Maria Callas - Biography - IMDb Maria Callas Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trivia (23) | Personal Quotes (3) Overview (5) Maria Anna Sophie Cecilia Kalogeropoulos Nickname 5' 8" (1.73 m) Mini Bio (1) This volatile opera diva was born in New York City to Greek émigrés in 1923. Her father set up a pharmacy and changed the family name from Kalogeropoulos to Callas. As a child Maria studied the piano. When her parents separated (she was 14 at the time), her mother returned to Athens with Maria and her sister. The budding singer was quickly accepted into the National Conservatoire where she was taught singing lessons by Maria Trivella. She performed her first recital within the year and in 1939 won a prize for her stage debut in the Conservatoire's production of "Cavalleria Rusticana." In 1941, the soprano dramatico d'agilita made her professional debut in "Boccaccio" with the Lyric Theatre Company.

While there she made a semi-name for herself with performances of "Tosca" and "Fidelio." Impending war led her back to the United States in 1944 where she reclaimed the name of Maria Callas. She was offered a contract from the Met which she turned down because among the three roles she was offered to sing there was Butterfly and she believed that she was too obese to sing the fragile 14 year-old Butterfly, her friends considered her to be crazy turning down the Met while she was so unknown. Maria performed elsewhere (Chicago, etc.) before returning to Europe in the post-war years where she met Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a wealthy industrialist and avid opera fan. They married in 1949 and he immediately took control of her career. She reached her zenith at La Scala (1951-1958), also recording during that time. In 1956, she finally made her debut at the Met as "Norma" with performances of "Tosca" and "Lucia" following. Within a couple of years her temperamental outbursts and excessive demands began to rise full force, resulting in a number of dismissals and walkouts.

After meeting Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis through her husband, a torrid affair erupted and her marriage ended. Maria gave up the stage in the early 1960s for the jet-set life with Onassis, but continued with occasional concerts. Despite experiencing vocal problems, she made one unforgettable comeback on stage in 1964-1965 when she toured with her personal favorites ("Norma" in Paris and "Tosca" at the Met). Weak and tired, her final curtain on stage rang down in July of 1965 in Covent Garden. With her career over, she renounced her American citizenship and expected to marry Onassis. But their relationship was a stormy one and it eventually tapered off with Onassis instead marrying Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968. Maria was completely devastated and those around her say she never recovered. The following year she filmed an unsuccessful production of Medea (1969) and eventually set up master classes at Juilliard. In one last comeback, she attempted a European tour of recitals but her voice completely failed her. Her last public performance was on November 11, 1975.

Riddled by sadness and despair, and by now firmly addicted to sleeping pills, Maria turned reclusive in her last year and died of a heart attack in 1977 at age 53. Despite a career that flourished less than two decades, Callas must be respected as one of the more important and recognizable opera legends. She was certainly one of the most emotive and visually dramatic. What also carries her today is, of course, her grandly turbulent and tragic image -- an Édith Piaf of opera. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net Spouse (1) Legendary soprano of Greek origin, 'primadonna assoluta' of her generation. Opera star According to "Greek Fire: The Story Of Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis" by Nicholas Gage, Callas's and Onassis's child, a boy, was born and died on 30 March 1960. From October 1971 to March 1972, Callas gave a series of master classes to 25 students at The Juilliard School in New York, who auditioned for the opportunity to be critiqued by her.

They were open to the public and the sold-out crowds included opera greats Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , Tito Gobbi , Plácido Domingo , Grace Bumbry , and Bidu Sayão , actors Lillian Gish and Ben Gazzara , and director Franco Zeffirelli . Her ashes were flown to Greece and scattered in the Aegean Sea. In 1934, at age 11, Maria won an amateur radio singing contest. Her prize was a Bulova watch. In 1957, after a performance in Donizetti's Anna Bolena, Maria was introduced to Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis at a party given in her honor by Elsa Maxwell . She eventually left her husband for him. Onassis would break off thier relationship to marry Jacqueline Kennedy . In 1972, George Moore, president of the Metropolitan Opera board, offered her the job of Artistic Director. She turned it down to stage her comeback recital tour. The 1973 tour was a disater due to Callas's almost-completely destroyed voice.

After the death of their son Vassilis from meningitis in 1922, Maria's father George decided to move to the United States, when his wife got pregnant again. In 1929, George set up a pharmacy in a Greek quarter of Manhattan and the Kalogeropoulos family legally changed their name to Callas to make it more manageable. However, Maria's parents finally separated, so Maria, her sister and her mother returned to Athens in 1937. Known for singing both coloratura and spinto soprano roles. La Scala artistic director Arturo Toscanini auditioned her for Lady Macbeth in Verdi's Macbeth and, impressed, sought a production for her. It never happened. However, he did criticize her diction, saying that "you cannot understand a word she sings". Sang 100 performances in 1950, the most she gave in a single year. Struck by a car when she was 5 years old, and was in a coma for 22 days. Was nearsighted and refused to wear her glasses. She also hated to wear her contact lenses. This frustrated many a conductor, who relies on the singer to watch for tempos.

Rejected invitations to play Norma by director Joseph Losey , and Tosca by director Franco Zeffirelli , and was tempted to do Medea by director Carl Theodor Dreyer - a project that did not materialize - and finally accepted to be Medea in Pier Paolo Pasolini film - when her voice failed her. In Milan's La Scala, in 1962, became noted as Medea for delivering the last sentence, "Ho data tutto a te" (I gave everything to you), not looking at Jason as the libretto imposes, but staring at her audience. Maria Callas - Singer - Biography.com Maria Callas Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos Originally The internationally renowned Maria Callas captivated audiences with her iconic opera performances, showing off her vocal range in productions like 'Tosca' and 'Norma.' IN THESE GROUPS » quotes “I am not an angel and do not pretend to be. That is not one of my roles. But I am not the devil either. I am a woman and a serious artist, and I would like so to be judged.” “An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down.

It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I've left the opera house.” “Hissing from the gallery is part of the scene. It is a hazard of the battlefield. Opera is a battlefield, and it must be accepted.” “I will always be as difficult as necessary to achieve the best.” “To me, the art of music is magnificent, and I cannot bear to see it treated in a shabby way. When it is respected and when the artists who serve it are respected, I will work hard and always give my best ... I do not want to be associated with inferior staging, taste, conducting or singing.” Maria Callas Maria Callas - Full Episode (TV-14; 38:14) The full biography of opera diva Maria Callas. Synopsis Maria Callas was born in New York City in 1923. She made her professional debut with the Royal Opera of Athens in Boccaccio, and soon won her first major role with Tosca.

