What is Maria Callas' background, and why was she considered the top opera singer globally?
Maria Callas, the legendary Greek-American soprano, was born on 2 December 1923 in New York City. Raised in the United States, Callas returned to Athens with her mother and older sister when she was 13.
In Athens, Callas' mother, Litsa, discovered her vocal talent early on and pressured her to perform, causing long-lasting damage to their relationship. Callas entered the Greek National Conservatoire to take singing lessons under Maria Trivella. Trivella, impressed by Callas' potential, waived all tuition fees for Callas after hearing her audition. Trivella decided that Callas was most likely a dramatic soprano and set to work on refining her singing technique.
Callas' first teacher, Maria Trivella, played a significant role in shaping Callas' career. In 1939, Callas joined the Athens Conservatoire to study with Elvira de Hidalgo. Callas filled the following years with opera performances throughout Greece and by September 1945, she had performed more than 56 times in seven different operas.
Callas made her professional debut in February 1941 in a small role at the Greek National Opera. Her official debut at Milan's Teatro alla Scala came in December 1951. Callas made her debut with New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1956 and reprised the role in her Royal Opera House debut in Covent Garden, London in 1957.
Callas' unique voice, described as harsh and penetrating by some, divided opinion in the classical music industry. Giulietta Simionato and Louise Caselotti believed that Callas took on too demanding roles and roles that were too light, too soon. Tito Gobbi, a close friend of Callas, said that her voice was unchanged, and that Callas was instead suffering from a confidence issue. Soprano ReneΜe Fleming suggested that a change in posture could have affected Callas' breath support. World-renowned soprano Joan Sutherland and many critics attributed Callas' vocal changes to her 36kg weight loss.
Callas herself explained that she lost strength in her diaphragm and overstrained her voice due to organic complaints and loss of courage. Callas' husband, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, blamed her early menopause for her vocal changes.
Tragedy struck on 16 September 1977, when Callas died of a heart attack in Paris at the age of 53. Callas' funeral took place four days later at St Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Paris. Callas' ashes were scattered into the Aegean Sea from the Greek coast, as had been her wish.
Callas' legacy lives on, with a biopic about her life, starring Angelina Jolie, set to land on Netflix. Despite the conflicting opinions about why Maria Callas' voice couldn't stand the test of time, there is no denying her impact on the world of opera.
