MIAMI, United States. – Within the framework of the centenary of the birth of María Callas, the iconic American soprano of Greek descent, Cuban singers will come together to pay tribute to “La Divina” at a special gala at the National Theater in Havana, according to reported Cuban official media.
The gala, entitled “They sing to María Callas”, will bring together fifteen performers in the Sala Covarrubias under the direction of Helson Hernández.
The concert, which will take place on April 23, will be an opportunity to remember the imprint of “the most eminent opera singer of the 20th century,” according to Hernández at a press conference.
Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos, or simply María Callas (New York, 1923 – Paris, 1977), transcended the circle of opera lovers thanks to her prodigious voice and her personal way of approaching the interpretation of the characters on stage. With a verista, sensual and modern style, Callas revolutionized the world of opera and became an unforgettable legend.
The daughter of a Greek immigrant, Callas returned with her family to Athens when she was 13 years old and soon after entered the Conservatory in the Hellenic capital. She was a member of the Athens Opera company from 1940 to 1945, which allowed her to get acquainted with big roles and gain stage experience. During this time, she performed works such as the boatswain, by Manolis Kalomiris; Sister Angelica and rough, from Puccini; and fidelioby Beethoven.
After turning down a contract at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Callas moved to Italy, where she made her debut at the Verona Arena in 1947 with the Giocondaby Amílcare Ponchielli. This success attracted the attention of other prestigious Italian theaters, and his career took off under the tutelage of the eminent conductor Tullio Serafin.
Callas performed works such as Turandot, by Puccini; Aida and the force of destiny by Giuseppe Verdi; and even Tristan and Isoldeby Richard Wagner (in Italian version).
His interpretation of Rule, by Vincenzo Bellini, in Florence in 1948 established her as the great soprano of her generation and one of the most outstanding of the century. During the 1950s, Callas led extraordinary triumphs and recovered forgotten works by authors such as Luigi Cherubini, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Gioachino Rossini or Gaetano Donizetti.
Despite her professional achievements, her personal life was unfortunate: her marriage to businessman GB Meneghini ended in divorce, and her relationship with the Greek millionaire Aristotle Onassis did not provide her with the happiness or stability she needed either.
Callas’s career ran out of steam in the 1960s, and in 1965 she announced her retirement from the stage due to failing health. However, in 1974 she went on a concert tour with tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano through Europe, the United States and the Far East, and also taught music at the Juilliard School.
Her sudden death of a heart attack in 1977 left a void in the world of lyrical singing that no other soprano has been able to fill.
