![]() The press exulted in publicizing Callas's temperamental behavior, her supposed rivalry with Renata Tebaldi and her love affair with Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. She turned herself from a heavy woman into a svelte and glamorous one after a mid-career weight loss, which might have contributed to her vocal decline and the premature end of her career. Forced to deal with the exigencies of 1940s wartime poverty and with near-sightedness that left her nearly blind onstage, she endured struggles and scandal over the course of her career. Maria received her musical education in Greece at age 13 and later established her career in Italy. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina.īorn in New York City to Greek immigrant parents, she was raised by an overbearing mother who had wanted a son. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. She was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. She holds the title.Maria Callas, Commendatore OMRI (/ˈkæləs/ Greek: Μαρία Κάλλας December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano. There will never be another like La Divina. She exuded sadness and loneliness as well. And Callas had everything else, looks, temperament, plus a charisma, and a girlish, shy quality that came through the tigress. Was she blessed with the most beautiful set of pipes? Even she herself will tell you “no”.īut as anyone who knows the first thing about opera will tell you, there is much more to opera than a beautiful voice. Callas’s 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. Walter Legge stated that Callas possessed that most essential ingredient for a great singer: an instantly recognizable voice. Her dedication alone to perfection and hard work is a signature to her commitment to the art.Ĭallas’s voice was and remains controversial it bothered and disturbed as many as it thrilled and inspired. Maria Callas probably brought more to opera than any other singer ever did. “Maria Callas had everything: looks, temperament, plus a charisma, and a girlish, shy quality that came through the tigress” more so than anyone else: Tosca, Norma, Armida and Medea. There were four roles she totally owned…. On the other hand, after she lost weight she became a much more vivid actress… certainly one of the most supreme actresses to ever be on stage. To many ears, she did not possess the most beautiful voices around, and after she lost 80 pounds this became more and more the case. She was certainly one of the two or three greatest interpreters of music ever. There was fat Callas who was one of the supreme coloratura sopranos of all time including heart-stoppingly huge notes above high C, who could sing Wagner and turn around and sing Bellini within days. Is Maria Callas the best opera singer ever? Her career reached its peak in the 1950s and then it decreased, either from a vocal decline or because she wanted to focus on her personal life, which was marked by an unlucky marriage, a devastating affair to Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis and loneliness. After some performances in the Greek National Opera, she moved to Italy and started to perform in La Scala di Milan. Soon, her teachers appreciated her warm and heavy voice. In 1937, her family moved to Athens and she attended music courses in the Conservatory of Athens. ![]() Maria Callas was born in 1923 in New York to Greek parents. She is mostly called La Divina and she has been awarded as the greatest opera singer in the world. The respect she earned among instrumental musicians and conductors for her ability to bring a musical score to life has no parallel Everything she did had purpose and precision. Maria Callas was one of the most accomplished of musicians, and not only among singers.
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