Maria Callas

Maria Callas was a famous opera singer. Her mother pushed her to pursue opera singing her whole life and after all of the tough, non-stop work, she became famous. People from everywhere around the country, sometimes world, would buy tickets to the opera to watch her put on a dramatic or romantic tremendous performance. Published newspapers said that she was one of the best opera singers to ever come to Earth. She truly was made to be an opera singer. Maria Callas was born on April 12, 1923 to Greek immigrants in New York. In 1937, Marias mother moved her and her sisters back to Greece. The family needed to move because Marias parents were financially in trouble. Her mother made Maria pursue a career in singing even if Maria was not interested. Seeing Maria sing in the opera was one of her mothers dreams. When Maria was little, she enjoyed listening to gramophone records and radio programs. She also took piano lessons and singing lessons so she would be prepared for the future. Maria Callas accomplished many great feats in her lifetime. She won International acclaim due to her amazing voice. That was a huge accomplishment for her. She made her first major appearance in Tosca, in 1941. Her career really took off from there. She also worked as an interpreter when British Forces set Athens free at the end of World War II. Even though working as an interpreter was not a career accomplishment, it was a personal one. In 1949, Maria Callas finally worked her way up to fame. During that period of time, many people that watched her in opera loved her. A personal accomplishment of her was that in 1953-1954, she lost weight and she became more confident in her self and her opera-singing career. Just because Maria Callas was a famous opera singer, that does not mean that she did not have a personal life. Callas met her dream husband, Meneghini, in Italy and ended up marrying him in 1949. He was 28 years older than Maria but age would not stand in her way. Later in her life, she fell in love with another man. Aristole Onassis. This secret love ended up going public which caused a divorce between Maria and her husband. Maria devoted her life to Onassis, however he ended up falling in love with another woman, Jacqueline Kennedy. Onassis and Jacqueline married, Maria emotionally lost everything. From that time her career went downhill. She attempted to get back into the opera, but her voice was not anything special anymore. In the 1950s Maria Callas started developing vocal problems which jeopardized her chances of securing larger roles in operas. Maria stopped opera singing in 1962, but did return out of the gutters in 1965 for the play Tosca. After her amazing return, her reputation was saved and people from then on knew her as the most credible and poignant singer of any in that role. Maria Callas had a long and a wonderful life, but when Onassis died in 1975, she was devastated even though she may not have shown the despairin her soul. She was vacationing in Palm Beach, Florida when she learned that Onassis died. She did not go to his funeral. It was quoted that she had said, I decided not to go. Its a matter of good taste. Her life ended in Paris, France at age 53, from a heart attack. Maria Callas wished that when she died, that she be cremated. When that happened, she wanted her ashes to be scattered over that Aegean Sea. Her wishes were followed up and till today, she is in the Aegean Sea. Maria Callas did have an amazing voice that everyone loved, but after losing the loves of her life, she was no more fit for opera. Through all of the work, awards, and drama, in the end, Maria was a very admirable person. Maria Callas showed many people that anybody could make it to the opera or anything that they desire to do. She was a little girl who first lived in New York City but moved back to Greece because of financial problems, but she still made it. She showed everyone that if you follow the dreams, something great could happen.

Andrea Plucenik Crowley, Evelyn. A touch of Callas. Flashback August 2006 C 76

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