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Maria Callas

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Maria Callas was born in New York in 1923 to Greek immigrants. At the age of thirteen she received her musical training in Greece and later built her career in Italy. She was a soprano and sang a large repertoire, from the bel canto of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini to Verdi and Puccini, and at the start of her career Wagner too. The press called her La Divina, the divine.

Music and breakthrough

On records from the 1950s her role as an innovator can be heard: I puritani, La Gioconda and Lucia di Lammermoor in 1953, Cavalleria rusticana and Norma in 1954, and Callas at La Scala in 1955. Critics praised her technique, her wide vocal range and her acting. She was almost blind on stage because of her poor eyesight. After a considerable weight loss she developed vocal problems, and her career ended early. Her life was extensively covered by the press, including the supposed rivalry with Renata Tebaldi and her love for the shipowner Aristotle Onassis.

Influence

Yet it was first and foremost about her art. Leonard Bernstein called her the bible of opera, and in 2006 Opera News wrote that she was still the definition of the diva as artist. She died in 1977; her ashes were scattered two years later over the Aegean Sea.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Carmen: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) and notice how Callas colours every phrase. Can you hear how she plays with tempo and tone, so that the Habanera sounds not only beautiful but also dangerous?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: ArtistsHabanera