Eventually garnering international acclaim, Callas made her Italian opera debut at the Verona Arena in 1947, later followed by her 1954 American debut in Norma. During the 1960s, the quality and frequency of her performances waned. On September 16, 1977, Callas died in Paris of a heart attack. Background and Early Life American opera singer Maria Callas was born Cecilia Sophia Anna Maria Kalogeropoulos in New York City on December 2, 1923, a date confirmed by the attending physician for the delivery and what is believed to be her birth certificate. (Over the years, discrepancies and confusion have arisen concerning Callas's birth date. Callas herself, along with school records, had stated she was born on the 3rd while her mother had claimed the 4th.) Her parents, George and Evangelia, were Greek immigrants who eventually shortened their last name to Callas by the time of Maria's christening. Callas began taking classical piano lessons when she was 7 years old.

Though overshadowed by her older sister Jackie, who was seen as beautiful and charismatic, Callas proved adept at singing music with dramatic flair, with her mother pushing her on to pursue a vocal career. In 1937, when Callas was a teen, her parents separated and she, her mother and her sister moved back to Greece. In Athens, Callas studied voice under Elvira de Hidalgo at a famed conservatory. As a student, Callas made her stage debut in 1939 in a school production of Cavalleria Rusticana. For her dazzling performance in the role of Santuzza, she was honored by the conservatory. Opera Career In 1941, Callas made her professional debut with the Royal Opera of Athens in a modest role in Franz von Suppé's Boccaccio. Later in the year, she took on her first major role in Tosca. During World War II, Callas struggled to find roles. In the mid-1940s, she moved back to New York to spend time with her father and look for work, but experienced a number of rejections. She eventually moved to Verona, where she met rich industrialist Giovanni Meneghini.

The two married n 1949. Callas's Italian opera debut took place at the Verona Arena in August 1947, in a performance of La Gioconda. Over the next few years, under the management of her husband, Callas continued to perform in Florence and Verona to critical acclaim. Though her voice captivated audiences, as her fame increased, Callas developed a reputation as a temperamental, demanding diva and was nicknamed "The Tigress." Fiercely resilient, Callas said of audience members' jeers, "Hissing from the gallery is part of the scene. It is a hazard of the battlefield. Opera is a battlefield, and it must be accepted." In 1954, Callas made her American debut in Norma at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The performance was a triumph and was seen as a signature role. In 1956, she at last had the opportunity to sing with the Metropolitan Opera in her home city of New York, but in 1958 was fired by director Rudolf Bing. Callas's marriage had also begun to unravel.

Callas and Meneghini split at the end of the decade, during which time she was having an affair with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis . (He would later wed former U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy , causing much sadness for Callas, with Onassis nonetheless still trying to woo the singer after his nuptials.) Later Years and Death During the 1960s, Maria Callas's formerly stellar singing voice was discernibly faltering. Her performances grew fewer and farther between, as a result of her frequent cancellations. Though she formally retired from the stage in the early '60s, Callas made a brief return to performing with the Metropolitan Opera mid-decade. Her final operatic performance was in Tosca at Covent Garden in London on July 5, 1965, attended by Queen Mother Elizabeth . In 1969, she also appeared in the title role of the film Medea. In the early 1970s, Callas tried her hand at teaching. In '71 and '72, she conducted master classes at Juilliard in New York.

Despite her failing health, Callas accompanied a friend on an international recital tour in 1973 to help him raise money for his ailing daughter. Following the tour, Callas moved to Paris, France, and became a recluse. On September 16, 1977, at the age of 55, Maria Callas died suddenly and mysteriously in her Paris home in what was believed to have been a heart attack. Videos Maria Callas, 53, Is Dead of Heart Attack in Paris Maria Callas, 53, Is Dead of Heart Attack in Paris By RAYMOND ERICSON Maria Callas, the soprano whose intensely dramatic portrayals made her the most exciting opera singer of her time, died of a heart attack yesterday at her home in Paris. She was 53 years old. Miss Callas had told some friends this summer that she was concerned about her health, but other associates reported that she had been in perfect health and was preparing to write her autobiography for a New York publisher. She once said, "Wherever I am, it is hectic." This may even have been an understatement.

Controversy, legend and myth surrounded the soprano throughout the major part of her career. Those who admired her felt that she was one of the greatest opera singers of all time, while others believed that her vocal inadequacies precluded any such claim. Disputes and legal action seemed to arise wherever she sang. Her private life was seldom out of the limelight. Yet there was no denying that it was the magic of her personality that made every move of hers newsworthy. 'Awesome Stage Projection' A balanced reaction to Miss Callas's artistry was expressed by Harold C. Schonberg, the music critic of The New York Times, after her return to the Metropolitan Opera in 1965 in the title role of Puccini's "Tosca." "If you want brains, an awesome stage projection, intensity and musicianship, Miss Callas can supply those commodities more than any soprano around," Mr. Schonberg wrote. "But if you look for voice and vocal splendor in your Tosca, Miss Callas is not the one to make you happy." Earlier in the review he had written that "her conception of the role was electrical. Everything at her command was put into striking use.

She was a woman in love, a tiger cat, a woman possessed by jealousy. . . . This was supreme acting, unforgettable acting." There is no question that Miss Callas sparked new interest in the largely forgotten bel canto operas of the 19th century. These were the words of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini, most of which had not been heard since the era when they were written. They were considered too difficult and too uninteresting musically to be worth reviving. Miss Callas showed that they could be sung, that the melodies and all the embellishments that were thought to be for virtuoso display could be turned to genuine dramatic use. It opened up a whole new repertory for singers such as Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills to follow the path set by Miss Callas. When the soprano was told that she was considered temperamental, her answer was, "I will always be as difficult as necessary to achieve the best." Everyone who worked with her agreed that she was a hard worker, willing to rehearse more than expected, even when a role or a production was not new. Early in her career she sang as many as 16 roles in one season, and she was a quick study.

