Maria Callas (Μαρία Κάλλας)

[wat11]

Sorry to abuse the Otakuland with Greek singer and composers! I will post other artists as well.

From Wikipedia:

"Maria Callas, Commendatore OMRI[1] (Greek: Μαρία Κάλλας; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977), was an American soprano of Greek origin, and one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic gifts."

Some people like her voice some don't. Even among the critics, there's been much dispute. She didn't like her own voice in fact. It's very characteristic and worth listening to if you're into opera and classical music. Hear for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5cF5GGqVWo Ave Maria (Schubert)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN9Dipgqdtw Madame Butterfly (one of my favs, recommend its instrumental version too)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rjGwS20V94 Casta Diva
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPHKI5HiDJE Gypsy Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoYAcwTWdjo Signore ascolta

She is dead but the voice remains to be a classic. Enjoy :)

 

[george1234]

Ι shall add some more trivia.

- her real name is (Μαρία Άννα Σοφία Καικιλία Καλογεροπούλου - Maria Anna Sophia Kaikilia Kalogeropoulou [first 2 names are oftenly used as one, and the 2 family names are probably from divorced parents where one remarried (?)) and Callas was psudonym.
- She married to Aristotelis Onasis, a super rich greek man who became rich by transfering petroil with his ships. He owned the island Scorpios in the Ionian Sea, which later passed to his grand daughter Athina Onasis who recently sold it to the Russian billionaire Rebolovlev and is now own by his daughter Aikaterina.
- Calla's vocal range was amazing.
- She wasnt recognised in Greece until she gone abroad (like so many many others =_=)

There's a huge article about her in Wikipedia

The house she used to live in is still somewhere in Athens but its in a state that it can collapse anytime. I wonder why the fools at the Ministry of Culture dont buy it and renew it.

 

[ritardando]

Oooh I've heard and known about her before! She's once being referenced in the manga 'Emma' (which I absolutely adore) as the model for one of the characters. Then I looked up for her on internet and I love her voice! Plus she's really beautiful as well

 

[wat11]

amazing she is :) it's a pity about the house...considering everything they didn't even bother thinking about it i expect...

glad you like her ritardando! i will post stuff or even maybe share whole albums! ;)

 

[Lorde-Kowz]

The Ave Maria you posted is Schubert's, not Bach/Gounod's ;p.

Anyways, my aunt sent me an album with some of her performances after my father told her I was listening to opera (I guess he thought that because of Yuri Kasahara, hue).

I think her voice is absolutely beautiful. I'm not versed in bel canto so I really don't understand why she and critics thought her voice was ugly and unattractive.

 

[wat11]

oops my bad. here's the Bach/Gounod's version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6jtO5-Q0YY

there's something in the Wikipedia article but i'm not well versed in bel canto either and i don't really care :)

 

[ritardando]

It's not like the critics and she as well hate her voice initially. The critics start criticise her voice because her voice deteriorates early, as early as it starts when she's only 40, while normally opera singers start having their voice quality decrease when they're in their 50s. After her voice deteriorates, she got criticised because her voice sounds thinner than it used to be, and she can't hit the high notes smoothly. She feels it as well, so she says that she hates her vocal nodule (?) because it can produce the voice like it used to be. Pretty much like a certain vocalist we all know, huh?

 

[george1234]

^ Wait, wakana is still before her 30s and she doesnt sing much opera so I dont get how her voice could get worse so fast @_@

 

[wat11]

Maria had some weight problems as well i think, apart from the nodule.

as for Wakana, who knows. maybe the age range in which the voice quality starts to deteriorate is quite broad so as to include age as early as 30. (i'm not saying she is going to get worse, i'm only speculating)