Maria Callas: 5 Things To Know About The Voice Of The Century

Thanks to her unforgettable voice, recognizable among all, Maria Callas has become a legend. The opera singer, who would have turned 100 on December 2, 2023, is celebrated in France, Greece, and all over the world. On the occasion of the centenary of her birth, we invite you to discover 5 things about the one nicknamed "the voice of the century."

She took her first singing lessons at 8 years old.

Maria Callas was born on December 2, 1923, in New York as Sophia Cecelia Kalogeropoulos. From her unhappy childhood, this daughter of Greek immigrants recounted that she was just a "fat, clumsy, and unloved kid."

The one nicknamed Maria was, however, a good student and received her first singing lessons at the age of 8. After her parents' divorce, she moved to Greece with her mother and sister. Encouraged by her family to follow her calling, she joined the Athens Conservatory and refined her voice towards a soprano timbre.

She was a hard worker.

When we listen to Callas sing today, we generally think that her voice was a gift from heaven. But her natural talent should not overshadow the fact that Maria Callas was also a hard worker.

She was only 19 when she first sang Tosca and 21 when she performed Fidelio. The following year, in 1945, she returned to the United States and adopted the pseudonym Callas to look for work.

However, it was ultimately in Italy, at the invitation of conductor Tullio Serafin, that she found an engagement. He later declared, "I knew this girl would create an incredible sensation."

And he was right, as Maria's performance struck Giovanni Battista Meneghini, who was among the audience. This wealthy industrialist, twenty-eight years her senior, became Maria’s manager and then her husband in 1949.

She was an exceptional tragedienne.

Unlike her contemporary rival, the Tebaldi with a crystalline timbre, Maria Callas had an uneven and sometimes hoarse voice that gave authenticity to her tragic roles.

In 1950, her husband and mentor introduced her to Luchino Visconti. This director and filmmaker was captivated by Maria and agreed to direct her to make her aware of her genius on stage. In the 1950s, Callas was at the peak of her popularity and took to the stage having shed 30 kg in just a few months.

More of a diva than ever, this perfectionist with a strong personality stormed out of La Scala in Milan in 1956. In 1958, when her voice showed some weaknesses, she did not hesitate to interrupt her recital in front of the Italian president.

Entirely devoted to her art, she declared: "When I die, I will sigh with relief, thinking: I have done my job well. I have been and will remain Callas."

She experienced a tragic fate.

If Callas became a living legend, it is also because this passionate lover identified herself until the end with her tragic roles. In 1959, the opera singer met Aristotle Onassis, who would be the love of her life. For him, she left her husband, neglected her career, and mingled with the jet-set. Her voice, already weakened by diets, suffered from this lifestyle, and their relationship scandalized the public.

But, a few years later, Maria Callas was devastated when the millionaire shipping magnate left her for Jackie Kennedy and offered the widow of the assassinated American president the marriage he had denied her.

Despite this insult, Maria waited until Aristotle Onassis was in turn deceived by Jackie to take him back. She was the last to visit him and to stand vigil as he lay dying in the American hospital of Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1975. The diva did not outlive him for long, passing away two years later on September 16, 1977, at the age of 53.

His centenary is being celebrated all over the world.

Because she sacrificed her life on the altar of opera, Callas is today recognized as "the voice of the 20th century."

On the occasion of the centenary of her birth, tributes have multiplied all over the world. Celebrations were numerous in the country of her roots, Greece, but also in France, particularly at the Opéra Garnier, which organized a gala broadcast on December 8 at 9 p.m. on France 5.

A documentary directed by Tom Volf titled "Maria by Callas" was also broadcast on Culturebox on Saturday, December 2. If you missed it, you only have two more days to discover it on replay at france.tv.

In Paris, where the singer spent the last fifteen years of her life, a museum could one day be created to exhibit the artist's archives, letters, dresses, and stage costumes, as well as, of course, recordings of her rehearsals and recitals.

A biopic titled "Maria," with Angelina Jolie in the role of the diva, was partly shot this fall in Paris. The release date for this film by Pablo Larrain is not yet known.