Her own interest in bel canto grew in 1948 in Venice, when she learned the difficult part of Elvira in Bellini's "I Puritani" in five days in order to substitute for an ailing singer. Unhappy Manhattan Childhood Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos was born Dec. 3, 1923 in Manhattan's Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals, her Greek parents had arrived in the United States a few months earlier. Her father was a pharmacist. Years later, in discounting the rumor that she had been born in Brooklyn, Miss Callas said that she remembered living in Upper Manhattan over a drugstore owned by her father. She attended Public School 164 at Wadsworth Avenue and 164th Street in Washington Heights, and by the age of 9 was singing for her schoolmates. The soprano spoke often of her unhappy childhood, which was marred by the squabbles between her parents and her jealousy of her older sister--Maria was squat, while her sister was attractive and favored by the parents. The family returned to Athens when Maria was 13.

She won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where one of her teachers was Elvira de Hidalgo, a famous Spanish soprano in her day. She remembered Maria as being "square and fat, but she put such force, such sentiment, such wonderful interpretation into all she sang. She would want to sing the most difficult coloraturas, scales and trills. Even as a child her willpower was terrific." Before she was 15, the student was singing the dramatic role of Santuzza in Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana." Four years later she made her official debut with the Athens Opera. At the end of World War II, she went back to New York on her own. She auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera at the time that Edward Johnson was the general manager. She was offered the title roles in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" and Beethoven's "Fidelio." "Fidelio" was to have been sung in English. Miss Callas recalled the impossibility of singing Butterfly: "I was then too fat--210 pounds." As for "Fidelio": "Opera in English is so silly. Nobody takes it seriously." She turned down the offers.

She came close to making her American debut in Chicago with a group of Italian singers, but that fell through for financial reasons. In 1947, she was given a contract to appear in Verona, and she sailed for Italy. She made her debut in the famous Arena in the title role of Ponchielli's "La Gioconda." Also making his debut in the opera was the late American tenor, Richard Tucker. Met Conductor in Verona In Verona, Miss Callas met one of her most important mentors, the Italian conductor Tullio Serafin. He took her to Venice, where she sang roles that required a dramatic voice, Isolde in the Wagner opera, Turandot in the Puccini opera, even Brunnhilde in Wagner's "Die Walkure." In other cities she sang the name parts in Verdi's "Aida" and Bellini's "Norma." The natural goal of every opera singer in Italy then, as now, was La Scala in Milan. Miss Callas sang an Aida there in 1949, but it was not in the regular season. She would not join the company officially until 1951, because already independent minded.

She would sing only leading roles in major operas and would not share a percentage of her salary with a powerful artist agency in Milan. In the early 50's, Miss Callas sang in a number of rarely heard operas in Italian houses. These included Haydn's "Orfeo ed Euridice," Gluck's "Alceste" and Cherubini's "Medea." She had a notable triumph in the last work, which was staged by Luchino Visconti and conducted by Leonard Bernstein. She was offered a contract at the Met in 1952 by the general manager, Rudolf Bing, but this did not work out because she would not come to New York without her husband, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, who was unable to get a visa. In this period, she had gained experience and a large measure of success not only in Italy, but also in South America, Mexico and Covent Garden in London. She took off 70 pounds, which left her at a slim 135 pounds. At 5 feet 8 inches tall and with a face made striking by her broad cheekbones, she became one of the handsomest women of the operatic stage.

She finally made her United States debut in 1954, with the Chicago Lyric Opera, in the role of Norma. Two years later, on Oct. 29, she sang the same part for her debut at the Metropolitan Opera. By this time her reputation was such that announcements of her appearances generated long lines outside the box office of the houses where she was to sing. Although critical reaction was usually mixed because of the individual timbre of Miss Callas's voice and the flaws in her technique, she was ecstatically received for her musicianship, her personal appeal and the originality of her characterizations. Miss Callas's voice, which some critics maintained was man-made rather than natural, had three sections. At the top it was inclined to be steely, even shrill, and the highest notes were often little more than shrieks. The middle voice could have a covered sound or could be velvety; used at a soft level, it was beautiful. But in the lowest register it could be edgy again. Technically, the soprano often did thrilling things with the tonal coloration and with the fioriture, and she could sing a descending chromatic scale dazzingly.

But sometimes, too, the voice would not respond smoothly to the demands she made on it. Having conquered many of the great opera companies of the world, the soprano began to have trouble with them. In Chicago she was served with a lawsuit backstage during a performance, and she said she would never sing there again. She was accused of breaking a contract with the Vienna State Opera over a question of fees. She canceled an engagement with the San Francisco Opera just before the season opened, pleading illness, and the company preferred charges against her with the American Guild of Musical Artists, the singers' union. At the gala opening of one season in Rome, she sang the opening act of "Norma" and then refused to go on after that, because of laryngitis. At the Met, she quarreled with Mr. Bing over a matter of dates and repertory, and he canceled their contract. She did not show up for scheduled performances at the Edinburgh Festival and at Athens. All these actions made headlines, and Miss Callas earned a reputation for temperamental behavior.

She had an answer to these charges, in most cases explaining that she would not sing unless she or performing conditions were at their best, and this was the reason for her walking out on performances or contracts. "To me, the art of music is magnificent, and I cannot bear to see it treated in a shabby way," she said in a Life magazine interview in 1959. "When it is respected and when the artists who serve it are respected, I will work hard and always give my best . . . I do not want to be associated with inferior staging, taste, conducting or singing." Valuable Artist and Attraction In fact, most of the feuds were patched up, and Miss Callas returned to sing with the various companies again. She was considered too valuable an artist and too great a box-office attraction to ignore. As Mr. Bing said of Miss Callas yesterday after he heard of her death: "I was privileged to bring her to the Met and I am proud of that. She was a difficult artist, as many are, but she was one of the greatest artists of her time.

We will not see her like again." In fact, Miss Callas, was re-engaged by the Met in 1965 to sing Tosca, and these became her last public opera performances. In subsequent years, the soprano would make announcements from time to time that she was considering singing somewhere, causing a flurry of excitement in the music world. But no performances materialized. In 1971, she went to the Juilliard School to give a series of 12 master classes. These were jammed with auditors, many of them coming from out of New York City, and Miss Callas was credited with exceptional success in her teaching. Went on Worldwide tour in '73 In 1973, she and her close friend, the tenor Giuseppe di Stefano, tried their hand at staging opera. They directed a production of Verdi's "I Vespri Siciliani" in Turin, but in the view of the critics, the results were disastrous. That same year, they decided to make a worldwide concert tour. It began in Hamburg, West Germany, in October, and the singers appeared at Carnegie Hall in two programs in February 1974.

