 1965 interview with critic and organist Bernard Gavoty and three arias ("Adieu, notre petite table," "Ah, non credea mirarti," and "O mio babbino caro") in concert performances conducted by Georges Pretre. This segment is more formal and less revealing than the Harewood conversations but worth seeing. The arias are well-sung concert performances, out of costume and with minimal acting except for facial expressions. --Joe McLellan