This Week in Classical Music: November 27, 2023.Maria Callas.We’re a bit early, but next Sunday is the 100th anniversary of Maria Callas, La Divina, as she was known worldwide: she was born on December 2nd of 1923.It feels very strange that’s already been a century since her birth, as her presence is felt as strongly today as on the day she died in 1977: her instantly recognizable voice could be heard on classical music radio stations, on streaming services, on YouTube and (still) on CDs.The means have changed – back then it was LPs that people were buying and listening to – but she’s as adored as ever.Her Casta Diva alone has been heard on YouTube about 35 million times.Callas was so closely associated with Italian opera – Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini – that she seemed Italian, but in fact was American, of Greek descent.She married an Italian, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, and, while they were married used his name with her own as Maria Meneghini Callas.She moved to Greece in 1940 and studied voice at the Athen Conservatory.There, she sang in the opera for the first time, appearing as Tosca in 1942.She returned to the US in 1945 but soon left for Italy.Tulio Serafin, the famous conductor who coached generations of singers, became her mentor.In 1947, at the Arena of Verona, he conducted Callas in her first Italian role, as La Gioconda in Ponchielli’s eponymous opera.Her appearance was tremendously successful and brought her career to a different level.During that time she often sang in the rarely produced bel canto operas, mostly because she was the only one who could sing these very difficult roles.She was exceptional as Donizetti’s Anna Boleyn, as Imogene and Norma in Bellini’s Il Pirata and Norma, Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Lady Macbeth and Violetta in Verdi's Macbeth and Traviata, and, of course, as Tosca.For three years she sang in smaller theaters, then, in 1950, she appeared, as Aida in La Scala.Even though her relationship with the management was troubled, in the 1950s La Scala became Callas’s home.Neither did Callas have a rapport with Rudolph Bing, the manager of the Met, where she premiered only in 1956.She had a reputation as a temperamental diva, but many of her colleagues thought that it was her exactness that made her difficult to work with.Later in the 1950s, she started experiencing problems with her voice, which may have contributed to her sometimes-erratic behavior.Some think that it was the loss of weight that affected her voice; in the early 1950s Callas was rather heavy, but then went on a diet and lost about 80 pounds.By the late 1950s, her vibrato was too heavy, sometimes the voice was forced and one could hear pronounced harshness, even though other performances were still excellent.Overall, Callas sang at the top of her form for just 10 years but what glorious years they were!Even her detractors, and there are some, recognize that the interpretations of the roles she sang were incomparable, it’s her voice that some people have problems with.We think that at its peak her voice was uniquely beautiful, and she created exceptional operatic characters that in other interpretations seem dull.Even the often mediocre music (and Italian operas are full of it) sounded exciting when she sang.There are none even close to La Divina on the opera stage today, and we don’t expect to hear anybody of that rank anytime soon.
Maria Callas, 2023
This Week in Classical Music: November 27, 2023. Maria Callas. We’re a bit early, but next Sunday is the 100th anniversary of Maria Callas, La Divina, as she was known worldwide: she
was born on December 2nd of 1923. It feels very strange that’s already been a century since her birth, as her presence is felt as strongly today as on the day she died in 1977: her instantly recognizable voice could be heard on classical music radio stations, on streaming services, on YouTube and (still) on CDs. The means have changed – back then it was LPs that people were buying and listening to – but she’s as adored as ever. Her Casta Diva alone has been heard on YouTube about 35 million times. Callas was so closely associated with Italian opera – Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini – that she seemed Italian, but in fact was American, of Greek descent. She married an Italian, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, and, while they were married used his name with her own as Maria Meneghini Callas. She moved to Greece in 1940 and studied voice at the Athen Conservatory. There, she sang in the opera for the first time, appearing as Tosca in 1942. She returned to the US in 1945 but soon left for Italy. Tulio Serafin, the famous conductor who coached generations of singers, became her mentor. In 1947, at the Arena of Verona, he conducted Callas in her first Italian role, as La Gioconda in Ponchielli’s eponymous opera. Her appearance was tremendously successful and brought her career to a different level. During that time she often sang in the rarely produced bel canto operas, mostly because she was the only one who could sing these very difficult roles. She was exceptional as Donizetti’s Anna Boleyn, as Imogene and Norma in Bellini’s Il Pirata and Norma, Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Lady Macbeth and Violetta in Verdi's Macbeth and Traviata, and, of course, as Tosca. For three years she sang in smaller theaters, then, in 1950, she appeared, as Aida in La Scala. Even though her relationship with the management was troubled, in the 1950s La Scala became Callas’s home. Neither did Callas have a rapport with Rudolph Bing, the manager of the Met, where she premiered only in 1956. She had a reputation as a temperamental diva, but many of her colleagues thought that it was her exactness that made her difficult to work with. Later in the 1950s, she started experiencing problems with her voice, which may have contributed to her sometimes-erratic behavior. Some think that it was the loss of weight that affected her voice; in the early 1950s Callas was rather heavy, but then went on a diet and lost about 80 pounds. By the late 1950s, her vibrato was too heavy, sometimes the voice was forced and one could hear pronounced harshness, even though other performances were still excellent. Overall, Callas sang at the top of her form for just 10 years but what glorious years they were! Even her detractors, and there are some, recognize that the interpretations of the roles she sang were incomparable, it’s her voice that some people have problems with. We think that at its peak her voice was uniquely beautiful, and she created exceptional operatic characters that in other interpretations seem dull. Even the often mediocre music (and Italian operas are full of it) sounded exciting when she sang. There are none even close to La Divina on the opera stage today, and we don’t expect to hear anybody of that rank anytime soon.