La Divina, Maria Callas
It’s only rather recently that I became a Maria Callas fan.
Though she’s Greek (as am I) and I studied opera for a short period of time in college and even my grandmother attended the same elementary school as her in New York City (my grandmother remembers her never being able to come out to play, as Callas’s mother forced her to stay inside and voice train), I never had an interest in her work or career. That’s until about five or six years ago when I stumbled across a film on Callas by filmmaker Tom Volf titled Maria by Callas. I started watching the documentary right in the middle of what was thought to be a long-lost David Frost interview from 1970 when he asks Callas about her marriage troubles with first husband Giovanni Battista Meneghini, and the opera singer quips, “My fame went to his head.”
I was instantly taken in by how open and honest she appeared in the remainder of the interview and became obsessed with finding out more about her life and career. In the documentary, she spoke candidly in interviews about her love affair with Aristotle Onassis, her last-minute performance cancellations, and her own struggles with imposter syndrome. It is rare to hear someone so renowned for her artistry and talent discuss her own life in such a blunt manner (I can’t imagine a star like Beyonce ever being that unscripted).
Nicknamed La Divina or “The Divine One” by the Italian press, Callas was famous for reviving the bel canto style of singing (and when she was in good voice, she was incredible). But what most people remember about Callas was her transformation into the svelte fashion star she became in her early thirties (as well as a target of the paparazzi). Unfortunately, the dramatic lengths she went to lose weight could have contributed to her early vocal and health decline in her fifties and cut short her life (Callas died at 53 from a heart attack). But her signature makeup and flawless couture made her into a fashion icon – so much so that even W recently recapped her top fashion moments.
But W’s Callas feature was no accident. In addition to her 100th birthday coming up in December and the opening of a new museum dedicated to her in Athens, Greece, intense interest in La Divina has abounded ever since it was announced that Angelina Jolie is playing her in director Pablo Larrain’s biopic (the director of Jackie and Spencer). The movie will supposedly focus on her retirement years in Paris, so will we just get a recap of her sad ending or an examination of her exceptional musicianship, her incredible acting abilities, and her career-defining performance triumphs? While the jury is out as to what this film or Jolie’s performance will really add to understanding Callas’s life and art – I, for one, will be surprised if Larrain does not take the obvious Greek tragedy approach – one thing is for sure: We will all continue to hear about Maria Callas and her opera performance and fashion legacies for the near future.
Images courtesy of rook76 and Predrag Lukic / Shutterstock
