Remembering Maria Callas
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
They say the world of opera has its own timeline. Events are dated B.C. or A.C. ― Before Callas or After Callas. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of her death, the immortal soprano Maria Callas (1923-1977) relives her glory with a movie and special CD collection coming to town.
Called ``La Divina'' by her Italian fans, the prima donna had stunned the world with her powerful presence onstage, and made headlines for her dramatic life offstage.
Born in a Greek family in 1923, New York, Callas left for Greece at the age of 14, becoming a student of renowned soprano Elvira de Hildalgo. She was soon singing major roles in Athens, and in 1950, Callas debuted at La Scala, beginning a nearly 10-year reign as the Italian theater's vocal queen.
Callas, apart from her artistic stature, was constantly the talk of the town. Overweight, she transformed into a slim and glamorous woman, and her divorce from Giovanni Batista Meneghini, affair with Greek shipping mogul Aristotle Onassis and estranged relationship with her mother were widely publicized. Plus, her dissension with the New York Metropolitan Opera general manager Rudolf Bing and cancelled performances in Rome and the Edinburgh Festival put her on the map as a temperamental diva.
Callas was much loved nevertheless for her colorful voice and dramatic presence. She is also credited for changing modern music history for reviving forgotten operas from the bel canto repertoire. Yet, the prima donna had to make a premature retirement due to a severe vocal decline, the cause of which is still debated. While living in virtual reclusion, she died of a heart attack in her Paris apartment. She was 53 at the time.
`Callas Forever'
``Callas Forever'' gives a fictionalized account of the final days of the diva, masterfully acted out by Fanny Ardant, the award-winning actress of ``8 Femmes.'' The 2002 movie finally opens in Korea, Dec. 27, for the anniversary of her death. Its release is also well in tune with the string of recent music-filled movies such as ``La Vie en rose,'' inspired by the life of Edith Piaf.
The story unfolds right after Callas' disastrous concert tour in Asia. Actor Jeremy Irons stars as Larry Kelly, Callas' old friend and music promoter, who aggressively persuades the failed opera star to take part of a film production. She finally accepts to do a movie version of Bizet's ``Carmen,'' and rekindles her musical and artistic fervor.
The movie portrays the soprano in her most beloved roles of her glory days, featuring music from ``Carmen,'' ``Tosca,'' ``Madame Butterfly'' and ``La Traviata.''
Callas was actually a longtime friend of the Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, who has built a reputation by staging and filming the classics, such as Shakespeare's ``Romeo and Juliet'' (1968, Olivia Hussey) and ``The Taming of the Shrew'' (1967, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton) as well as Verdi's operas.
Complete Studio Recordings
Recording giant EMI celebrates the 30th anniversary of Maria Callas' death by releasing her complete studio recordings ― a total of 70 CDs. The collection also includes non-EMI recordings and recitals, such as that of her first recital in Turin in 1949.
The collection captures the diva's voice during the prime of her career from 1949 to 1969: Bellini's ``Norma'' (1954, 1960), Bizet's ``Carmen'' (1964), Donizetti's ``Lucia di Lammermoor'' (1953, 59), Puccini's ``La Boheme'' (1956), ``Tosca'' (1953, 1964) and ``Madame Butterfly'' (1955), Rossini's ``Il Barbiere di Siviglia'' (1957), Verdi's ``Aida'' (1955) and ``Rigoletto'' (1955).
There are two versions available. A standard edition costs around 200,000 won while the boxed deluxe edition, around 700,000 won, is strictly limited, with only 2,000 sets available worldwide, with 90 in Korea. Both types are available at Kyobo Bookstores and online, at www.yes24.com or www.aladdin.co.kr.