The History of Opera For Beginners by Ron David

Author:Ron David
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: For Beginners

Maria Callas (1923-1977) was born in Brooklyn to Greek parents. Shortly before World War II, her mother took her to live in Greece, where Maria studied voice with an unspectacular teacher and made an unremarkable debut in 1938.

Then something happened. It's as if one night in her sleep she was visited by Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini and a couple dozen of the world's greatest prehistoric singers…and…they put a computer chip into her head? Or something? I know the rules; I know things like that can't happen. But it's as if they happened!

Suddenly, in 1947, this unremarkable girl makes a strong debut in Verona. In 1949, this ordinary girl sings Brunnhilde (in Die Walkure) and Elvira (in I Puritani)—back-to-back! (Is this girl demented? Doesn't she know that's impossible?)

Even more astonishing, this Greek girl from Brooklyn is telling the baddest conductors in Italy how Rossini should be sung! And Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi—you name it! The woman is clearly nuts. She acts like she just got back from the 18th century!

In 1951, Callas sang Norma at La Scala. She was so good it was scary. But she was still nuts! In Brazil, she found her name removed from posters advertising her upcoming Tosca, so she beat the hell out of the opera house's impresario! (In those days, Callas weighed over 200 lbs, so she carried a serious wallop!)

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