Maria Callas was an extraordinarily talented and resilient woman who achieved immense success in her singing career. However, her life was far from as blissful as it might have appeared. This is the story of her challenging childhood, celebrated career, and tragic love life. More on manhattan-trend.com.
A Difficult Childhood
Maria Callas, a renowned American opera singer of Greek descent, was born on December 2, 1923, in Manhattan, New York, to Greek immigrants George and Evangelia Callas. Before Maria’s birth, the Callas family had two children: a son, Vassilis, and a daughter, Yakinthi. Tragedy struck when Vassilis passed away from typhoid fever, leaving the family in deep mourning. Unable to endure the memories of their loss, they moved to the United States. Later, Evangelia became pregnant again, fervently hoping for another son, but instead gave birth to Maria. Struggling to accept this, Evangelia initially rejected her youngest daughter.
Over time, Evangelia’s feelings did not change. Maria remained in the shadow of her elder sister, who received all the warmth and affection. While Yakinthi grew into a beautiful and slender young girl, Maria was less striking in appearance and struggled with weight issues. Despite these challenges, Maria exhibited extraordinary talent. By the age of five, she could play the piano, and by seven, she was already singing. After her parents’ divorce when Maria was 13, she moved with her mother and sister to Athens, where Evangelia enrolled her in the Athens Conservatoire.
The Path to Stardom
After completing her studies, Maria debuted at the Athens Opera in 1941, performing Puccini’s Tosca. Her first major performance was marred by ridicule over her weight, but her exceptional voice won over the audience, marking the beginning of her rise to fame.
Maria remained with the Athens Opera until 1945, after which she moved to the United States. However, her career there failed to take off, prompting a move to Italy. Italy proved transformative for Maria. She landed her first major contract to perform in the prestigious Arena di Verona, singing Amilcare Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. This performance was a resounding success, earning her widespread acclaim and opening the door to international opportunities. Maria performed in cities and countries around the globe, including Florence, Turin, Venice, Argentina, and Mexico.
Maria’s struggle with her weight persisted until she was 33 years old, when she successfully transformed her appearance, slimming down from 100 kilograms to an elegant 57 kilograms by 1957.
Tragic Love and the End of a Career
Maria’s first love was Giovanni Battista Meneghini, an Italian industrialist twice her age. A devoted opera enthusiast, Giovanni fell deeply in love with Maria upon seeing her perform. He abandoned his business to focus entirely on managing Maria’s career. They married, but their union was short-lived. Maria left Giovanni after falling for the wealthy Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
The relationship with Onassis proved disastrous for Maria. She threw herself entirely into the romance, neglecting her career and health. Ultimately, Onassis lost interest in Maria and left her to marry another woman. This heartbreak shattered Maria, leading to the decline of both her personal life and professional career. In 1965, she retired from the stage. In her later years, Maria taught at a music academy, but her life was marked by solitude and sadness.
Maria Callas passed away on September 16, 1977, in Paris at the age of 53. As per her wishes, her ashes were scattered over the Aegean Sea.
