Maria La Divina
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- 10,99 €
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- 10,99 €
Publisher Description
An intimate portrait of the world’s most iconic opera singer
Maria Callas, called La Divina, is widely recognized as the greatest diva who ever lived. Jerome Charyn’s Callas springs to life as the headstrong, mercurial, and charismatic artist who captivated generations of fans, thrilling audiences with her brilliant performances and defiant personality.
Callas, an outsider from an impoverished background, was shunned by the Italian opera houses, but through sheer force of will and the power and range of her voice, she broke through the invisible wall to sing at La Scala and headline at the Metropolitan Opera, forging an unforgettable career. Adored by celebrities and statesmen, the notable and notorious alike, her every movement was shadowed by both music critics and gossip columnists—until, having lost her voice, she died alone in an opulent, mausoleum-like Paris apartment.
In Charyn’s inimitable style, Maria La Divina humanizes the celebrated diva, revealing the mythical artist as a woman who survived hunger, war, and loneliness to reach the heights of acclaim.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Charyn, author of historical novels including Ravage & Son, offers an impressive portrait of opera singer Maria Callas (1923–1977), spanning from her awkward years as a teenage neophyte to the end of her career, when her legendary voice deserts her. At 15, the Manhattan-born Maria lands a place in the Athens Conservatory, where she'd moved with her mother after her father's infidelities became too much to bear. Her teacher, Elvira de Hidalgo, is unimpressed by the "pasty, half-blind girl in an ill-fitting smock" until she hears Maria's rich voice, "deep with emotion." Her talents become more widely recognized after she sings the difficult title role of Tosca at 18, an especially triumphant moment as she has to compensate for her nearsightedness by memorizing the position of every piece of furniture on the stage. After WWII, Maria returns to the U.S., where her performances with the Metropolitan Opera cause attendees to chant "La Divina" (the divine one), and their standing ovations last more than 20 minutes. Maria's personal life is more troubled, including her affair with Aristotle Onassis, and as her health declines, she fails to reach her earlier heights in her final performances. Charyn elicits sympathy for his complex lead through nuanced character work, and he manages to channel the excitement of Callas's performances. This is a marvel.
