Last Photos - Last Memories of Maria Callas

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Latest Photos of Maria Callas

This volatile opera diva was born Sophie Cecilia Kalos in New York City to Greek émigrés on December 2, 1923. Her father set up a pharmacy and changed the family name from Kalogeropoulos to Callas. As a child Maria studied the piano. When her parents separated (she was 14 at the time), her mother returned to Athens with Maria and her sister.

The budding singer was quickly accepted into the National Conservatoire where she was taught singing lessons by Maria Trivella. She performed her first recital within the year and in 1939 won a prize for her stage debut in the Conservatoire's production of "Cavalleria Rusticana." In 1941, the soprano dramatico d'agilita made her professional debut in "Boccaccio" with the Lyric Theatre Company. While there she made a semi-name for herself with performances of "Tosca" and "Fidelio."

Impending war led her back to the United States in 1944 where she reclaimed the name of Maria Callas. She was offered a contract from the Met which she turned down because among the three roles she was offered to sing there was Butterfly and she believed that she was too obese to sing the fragile 14 year-old Butterfly, her friends considered her to be crazy turning down the Met while she was so unknown.

Maria performed elsewhere (Chicago, etc.) before returning to Europe in the post-war years where she met Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a wealthy industrialist and avid opera fan. They married in 1949 and he immediately took control of her career. She reached her zenith at La Scala (1951-1958), also recording during that time. In 1956, she finally made her debut at the Met as "Norma" with performances of "Tosca" and "Lucia" following.

Within a couple of years her temperamental outbursts and excessive demands began to rise full force, resulting in a number of dismissals and walkouts. After meeting Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis through her husband, a torrid affair erupted and her marriage ended. Maria gave up the stage in the early 1960s for the jet-set life with Onassis, but continued with occasional concerts. Despite experiencing vocal problems, she made one unforgettable comeback on stage in 1964-1965 when she toured with her personal favorites ("Norma" in Paris and "Tosca" at the Met). Weak and tired, her final curtain on stage rang down in July of 1965 in Covent Garden.

With her career over, she renounced her American citizenship and expected to marry Onassis. But their relationship was a stormy one and it eventually tapered off with Onassis instead marrying Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968. Maria was completely devastated and those around her say she never recovered. The following year she filmed an unsuccessful production of Medea (1969) and eventually set up master classes at Juilliard. In one last comeback, she attempted a European tour of recitals but her voice completely failed her. Her last public performance was on November 11, 1975.

Riddled by sadness and despair, and by now firmly addicted to sleeping pills, Maria turned reclusive in her last year and died of a heart attack in 1977 at age 53. Despite a career that flourished less than two decades, Callas must be respected as one of the more important and recognizable opera legends. She was certainly one of the most emotive and visually dramatic. What also carries her today is, of course, her grandly turbulent and tragic image -- an Édith Piaf of opera.

[normadesmond]

poor woman. one of the best voices ever. And destroyed by the egotisme of Onassis. Bless her.

[robertotorrini]

I viene da piangere al pensiero che non ci sia più, ma mi consolo un pe pensando che e sempre con me e che la sua voce, la sua grandezza di artista e donna mi accompagnerà per sempre fino a quando non arriverà il mio momento ciao Maria a presto

[Danielap]

Sono foto strazianti per me. Povera Maria ha dato tanto alla musica e al pubblico. E ha pagato cara la sua generosità.Cara Maria sarai vicino a Dio e finalmente felice

[rogerbarrett]

Maria Callas died just one month after Elvis did. They were legendary singers. From what I hear Maria's last days were really sad. I've also heard that she spent her days smoking cigarettes, watching Westerns, playing with her servants and taking pills. And some who knew her described her as "lonely, unhappy and often difficult". And Klaus Nomi said that Maria Callas and Elvis Presley were his "spiritual parents".

[raynardi]

Che tenerezza vederla all'ospedale 😢😢😢😢😢😢

[Heyjay]

Sad for she brought so much life to all who heard her. I hope she knows how much she is missed and loved! Saw MARIA last week and it's so powerful. A testament to the powerful woman she was. Though these photos are hard to see, we know her legacy lives on!!

[stefanodepeppo]

Sorry to correct you, but the pic from 0:50 is from the mid 50s, when she was sick in bed, with her friend Giovanna Lomazzi looking after her!

[KWT]

RIP Maria Callas (died #otd in 1977) 🌺🌺🌺

[lindaflowerpower]

Why she fell in love with ugly Onassis?
Men felt inferior next to her;
Callas was too strong and perfect for them.

[karinwijnberg]

The photo in the bed is NOT one of her last. As you van see she is still very young.

[madeleine]

Maria Callas did not die from a Heart Attack, but from Cardiac Arrest, caused by her Auto-Immune Disease, Dermatomyositis.

[MrPren]

L' ultima foto è di quando era giovanissima, con un'amica.

[A.J]

She deserved it. Maria’s husband, Giovanni Meneghini, treated her like a queen. He was wealthy, managed her career, and provided financial and emotional security for 10 years. And what did she do? She cheated on him, checked out of the marriage once she fell for Aristotle Onassis, NEVER looked back, and left her husband devastated. Onassis knew that she was not a keeper and chose not to risk marrying a cheater.