Why did a diva of Maria Callas' size have only one performance at the Liceu, on May 5, 1959, and in recital format? A single opportunity to hear her live in Barcelona resulted in some protests... and with the soprano swearing that she would never return. That year she was recording Il pirate and La Gioconda and in 1960 she would record the famous Norma with Tullio Serafin. Although she was not in the best shape, Callas's career was at its peak. What could she have happened?
“This was Renata Tebaldi's fiefdom those years – recalls the artistic director of the Liceu, Víctor García de Gomar –, she had come a lot since 1953, and in 1958 she had given away her first Butterfly. Given the obvious rivalry between the two, the public had been predisposed. Because of this myopia, because of this emotional kidnapping of Tebaldi, the balance tipped in her favor and we missed the opportunity to have more of Callas. That Callas who, when she hangs up Norma's boots, points out Montserrat Caballé as the imminent best singer in this role and gives her a sheet of music. More things could have happened in this house in relation to the divine Callas,” he concludes. La Vanguardia has consulted some of the current – and future – queens of the Liceu about the importance of this figure in their careers.
Imagine people like Marilyn Monroe, Amy Winehouse or John F. Kennedy… stars who died too early in life. This is the category I put Maria Callas in…iconic. But Callas was more than an icon...she was a once-in-a-lifetime person. I often use a phrase from my grandmother to describe a person: “we are all just a candle in this life… we decide how fast it burns and how much it shines.” Maria burned quickly and very brightly. She had a huge impact not only on the world of opera, but far beyond. Her passion, love and ability to sing and make art on stage was untouchable, but she also impacted the world of fashion, the world of society… everything.
Who wouldn't want to be Callas again at the height of her glory? She made opera glamorous and I thank her for that. But above all, I thank her for her dedication and constant hard work. For me Callas embodied everything she wanted to be when I started singing. She was glamorous, beautiful, intelligent, eloquent, a strong woman who possessed the most amazing voice. I can't say she was a beautiful voice, but a voice that you knew was hers with just two notes, technically perfect. That was the most important thing I learned from listening to Callas: use your own voice, no matter what. It sounds... own it and do the best you can with supreme work and sacrifice.
Callas changed the standard of what it means to be an artist, a diva, a true star of the stage. She wasn't famous for her beauty or her money or her connections. She made her way as a big star through her hard work, devotion to the art, and sheer commitment to staying in top shape. She influenced me in the way I acted with my voice, in using all the colors available on the instrument to communicate something authentic and from the heart.
Maria Callas is one of the greatest. The biggest influence she has had on my own approach as an artist is through her identification with the roles she sang. The singing technique needs to be at the service of interpretation and emotion in the end. Callas did it effortlessly and in such a believable way that very few will be able to match it. She may not seem like much, but without that truth and emotion there is no point in listening to opera since everything it can communicate is lost. What we sing without passion is heard without pleasure. I think her influence on me and on the classical world in general comes mainly from that truthfulness in expressing emotions. Feelings that we all have inside and that find their way through music. The beauty of the voice is there, but, in the end, it is the truth in her singing that puts a tear in our eyes and hearts.
Maria Callas proposed something that previous artists she admired such as Rosa Ponselle had anticipated, but she lived in a time when video recordings, audio, film, and television could amplify for the first time the art of a singer to the point of making him one of the most influential and famous people of the time, but also in history, to this day. With this she was able to explore and exploit the great capacity of Maria Callas, which was her great expressiveness, the result of great charisma and, of course, undeniable musicality and technique. What has always amazed me about his art and what has influenced me the most as an artist is that, first, one has to be a great technician and work very well on his musicality, phrasing, technique, etc., but that on top of all this and, at the end of it all, the audience will remember what you are able to transmit to them, from the truth that you carry inside. Empty gestures and virtuosity are not enough. Your personality, what you have to say through singing and the character you are playing... that is what remains. You can give in at some point with a less orthodox or uglier sound, as long as it is by virtue of expressiveness and the message. This has always been a premise in what I do and Callas put it into practice wonderfully.
For me Callas is synonymous with truth and authenticity. An influence on a musical and also social level, a turning point in the history of opera. His way of understanding music and making it was a way of being faithful to the composers and to herself, while being generous with others. We get so much from her! His passion, dedication and dedication, his way of understanding music, of being on stage (and also off), the works that he recovered and those that he gave another approach to, his professionalism... Both from his performances and from the interviews, of his life, and his person... we can continually learn from everything!
Callas is a voice with a unique charisma, anyone who hears her voice recognizes her without a doubt. Her particularity marked a golden era for poetry, exalting the figure of the singer. Her multiple recordings are a reference for new generations. You may like the timbre of her voice more or less, but I am passionate about her style and musicality.
