Maria Callas's Lyric and Coloratura Arias

Maria Callas, known as "La Divina Assoluta," is an opera legend with a tumultuous private life. Her extraordinary voice has become a cultural object of adoration, overshadowing her masterful technique. This book explores the vocalization and cultural reception of the feminized voice in classical and pop culture, using one of Callas's first recital recordings from 1954.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 16 December 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

More than four decades after her passing, the legendary Maria Callas, known as "La Divina Assoluta," continues to hold an unrivaled place in the annals of music history. Extensive writings have been devoted to her remarkable operatic career and turbulent personal life, encompassing her consummate mastery of iconic roles, her romantic entanglements, and her infamous tantrums. Callas epitomizes the quintessential 20th-century celebrity diva, embodying the trope of a tormented genius plagued by personal tragedies. Her extraordinary voice, in particular, has garnered a cult-like adoration and holds immense cultural significance, transcending its mere instrumentality. It has evolved into a fetish object, a sophisticated sonic signifier, and, most recently, the foundation for a Callas hologram. However, this adulation comes with its consequences, as it often overshadows her most remarkable talent—the masterful technique she employed to shape and refine her awe-inspiring instrument. Singing bodies are active agents, engaged in an intimate and intricate form of artistic labor and cultural signification.

In this book, we employ one of Callas's earliest recital recordings from 1954 as a lens to explore diverse aspects of vocalization and the cultural reception of the feminized voice in both classical and popular culture. Drawing upon the works of artists such as Marina Abramovic, Charles Baudelaire, Michel Chion, Wayne Koestenbaum, Greil Marcus, and Farah Jasmine Griffin, as well as films by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Jonathan Demme, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, each chapter delves into unique phenomena specific to the singing voice. These include the operatic screaming point, the politics of listening, and the singing simulacrum. By examining these topics, we aim to shed light on the profound impact of Callas's voice and its enduring legacy in the world of music and beyond.

Weight: 164g
Dimension: 164 x 149 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501379024