Maria Callas

Maria Callas

Callas in 1958
Born
Maria Anna Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulos

(1923-12-02)December 2, 1923
DiedSeptember 16, 1977(1977-09-16) (aged 53)
Paris, France
EducationAthens Conservatoire, George Washington Educational Campus.
OccupationSoprano
Spouse
Giovanni Battista Meneghini
(m. 1949; div. 1959)
PartnerAristotle Onassis (1959–1968)
AwardsGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award

Maria Callas[a] Commendatore OMRI[1] (born Maria Anna Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulos;[b] December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano[2] who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. 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. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina ("The Divine One").

Born in Manhattan, New York City, to Greek immigrant parents, she was raised by an overbearing mother who had wanted a son. Maria received her musical education in Greece at age 13 and later established her career in Italy. 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. She underwent 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' temperamental behavior, the alleged Callas-Tebaldi rivalry, and her love affair with Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. Although her dramatic life and personal tragedy have often overshadowed Callas the artist in the popular press, her artistic achievements were such that Leonard Bernstein called her "the Bible of opera",[3] 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."[4]


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  1. ^ Jellinek 1986, p. 186.
  2. ^ "Maria Callas Abandons US Citizenship", Charleston Daily Mail, April 6, 1966, via NewspaperArchive (subscription required)
  3. ^ "PBS tribute to Callas on the Anniversary of her Death", introduction by Leonard Bernstein, 1983.
  4. ^ Driscoll, F. Paul; Kellow, Brian (August 2006). "The 25 Most Powerful Names in U.S. Opera". Opera News. 71 (H2). Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.