Today in History: January 2nd
CALLAS WALKS OFF:
January 2, 1958
On January 2, 1958, celebrated soprano Maria Callas walks off after the first
act of a gala performance of Bellini's Norma in Rome, claiming illness. The
president of Italy and most of Rome's high society were in the audience, and
Callas, known for her volatile temperament, was sharply criticized. It was a
characteristic move for the Greek-American diva, who packed as much drama into
her personal life as she did on the stage.Born in New York City in 1923 to Greek
immigrants, Callas demonstrated her talent for singing at an early age. When she
was 13, she went to Athens to study under the noted soprano Elvira de Hidalgo.
Her first major operatic role came in 1947, when she appeared in La Gioconda in
Verona. Acclaimed for a powerful soprano voice that lent itself to the difficult
coloratura roles, she was soon appearing in opera houses around the world. Her
talents made possible the revival of 19th-century bel canto works by Bellini and
others that had not been performed for decades. In 1954, the "Divine Callas"
made her American debut in Chicago in the title role of Norma, a performance she
repeated before a record audience at New York City's Metropolitan Opera.Callas'
stormy personal life was closely watched and exaggerated by the press, as were
her professional walkouts and tiffs with rivals. She divorced her husband of
many years after becoming involved with Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis,
but he later left her when he fell in love with the widowed Jackie Kennedy. In
the 1970s, Callas' career rapidly declined, and she died in 1977 at the age of
53.
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