10 questions · Society & Everyday
Maria Callas is born in 1923 in New York, the daughter of Greek immigrants. Her childhood is unhappy: an ambitious mother pushes the plump, short-sighted girl onto the stage early. As a teenager she returns to Greece with her mother and studies singing at the Athens Conservatory. There the extraordinary voice takes shape that will one day transform the world of opera. Callas becomes the "prima donna assoluta" of the 20th century and not for her voice alone. She fuses singing with intense acting and turns opera's heroines back into believable, suffering human beings. Her domain is bel canto, long dismissed as dusty: works by Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini she brings back to life. Roles such as Norma, Tosca and Violetta in 'La Traviata' become inseparable from her name. As famous as her art is her life offstage. A spectacular weight loss transforms her into a slender, elegant diva and places her at the centre of the gossip press. Her passionate, tragic relationship with the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis fills the front pages for years; when he marries Jacqueline Kennedy instead, it is a profound blow for her. The intensity exacts its price: Callas's voice wears out early; in 1965 she sings Tosca in London, her last appearance on an opera stage. She lives her final years in seclusion in Paris, where she dies in 1977 at just 53. Yet her recordings remain a benchmark to this day, and her name stands like no other for the dramatic power of opera.
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opera singer / soprano
She was regarded as the "prima donna assoluta" of her time.
💡 Did you know? Callas is regarded as one of the greatest sopranos in operatic history; her voice and stage presence were unique.
bel canto
Callas brought almost forgotten bel canto operas by Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini back to life.
💡 Did you know? Before her, this repertoire was widely seen as old-fashioned and dusty.
intense acting
In her, singing and acting merged into one.
💡 Did you know? Callas understood opera as theatre: she acted her roles so intensely that she permanently changed the art form.
e.g. Norma, Tosca, Violetta
Bellini's 'Norma' is considered her signature role.
💡 Did you know? Roles like Norma, Tosca and Violetta remain inseparably linked with the name Callas.
Greek-American (born in New York)
As a teenager she studied singing at the conservatory in Athens.
💡 Did you know? Born in New York to Greek immigrants, Callas became a world diva in Greece and Italy.
Aristotle Onassis
Her passionate affair with the shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis filled the gossip columns for years: until he suddenly married Jackie Kennedy.
💡 Did you know? When Onassis later married Jacqueline Kennedy, it was a profound blow for Callas.
early loss of voice
The intensity and dramatic delivery took their toll.
💡 Did you know? An early decline of her voice overshadowed Callas's later years and forced her to leave the stage early.
Paris (aged 53)
Her recordings remain a benchmark for dramatic opera to this day.
💡 Did you know? Withdrawn and lonely, Callas died in Paris in 1977 at just 53.
Foto: CBS Television · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Maria Callas
Maria Callas (1923 to 1977) was a Greek-American opera singer and is considered one of the greatest sopranos of all time.
💡 Did you know? Callas was called „La Divina“: the Divine; her dramatic acting turned opera into true musical theatre.
1923
Born: 2 December 1923 in New York City
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