The audience was almost hysterical in its adulation, but the critics lamented that there was not much left of Miss Callas's voice, even if her interpretations remained unexcelled. When the tour ended, it represented the soprano's last singing in public. She did, however, continue to add to her extensive list of recordings. When she married Mr. Meneghini, 20 years her senior, in 1949, the Italian building- materials tycoon gave her security and, it was said at first, affection. She called herself professionally Maria Meneghini Callas, and he became her manager and agent. They were separated in 1959 after she had become romantically involved with Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate. The marriage with Mr. Meneghini was annulled six years later. The public eagerly followed the relationship between the singer and the entrepreneur, particularly after it was learned that Mr. Onassis had given her controlling stock in a $3 million freighter. They had apartments near each other in Paris. When Mr. Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy, attempts were made to have Miss Callas comment on a supposed rebuff.

The singer said little about it except that she and Mr. Onassis were still good friends. The singer was also known for the bitterness with which she spoke of her family. "There is no communication between my family and me," she said in 1971. "I know my mother wrote a book about me, but I never read it." She also broke with her musical mentor, Mr. Serafin, ostensibly because the conductor chose another soprano for a recording that she had expected to make with him. A celebrated feud between Miss Callas and Renata Tebaldi, who was her contemporary, was kept alive in the press and by the fans of the respective sopranos. They were rival singers at La Scala at one time, and it was reported that they avoided each other backstage. Miss Tebaldi refused to attend Miss Callas's performances, while Miss Callas went, with some ostentation, to those of the other soprano. Gossip writers hinted that she did so in order to make Miss Tebaldi nervous.

In 1968, Miss Callas attended the Met's opening performance, in which Miss Tebaldi was singing the title role of Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur." Afterward, the two singers met backstage and this time embraced each other. In recent years, Miss Callas's name had been steadily linked with that of Mr. di Stefano. They had frequently sung on stage and in recordings together in the earlier stages of their careers. Miss Callas made a film based on Euripides' "Medea," which was released here in 1971. It was written and directed by the late Pier Paolo Pasolini. Leonard Bernstein, the conductor, on being informed of Miss Callas's death, said yesterday, "Besides being a cherished friend, she was for me the uniquely great singer of bel canto in the mid-20th century and has for some years been irreplaceable." Dario Soria, former head of Angel Records, the label on which Miss Callas's recordings have been issued in this country, and now director of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, had remained a steadfast friend.

He said yesterday that he had talked by phone to the singer last summer, and that she sounded remote in spirit. In response to a query as to what she was doing, she told him in a flat voice, "Nothing." "Without being able to perform," Mr. Soria said, "she apparently had nothing left to live for." Mr. Soria also summed up Miss Callas's career succinctly: "As a singer she was responsible for the revival of bel canto. As an actress, she made the stage exciting theater. As a personality, she had the kind of magic that makes news. I think she'll be remembered as one of the greatest opera singers of all times." Soprano Led Bel Canto Revival By HAROLD C. SCHONBERG More than any singer of the period following World War II, Maria Callas dominated opera, even changing the course of the repertory. It was because of her that the revival of 19th century bel canto operas started: and in a way, such famous singers as Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills, Teresa Berganza and Marilyn Horne are her children.

Miss Callas took a completely neglected repertory, the operas of Bellini and Donizetti, and by the magnetism of her voice and dramatic ability showed they were still viable. A whole generation of singers followed her lead. Of course she sang other things. She was famous as a Verdi and Puccini singer, and she included in her repertory such seldom-heard operas as Cherubini's "Medea" and Gluck's "Alceste." She was a prima donna assoluta in the old tradition. By virtue of voice, musicianship, a magnetic stage presence and a flaming temperament, she was in the news wherever she went and whatever she did. She moved in the ranks of the highest international society, she had liaisons with billionaires, and she was glamour incarnate. No singer of her time, and very few in history, could so dominate an audience. The last time she sang in Carnegie Hall, in a recital with Giuseppe di Stefano, a voice bellowed from the balcony when she made her appearance: "You are opera!" She may, toward the end of her career, have had vocal difficulties, but that made no difference to her hysterical admirers.

To them she was the one singer who represented opera as theater--the artist who lived her roles and made them come to life. Tall, slim, commanding, exotically beautiful, Miss Callas had a unique combination of electricity and brains. Her voice was in some respects a flawed instrument, undependable in the high register. In the middle range it had a haunting beauty. Her imposing bottom register had a different quality entirely and it was said of her, not always admiringly, that she had three voices. By virtue of sheer determination, she triumphed over her vocal limitations. She immersed herself in her roles, studying every word and every phrase for maximum musical and dramatic effect. Her singing was full of subtle inflections, accentuations, shadings, that were foreign territory to most other sopranos. She extended this kind of superior musicianship to her approach to the stage. Every gesture meant something, every movement and facial expression was aimed toward an emotional or dramatic climax. Thus in the bel canto operas, which sopranos of the past sang with the limpid innocence of a canary, Miss Callas was able to find hitherto unrealized depth and power.

In the large-scale operas, such as "Aida," "Norma" or "La Gioconda," she sang with such focus of concentration that it could be almost a terrifying experience. Even when her voice was not under control, the intensity of her conception made one forget her struggles with pitch and high notes. This burning sense of theater, this powerful musicianship, was hers alone. As careers go, hers was not long. She made her debut in 1947, and was virtually sung out 20 years later. But during those 20 years she exerted an influence on opera that was unique. She looked on opera as theater as well as voice, and she was the one who put it all together. Madame Butterfly - Maria Callas - YouTube Madame Butterfly - Maria Callas Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Feb 19, 2010 Puccini's Opera ''madame butterfly'' by Maria Callas Maria Callas (Greek: Μαρία Κάλλας) (December 2, 1923 September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique with great dramatic gifts. An extremely versatile singer, her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini; further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, the music dramas of Wagner. Her remarkable musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina. Born in New York City and raised by an overbearing mother, she received her musical education in Greece and established her career in Italy. Forced to deal with the exigencies of wartime poverty and with myopia that left her nearly blind on stage, she endured struggles and scandal over the course of her career.

