Maria Callas : sacred monster

Galatopoulos, Stelios1998

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Summary

Maria Callas's voice defined an age. Although it's over twenty years since her death, Callas is as controversial a figure - both artist and woman - as she was during a life which was famously rich in feud and scandal. At fifteen Callas said, 'What is a voice? I am a woman: that is what it matters.' By the end of her life she could admit to having 'done some good things...but also some not so good'. How did Callas justify her absolute dedication to her art? And at what cost was this artistry achieved? Stelios Galatopoulos first met Callas at her Italian debut in La Gioconda in 1947. He followed her career - for many years as a opera critic - and saw Callas perform over 120 times. By 1957 he had become a friend, a friendship which became particularly close in the last years of her life. Maria Callas: Sacred Monster is not only the definitive portrait of one of the greatest artists of the century but also a corrective to the many misguided lives of Callas which have appeared since her death. It was many years before Callas was able to confide in the author about her personal life and to discuss at length the nature of her art, and it has taken the author a considerable length of time to gain his own perspectiveon the artist.