La Divina Maria Callas

Dramatic astonishing talents of being able to make her audience, that she controlled to embrace each emotion she sang and her musical ability caused her to be hailed as;

La Divina; Maria Callas.

Born in New York she was an American-Greek, her mother was very overbearing. Maria studied in Greece, receiving her musical education there, and appeared as a student in several rolls. Ms Callas, also did appear in secondary roles in the Greek National Opera. Elvira De Hidalgo was Maria's teacher she was very instrumental in the securing of roles for Maria, Her first professional debut was in 1942 in February. De Hidalgo encourageing her to go to Italy after Greeces liberation in 1944. Which she did and establish her career there. Maria became a world renowned soprano opera singer of the 20^th century. She possessed a great talent that no one of her time or since has shown. In that she could combine her gifts of dramatics with her impressive bel canto techniques and her aria style of singing with its homonphonic texture.

Maria’s repertoire was that of an extremely versatile singer; that could sing classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of the masters Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini. Her works extended further to include Verdi and Puccini as well as Wagner’s musical dramas early in her career.

Like most great artist, Maria endured many struggles she was very heavy woman, forced to deal with the effects of wartime poverty exigencies and myopia ("near-sightedness" also called near-or short-sightedness, is a refractive defect of the eye in which collimated light produces image focus in front of the retina when accommodation is relaxed. Those with myopia see nearby objects clearly but distant objects appear blurred.), this left her nearly blind on stage.

She endure a sudden weight loss mid-way of her career, though the results were that Maria was a svelte and glamorous, the move was thought to have contributed to her vocal decline, causing a premature end of her career. And like all celebrities there comes a price with fame. A had a scandalous nine year affair with the great tycoon Aristotle Onassis, it was rumored that she left her husband for Aristotle. Maria denied that was the reason, it was later discovered that Maria was child barren. Aristotle had ended the affair to become committed to Jacqueline Kennedy whom he later married.

Maria Callas was dubbed “The Bible of Opera” by Leonard Bernstein; this was because of her artistic achievements. Maria’s influences was so enduring that in 2006 the “Opera News wrote about her stating she’s still the definition of the diva as artist—and still one of classical music’s best-selling vocalists; nearly thirty years after her death.

Maria Callas died the 16^th of September, 1977 of a massive heart attack she was 53, living in isolation in Paris. She was cremated her ashes were scattered over the Aegean Sea, in accordance of her wishes after they had been recovered from being stolen from internment at the PereLachaiseCemetery.

Maria’s many memorable works included Puccini’s ‘Madam Butterfly’, Donizetti’s, Lucia di Lammermoor and La Mamma Morta this one played in the sence from Philidalphia with Tom Hanks. It is here that Maria's great vocal expression makes the piece stand apart from the Opera making it the focal point.  Tom Hanks, wonderfully and meaningfull explained the operatic piece to his lawyer.