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. The press exulted in publicizing Callas's allegedly temperamental behavior, her supposed rivalry with Renata Tebaldi, and her love affair with Aristotle Onassis. Her dramatic life and personal tragedy have often overshadowed Callas the artist in the popular press. Her artistic achievements, however, were such that Leonard Bernstein called her "The Bible of opera", and her influence so enduring that, in 2006, Opera News wrote of her, "Nearly thirty years after her death, she's still the definition of the diva as artist—and still one of classical music's best-selling vocalists." Category Maria Callas - IMDb IMDb Soundtrack | Actress | Music Department This volatile opera diva was born in New York City to Greek émigrés in 1923. Her father set up a pharmacy and changed the family name from Kalogeropoulos to Callas. As a child Maria studied the piano. When her parents separated (she was 14 at the time), her mother returned to Athens with Maria and her sister.

The budding singer was quickly ... See full bio » Born: What Makes the Golden Globe Awards So Entertaining? IMDb Special Correspondent Dave Karger breaks down why the Golden Globes are so much more entertaining than other award shows. Don't miss our live coverage of the Golden Globes beginning at 4 p.m. PST on Jan. 8 in our Golden Globes section. a list of 35 people created 16 Apr 2011 a list of 27 people created 12 Aug 2013 a list of 517 people created 19 Mar 2014 a list of 40 people created 02 Dec 2015 a list of 25 people created 3 months ago Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Maria Callas's work have you seen? User Polls 2016 Mozart in the Jungle (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Symphony of Red Tape (2016) ...

(performer: "The Rebellious Bird (Habanera from Carmen)" - uncredited) 2016 War Dogs (performer: "Carmen: L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera)") 2016 Gino (Short) (performer: "Madama Butterfly") 2015 The 33 (performer: "Norma: Casta Diva") 2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron (performer: "Norma, Act I: 'Casta Diva'") 2014 Gotham (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Viper (2014) ...

(performer: "Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro" - uncredited) 2014 Pasolini (performer: "Una voce poco fa (cavatina di Rosina)") 2014 Seçim (performer: "Ave Maria") 2014 Saint Laurent (from the 1896 opera "Andrea Chénier", ("Tosca, Act II: "Vissi d'arte", "Madama Butterfly, Act II: Un bel dì vedremo" Composed by nm0006242, with a libretto by nm0407794 and nm0316044, 1903, "La Mamma Morta, Act III") 2014 Grace of Monaco (performer: "O mio babbino caro", "Ebben?

Ne andrò lontana") 2014 Falling Star (performer: "Un bel dí vedremo") 2014 Yves Saint Laurent ("'La Traviata, Act I: 'Libiam ne' lieti calici' " (Alfredo, Chorus, Violetta), "Tosca, Act II: "Vissi d'arte", "La Wally, Act I: "Ebben?... Ne Andrò Lontana") 2013 Maria, Callas (Documentary short) (performer: "O mio Babbino Caro") 2013 Orphan Black (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Effects of External Conditions (2013) ... (performer: "L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle" - uncredited) 2013 Metro Manila (performer: "O mio babbino caro", "Ebben... Ne andro lontana") 2012 Le monde à l'envers (Short) ("La Wally : Ebben?

Ne andro lontana") 2012 Paris-Manhattan ("Suicido! ... in questi fieri momenti" (extract)) 2012 Arbitrage (performer: "Impromptu in B Flat Major") 2012 Gent de paraula (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #2.14 (2012) ... (performer: "O mio babbino caro") 2011 The Iron Lady (performer: "Casta Diva" (From "Norma")) 2011 Borgen (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) 2011 Tu cara me suena (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #1.1 (2011) ...

(performer: "O mio babbino caro") 2011 Elena (performer: "Casta Diva") 2010 The Warrior's Way (performer: "D'amor sull'ali rosee") 2010 The American (performer: "UN BEL DÌ VEDREMO") 2010 The Housemaid (performer: "La Mamma Morta" from Opera Andrea Chinier) 2010 22 Bullets (performer: "Ehii Rodolfo ... O Soave Fanciulla", "Un Bel Di Vedremo") 2009 Medal of Honor (performer: "Casta Diva" from the opera "Norma") 2009 I Am Love (performer: "La Mamma Morta, opera Andrea Chénier") 2009 The Young Victoria (performer: "Vieni, fra queste braccia") 2009 Banda sonora (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Episode #5.4 (2009) ...

(performer: "O mio babbino caro") 2008/I Milk (performer: "Ah, quegli occhi! Quale occhio al mondo", "Mia gelosa!") 2008 True and Tender Is the North (performer: "La Traviata" (excerpt)) 2008 The Beautiful Person (TV Movie) (performer: "Il Dolce Suono") 2008 Bottle Shock (performer: "Un bel di vedremo") 2007/I Closure (performer: "Casta Diva from 'Norma'") 2006 Wallander (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode) - Blodsband (2006) ... (performer: "La Traviata, Libiamo Ne, Lieti Calici") 2005 Saltön (TV Series) (performer: "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore") 2004 2046 (performer: "Oh! s'io potessi dissipar le nubi...

Col sorriso l'innocenza") 2003 I, Cesar (performer: "Casta Diva") 2002 Callas Forever (performer: "Un bel dì vedremo", "O mio babbino caro", "Carmen", "Libiamo (Brindisi)", "Vissi d'arte") 2001 Wrestling with the Bee (Short) (performer: "Aida") 1997 Sunday (performer: "Spargi d'amore") 1995 The Bridges of Madison County (performer: "Casta Diva", "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix") 1995 Celestial Clockwork (performer: "Casta diva" from opera "Norma") 1993 Philadelphia (performer: "La mamma morta", "O nume tutelar", "Ebben?

ne andrò lontana", "Ecco: respiro appena") 1991/I Atlantis (Documentary) (performer: "Extrait de 'La sonnambula'") 1990 Mink mink mink (TV Movie documentary) (performer: "Manon Lescaut" (excerpt)) 1987 Opera (performer: "Lady Macbeth ("Vieni t'afretti"), "Casta Diva", "Amami Alfredo", "Sempre libera") 1979 Luna ("Tutte le feste al tempio' from 'Rigoletto'") 1968 Maria Callas Porträt (Short) (performer: "Un ballo di maschera" (extracts), "I puritani" (extracts)) 1968 Mona Lisa (Short) (performer: "Medea" (extracts), "Un ballo di maschera" (extracts), "La forza del destino" (extracts), "Lucia di Lammermoor" (extracts)) 1964 Maria Callas at Covent Garden (TV Special documentary) ("

Tosca (Atto II)") / (performer: "Don Carlo (Atto IV): Tu che le vanità", "Carmen: Habanera (Acte I)", "Carmen: Séguedille (Acte I)") 1962 Maria Callas in Concert - Hamburg, 16 March 1962 (TV Special) (performer: "Le Cid, Acte III: De cet affreux combat...

