Of Greek nationality, though born in America in 1923, Maria Callas' career was based in Italy. Her training as a singer took place in Athens. After a debut in 1939 as Santuzza in Maccagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, she sang a number of dramatic parts with the Royal Opera, Athens. With her parents she returned to New York in 1945, where she received an offer to sing Ponchielliís La Gioconda at the Verona arena in 1947.
Subsequently she was engaged elsewhere in Italy in heavy r├┤les, even Wagnerian ones - Isolde in Tristan und Isolde and Br┬╕nnhilde in Die Walk├╝re. Early in her career she changed to the Italian florid repertoire, adding also some Italian spinto parts. She was very soon in demand throughout the world, though her relationships with certain managements were sometimes stormy.
She had an acute musical intelligence, and a great dramatic sense which was particularly effective when working with the opera (and film) directors, Visconti and Zeffirelli. She also had a phenomenal florid technique and a voice of wide range and vocal colouring.
At the outset of her career she was beset by weight problems, but in the mid-1950s she undertook a drastic slimming regime. This, it is said, had a progressively bad effect on her vocal security. Increasing vocal difficulties led to her gradually abandoning the opera stage by 1965.
Three years before her death in 1977 she made an ill-advised concert tour return. Despite this, she was, without doubt, one of the greatest operatic artistes of our time. She is remembered, with reverence and love, as La Divina and her voice is still considered incomparable by her many fans.
