Maria Callas

 MARIA CALLAS

 

Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano. She was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. She was born in Manhattan to Greek immigrant parents. She had one sister named Jackie and a brother who died from meningitis. She had her education in Greece at age 13, later she established her career in Italy. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas. 

The relationship with her mother was something that became a matter of great public interest. It is said that she perceived as a kind of prostitution forced on her by her mother during the World War II, when the family was in a bad economical conditionals. In public, Callas blamed the strained relationship with her mother on her unhappy childhood spent singing and working at her mother's insistence, saying:

"My sister was slim and beautiful and friendly, and my mother always preferred her. I was the ugly duckling, fat and clumsy and unpopular. It is a cruel thing to make a child feel ugly and unwanted... I'll never forgive her for taking my childhood away. During all the years I should have been playing and growing up, I was singing or making money. Everything I did for them was mostly good and everything they did to me was mostly bad."

After several appearances as a student, Callas began appearing in secondary roles at the Greek National Opera. De Hidalgo was instrumental in securing roles for her, allowing Callas to earn a smallsalary, which helped her and her family get through the difficult war years.  Callas made her professional debut in February 1941, in the small role of Beatrice in Franz von Suppé's Boccaccio. Following these performances, even Callas's detractors began to refer to her as "The God-Given".

After returning to the United States in September 1945, Callas made the round of auditions. In December of that year, she auditioned for Edward Johnson, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, and was favorably received: "Exceptional voice—ought to be heard very soon on stage". Callas maintained that the Met offered her Madama Butterfly and Fidelio, to be performed in Philadelphia and sung in English, both of which she declined, feeling she was too fat for Butterfly and did not like the idea of opera in English. In 1946, Callas was engaged to re-open the opera house in Chicago as Turandot, but the company folded before opening. Basso Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, who also was to star in this opera, was aware that Tullio Serafin was looking for a dramatic soprano to cast as La Gioconda at the Arena di Verona. He later recalled the young Callas and he recommended her to retired tenor and impresario Giovanni Zenatello. During her audition, Zenatello became so excited that he jumped up and joined Callas in the act 4 duet. It was in this role that Callas made her Italian debut. She had a huge career in Italy. Some of her greatest debuts were:

• Teatro alla Scala in Milan. 

• La Scal  in Verdi's  

• Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires

• Royal Opera House in Norma 

Callas's voice was and remains controversial; it bothered and disturbed as many as it thrilled and inspired. Her voice has been difficult to place in the modern vocal classification or Fach system, especially since in her prime, her repertoire contained the heaviest dramatic soprano roles as well as roles usually undertaken by the highest, lightest and most agile coloratura sopranos. Callas's voice was noted for its three distinct registers: Her low or chest register was extremely dark and almost baritonal in power, and she used this part of her voice for dramatic effect, often going into this register much higher on the scale than most sopranos. In the opinion of several singers, the heavy roles undertaken in her early years damaged Callas's voice.

In 1957, while still married to husband Giovanni Battista Meneghini, Callas was introduced to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis at a party given in her honor by Elsa Maxwell after a performance in Donizetti's Anna Bolena. The affair that followed received much publicity in the popular press, and in November 1959, Callas left her husband. The relationship ended two years later in 1968, when Onassis left Callas in favor of Jacqueline Kennedy. Callas spent her last years living largely in isolation in Paris and died of a heart attack at age 53 on September 16, 1977.

Nowadays many opera galas and festivals are being held on her honor, not only in Greece but also worldwide. These are some photos from a festival in Greece:

  

 

Elena Maglara