Pleurez, mes yeux", "Carmen, Acte I: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Havanera)", "Carmen, Acte I: Près des remparts de Séville (Séguidille)", "Ernani, Atto I: Surta è la notte... Ernani!... Ernani, involami (Cavatina di Elvira)", "La Cenerentola, Atto II: "Nacqui' all'affanno... Non più mesta", "Don Carlo, Atto III: O don fatale, o don crudel") Maria Callas: Opera Singer - Ten Best CDs You are in: Home > KlassikNet: Classical Music > CD Reviews  Archives  send page to a friend ecember - Despite an effective career which did not even last 18 years, Maria Callas will probably go down in history as the most important singer of the second half of the 20th century. What made her unique in her time was her attention to verbal nuance and matching gesture.

Yes, there were singers who trod that path a few decades earlier, but plentiful aural and visual documentation is lacking for Lotte Lehmann, Claudia Muzio or Rosa Ponselle, to name just a few. And while we can hear Callas in almost all her roles and at various stages in her career, the plentiful photos unfortunately do not compensate for the skimpy live visual coverage. Callas is an artist who needed the stage to come to life; even if she brought fascinating moments to almost all of her studio incarnations, listening to some of the "unofficial" versions allows us to appreciate the artist at her full worth. It is worth considering what made Callas so special at a time when Renata Tebaldi and Zinka Milanov were in full triumph at the Metropolitan Opera. Both Tebaldi and Milanov possessed a lushness of voice which was never a Callas attribute, but neither of them had a coloratura technique that enabled them to tackle Bellini or Donizetti (despite Milanov's attempts at Norma) or had the knack of uttering a line unforgettably, as the often-cited ma in Una voce poco fa or much of Tosca or La Traviata. 1.

Bellini: Norma With two official EMI versions and five complete live recordings, Norma is at the top of the Callas hit parade, but choosing a single version is a nightmare as each has its virtues, based on the state of the soprano's voice or the surrounding cast. On balance, our choice lies with the first studio recording where the balance between vocal health and emotive quality is as good as one can get for this artist. Cast includes Ebe Stignani, Mario Filippeschi and Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, conducted by the venerable Tullio Serafin. EMI 5 56271 2 (3 cds) - recorded in 1954 2. Bizet: Carmen A recording which may not be one's first choice for a performance of Carmen, but it is Callas at her best: the range is comfortable for her in 1964, the rest of the cast is French to the core and Callas lives the role, as her last act makes clear, without ever having sung it onstage. Cast includes Nicolai Gedda, Andréa Guiot and Robert Massard, conducted by Georges Prêtre.

EMI 5 56281 2 (2 cds) - recorded in 1964 3. Cherubini: Medea One of the first things we must accept today in listening to the Callas resuscitations is the lack of philologic concern in the interests of presenting a drama. Medea suffers the most, with its use of the Lachner recitatives, but what Callas does with them is extraordinary. Here we must turn to one of the pirate versions, but the choice is not easy: either the Scala premiere conducted by Leonard Bernstein, or the Dallas performance with Teresa Berganza and Jon Vickers or Covent Garden with Fiorenza and Vickers, both of the latter conducted by Nicola Rescigno. Ultimately, it is the Dallas that wins the day for the slightly less monolithic version chosen by Rescigno so that Medea regains some of her humanity. Melodran 26016 (2 cds) - recorded 6 November 1958 4.

Donizetti: Anna Bolena Despite a few earlier revivals, it was only Gavazzeni's version for Callas and Giulietta Simionato which pushed Anna Bolena into greater prominence in the Donizettian canon. Despite cuts amounting to at least 25 percent of the music, this is essential Callas as she gives us the woman betrayed by all those surrounding her. If you want to hear the difference between the studio and a live performance - this version began life as a pirate until EMI jumped into the breach - just listen to the way the final scene sounds on the recital disc (EMI 5 66459 2) and here in the theater, despite the many nuances which grace the studio performance. While Rossi-Lemeni was already into his wooly-sounding phase, Gianni Raimondi holds up the tenor honors. It is for Callas and Simionato that we will continue to listen to this disc despite some of the more musicological performances since. EMI 5 66471 2 (2 cds) - recorded 14 April 1957 5.

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Mad Lucy is another recurrent heroine in the Callas sweepstakes, but there is one performance above all that captures the genius of Callas: Berlin, 29 September 1955 with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. What is already impressive on the first studio recording with Serafin and Giuseppe di Stefano is raised to levels that few were willing to accord the composer at that time. Everyone is in a state of grace and Karajan clearly does not feel the least demeaned by conducting what until then was considered little more than a coloratura vehicle. Cast also includes Rolando Panerai and Nicola Zaccaria, and once again EMI places us in its debt by recovering this essential issue from its original pirate status. EMI 5 66438 2 (2 cds) - recorded 29 September 1955 6. Puccini: Tosca Although not the opera she performed most often, Tosca was indelibly associated with Callas from the time of her first recording with Giuseppe di Stefano and Tito Gobbi and Victor de Sabata, one of the greatest opera recordings ever made.

