Maria Kallas - Soprano Singer
THE ABSOLUTE OPERA DIVA
Maria Kallas was born in New York on December 2nd, 1923. Her real name was Maria Anna Sofia Kaikilia Kalogeropoulos, while at her birth she was registered as Sofia Kaikilia Kallos. This is the world's most famous opera diva. She was the daughter of pharmacist George Kalogeropoulos from Neochorio Ithomis in Meligalas and Evangelia Dimitriadis. Her parents had moved to New York for a better life.
She started working in music at an early age and at the age of 11 won the first prize in a children's voice contest. In 1937, after her parents divorce, she moved with her mother and older sister, Yakinthi, to Athens, where she enrolled at the National Conservatory. Her first role was Sanducca in Mascani’s Opera "Cavalleria Rusticana" in a performance by the students of the Conservatory. In 1939, she enrolled at the Athens Conservatory and the important opera singer Elvira de Intalgo was her teacher. In 1940, she was hired by the Opera House of the then Royal Theatre, and in 1941, she first appeared as "Beatrice" in the Soupe’s opera “Vokkakios”. Then, and until 1945, she starred in Tosca, Cavalieria Rusticana, Beethoven’s “Fidelio” and Manolis Kalomiris' “Protomaster”. In fact, this was the only Greek music work that she ever sang. In September 1945, she returned to her hometown, near her father, changing her surname to Kallas. She remained unemployed until 1947, and on August 2nd, 1947, she made the first major step in her career with the role of "Gioconda" in the homonymous opera of Amilcare Ponquielli.
On April 21st, 1949, Callas married the industrialist Gianbattista Menengini and on December 7th, 1951, triumphed in the "Scala" in Milan. On October 27th, 1956, she appeared for the first time at the New York Metropolitan Opera. On August 5th, 1957, she was glorified at Herodion, at a performance part of the Athens Festival.
It was 1958 when Kallas' downward course began. In the same year, she collaborated with Alexis Minotis and Yiannis Tsarouchis on a new production of Kerubini's “Medea”. In 1959, this show was taken to Covent Garden, London, where he met Aristotle Onassis. From 1960 her appearances began to become less ans less and in 1965 she retired permanently from the opera houses. Kallas' swan song was “Norma”, which took place in Paris on May 29th, 1965. In the third act of Bellevue's opera, she collapsed on stage and was faintly transferred to her dressing room.
In 1966, he renounced the American citizenship and received the Greek. Then, her marriage to Menegini was formally terminated, in the hope that Aristotle Onassis would marry her. This was not the case after the July of 1968 when the Greek tycoon married the widow of US President Jacky Kennedy. This plunged the top opera singer into depression. In an effort to get her feet back on track, Callas played in the film version of Euripides' Medea (1969), recorded discs and taught opera at the New York Music School. Her last appearance was in Japan on December 11th, 1974. After that, she kept herself llocked away in her Paris apartment. The Great Diva passed away on September 16th, 1977, from a heart attack at the age of 54.