Clearly De Sabata is responsible for generating the same electricity one would have found in the theater, while the combination of two of the greatest singing actors of our time remains a classic. EMI 5 56304 2 (2 cds) - recorded in 1953 7. Rossini: Il Turco in Italia Once again Gavazzeni performed a service by restoring to circulation Rossini's Pirandellian comedy, alas with many of the disfiguring cuts that were then considered necessary to render the music palatable to an audience. Callas shows that comedy is also within her grasp, and she is partnered by Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, the ageless Mariano Stabile as the Poet, an exotic-sounding Nicolai Gedda shorn of most of his music and Franco Calabrese. Essential for an understanding of the Callas magic, even though more recent recordings are musicologically sounder. EMI 5 56313 2 (2 cds) - recorded in 1954 8. Verdi: Macbeth What should have been a cherished role for Callas was one she sang only early on in her career.

Her dispute with Rudolf Bing over performance schedules deprived the Met of her mature command of the role but allowed Leonie Rysanek to establish herself as one of New York's most cherished prima donnas. In 1952, with Victor de Sabata, we can at least hear Callas in a complete assumption of the role. Fortunately, she overcomes the dismal sound of what was once a pirate recording and we are left once again bemused by EMI's lack of foresight in neglecting to record Callas in the repertory to which she was suited, instead asking her to perpetuate the standard repertoire. Cast includes Enzo Mascherini, Ginno Penno and Italo Tajo. EMI 5 66447 2 (2 cds) - recorded 7 December 1952 9. Verdi: La Traviata Traviata was at the heart of the prima donna's quarrel with Tullio Serafin who chose another soprano for a recording of the opera when Callas was prevented from participating by a legal technicality.

EMI has once again had recourse to the unofficial legacy by reissuing (in 1981) a 1956 performance from Lisbon and, more recently, a 1955 Scala performance (EMI 5 66450 2). Despite the interest of the former, it is the latter which retains our interest, for it is Carlo Maria Giulini at the helm, long before his tempi became sodden, with the perpetual di Stefano and Bastianini as partners. Unfortunately, perhaps the most complete performance is from Covent Garden in 1958 with Cesare Valletti and Mario Zanasi, both pretty much forgotten today but worth (re)discovery. Nicola Rescigno conducts in a manner that belies his tepid reputation. Melodram 26007 or Verona 27054/55 or Virtuoso 2697292 (2 cds) - recorded 20 June 1958 10.

Verdi: Il Trovatore Another role Callas rarely sang onstage, but one which she illuminates and shows that in her own way she can rival the sublimity of Milanov in Act IV. That she and Karajan have restored the Act IV cabaletta so that the scene retains the shape Verdi gave it is another plus, but it must be said that Verdi had to be crazy to have written a single scene with "D'amor sull'ali rosee", followed by the "Miserere", the customarily omitted cabaletta, and then a lengthy duet with the baritone. In any event, the entire fourth act is unforgettable, despite the lack of any other interpreter at the same level as Callas. Fedora Barbieri's Azucena is in incomparable vocal health as in her earlier recording with Milanov and Bjoerling and Warren, while di Stefano is somewhat out of his depth as Manrico. Rolando Panerai is sufficiently intelligent to know he is miscast but does his more than considerable best to convince us otherwise. But it is the conductor and prima donna who give us an unforgettable lesson.

EMI 5 56333 2 (2 cds) - recorded August 1956 Maria Callas, the opera singer - Greeka.com Famous People Maria Callas Maria Callas, the divine opera singer: Maria Callas is one of the most renowned opera singers the world has ever known. With her sheer musical genius, she revived the bel canto form of singing and added her own personal musical style to it. Her musical talent has led the press and celebrated musicians around the world to bestow her with titles like The Bible of Opera and La Divina. Her beautiful captivating voice that had such a magnificent presence on stage and the intense emotional notes that she carried out altered simple dramatic performances into serious and entrancing dramatic showpieces. Early years Maria Callas (short for Maria Kalogeropoulou) was born in New York in December 1923 to Greek parents. Her childhood does not have many happy memories to recall because of the unending rows between her parents. Maria was the third child in the family. She had an elder sister named Jackie and a brother named Vassilis, who died a year before her birth.

Her father's mellow and moderate nature seriously contrasted with her mother's highly aggressive attitude. Moreover, her mother somewhat had a fascination towards beauty, which she found only in her elder daughter, thus favoured her more and completely ignored Maria, who she considered plump and ugly. Maria was myopic at an early age and also had to wear thick glasses but alternatively she was also gifted with charming singing capabilities. As soon as her mother discovered the younger daughter's musical talent, she began forcing her to sing from the age of five. When the family returned to Athens in 1937, Maria got basic musical education from two important musical instructors, Maria Trivella of the Greek National Conservatoire and Elvira De Hidalgo of Athens Conservatoire. Both of Maria's musical educators realized during the training sessions that she had the making of a dramatic soprano. She was an extremely dedicated student and completely devoured her lessons. Apart from a warm tone, Maria also had an impressive control over her voice and was very cautious not to extend her notes, proving that she was a careful musician as well. Such expertise bagged her dramatic roles in the operas of famous German composer Richard Wagner.

Her very first major performance was in "Tosca" by Puccini, in 1941. In the opera by Giuseppe Verdi, she elegantly carried out the role of "Aida". Reaching the peak Maria Callas reached the top of her career in 1949, when she undertook the challenge to perform both the roles of "Brunnhilde" and "Elvira" in the opera "I Puritani" by Vincenzo Bellini and that too in the same week. Both the works were completely different from each other and required contrasting vocal qualities. She performed these two roles on stage with such unimaginable ease that musicians across the world would remember this musical feat as one of the main pillars behind her success and worldwide recognition. In 1951, Maria moved to Italy and joined the La Scala opera house in Milan. It is here that she performed a total of 37 musical roles and entertained audiences year after year. It was also here that she came across Italian music director, Tullio Serafin, who became her mentor during her stay in Italy.

He drew her interest towards bel canto that requires an adaptable vocal pitch, distinct articulation, a refined tonal quality and an ability to reach a high range. With sheer determination, she mastered this particular pattern of singing and was soon seen performing roles of Norma, Lucia and Rosina. In 1953 and 1954, Maria realized that due to her fatty figure she was becoming too tired while performing and sweating profusely while moving about on stage carrying out roles of young girls. So, she resolved to lose enough weight and take on such a diet that would make her look more attractive on stage. Maria lost 80 pounds and turned into a slender, graceful and more confident lady on stage. Her beautiful figure added a charming effect to her performances. In 1954, her presence in the United States was marked by some of her best performances that she imparted in front of the American audiences in Chicago's Lyric Opera and exactly two years later in New York City's Metropolitan Opera. Problems and scandals Unfortunately, such a great and talented singing maestro developed vocal problems in the late 1950s. Due to her continual vocal treatment, she completely withdrew from stage by 1962.

Nevertheless she made a brief appearance once again in 1965 and performed the famous Tosca in Paris, London and New York City, reinstating herself as one of the best opera singers of the world. The brightness of Maria's career would hide the emotional turmoil that she went through in her own private life. According to the press, these events serve as scandals that became well known as she started to achieve accomplishment in her career. In 1949, Maria's marriage to Giovanni Meneghini, a wealthy Italian businessman, 28 years older than her, caught the attention of the press. Earlier her estranged relationship with her mother was much talked about. Maria's comments about her mother's ill treatment of her and her father were hungrily gobbled up. In fact, Callas accused her mother that she deprived her from a normal childhood that all children deserve. She even accused her mother that she pressed her daughters on dating German Nazi officers during the Second World War in Athens. However, her marriage was no happier. Although her husband had helped her career by being her manager and encouraging her musical pursuit, Maria still felt that their marriage could not stir those passionate feelings that she so much desired to feel.

Meeting Onassis It was in the late 1950s that she came across Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. The two of them bagan a passionate relationship, which resulted pretty fateful for her. Callas had fallen in deep live with Onassis and even divorced Meneghini in 1966 to be with him. What for him seemed to be another extramarital relationship, for her it was the love of her life, the man she could do anything for. One of her biographers even stated that in 1960 Callas gave birth to the son of Onassis in Paris but the child died after a few hours. In the 1960s, Callas was gradually failing her career and when director Franco Zeffirelli asked her in 1963 why she had stopped her performances, Callas simply replied I am trying to fulfill my life as a woman. Unfortunately, their relationship had ill fate. Onassis betrayed her with his sudden decision to marry Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of the former US president John Kennedy, without even telling her. This devastated Callas emotionally but rumors had it that Onassis continued to visit her in Paris, even after his marriage.

When Onassis died in 1975, she went into total depression. After that, Maria led a very reclusive life away from friends and social events. On September 16, 1977, she passed away at the age of 53. She probably suffered a heart attack due to overdose of sleeping pills. After her death, her ashes were distributed in the Aegean Sea as was her wish. More: Maria Callas songbooks Maria Callas Performer Songbooks This volatile opera diva was born in New York City to Greek emigres in 1923. Her father set up a pharmacy and changed the family name from Kalogeropoulos to Callas. As a child Maria studied the piano. When her parents separated (she was 14 at the time), her mother returned to Athens with Maria and her sister. The budding singer was quickly accepted into the National Conservatoire where she was taught singing lessons by Maria Trivella.

She performed her first recital within the year and in 1939 won a prize for her stage debut in the Conservatoire's production of "Cavalleria Rusticana." In 1941, the soprano dramatico d'agilita made her professional debut in "Boccaccio" with the Lyric Theatre Company. While there she made a semi-name for herself with performances of "Tosca" and "Fidelio." Impending war led her back to the United States in 1944 where she reclaimed the name of Maria Callas. She was offered a contract from the Met which she turned down because among the three roles she was offered to sing there was Butterfly and she believed that she was too obese to sing the fragile 14 year-old Butterfly, her friends considered her to be crazy turning down the Pet while she was so unknown. Maria performed elsewhere (Chicago, etc.) before returning to Europe in the post-war years where she met Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a wealthy industrialist and avid opera fan. They married in 1949 and he immediately took control of her career.

She reached her zenith at La Scala (1951-1958), also recording during that time. In 1956, she finally made her debut at the Met as "Norma" with performances of "Tosca" and "Lucia" following. Within a couple of years her temperamental outbursts and excessive demands began to rise full force, resulting in a number of dismissals and walkouts. After meeting Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis through her husband, a torrid affair erupted and her marriage ended. Maria gave up the stage in the early 1960s for the jet-set life with Onassis, but continued with occasional concerts. Despite experiencing vocal problems, she made one unforgettable comeback on stage in 1964-1965 when she toured with her personal favorites ("Norma" in Paris and "Tosca" at the Met). Weak and tired, her final curtain on stage rang down in July of 1965 in Covent Garden. With her career over, she renounced her American citizenship and expected to marry Onassis. But their relationship was a stormy one and it eventually tapered off with Onassis instead marrying Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968.

Maria was completely devastated and those around her say she never recovered. The following year she filmed an unsuccessful production of Medea (1969) and eventually set up master classes at Juilliard. In one last comeback, she attempted a European tour of recitals but her voice completely failed her. Her last public performance was on November 11, 1975. Riddled by sadness and despair, and by now firmly addicted to sleeping pills, Maria turned reclusive in her last year and died of a heart attack in 1977 at age 53. Despite a career that flourished less than two decades, Callas must be respected as one of the more important and recognizable opera legends. She was certainly one of the most emotive and visually dramatic. What also carries her today is, of course, her grandly turbulent and tragic image -- an Edith Piaf of opera. Displaying 1-4 of 4 items. Maria Callas : Voices of the Opera Series Review: Maria Callas was a New York-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique with great dramatic gifts.

An extremely versatile singer, her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini; further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, the music dramas of Wagner. Her remarkable musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina.These two collections feature celebrated arias as interpreted by Maria Callas, arguably the most influential singer of the recorded era. In addition to a brief biography of Callas, each selection, in standard voice and piano format, is followed by notes which indicate the variants, breaths, fermatas, and all of the nuances that Callas employed to turn these arias into masterpieces of interpretation. A wonderful reference tool for vocal coaches, professional singers and voice students, these two books are also indispensible items for the libraries of all opera enthusiasts. Songlist: Ah fors'? lui che l'anima, Ah! non credea mirarti, Ardon gl'incensi, Casta Diva, La luce langue, Merc?, dilette amiche, Suicidio!..

, Vissi d'arte Voicing: Soprano Maria Callas — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm maria callas Maria Callas (December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. By combining an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic talent, she became the most famous singing actress of the era. An extremely versatile singer, her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini; further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in… read more

Question: What was opera singer Maria Callas' nickname?
Answer: LA DIVINA