MARIA CALLAS: Sacred Monster
by Stelios Galatopoulos
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Description
This is the authoritative biography of one of the great icons of the century, Maria Callas, the most brilliant and controversial singer-actress of modern times. Written by a music scholar, opera critic, and, toward the end of Callas' life, a close friend, Sacred Monster is an account of the singer's triumphant and tumultuous public career and her private life. Sacred Monster is not only the definitive portrait of one of the greatest artists of the century, it corrects the many misguided show more books about Callas that have appeared since her death in 1977 at the age of fifty-three. Galatopoulos writes about Callas objectively - recognizing her flaws, her temperament, and the signs of premature vocal deterioration. Galatopoulos attended more than a hundred of Callas' performances and he describes not only the brilliance of her many triumphs, the disappointments of her setbacks, and the poignance of her premature decline, but also her legacy, which resides in her continuing influence and her extensive and valuable discography. Callas chose to share many of her most frank judgments about her professional problems with Galatopoulos. Perhaps most dramatically, in this book, which might almost be called "Callas Has the Last Word," Galatopoulos sets straight the soap opera portrait some have drawn of a shattered and reclusive woman abandoned by her lover, Aristotle Onassis. In fact, Callas and Onassis resumed their friendship shortly after his marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy. This portrait of Callas shows her in retirement every bit as forceful and engaged as she was on stage. - Publisher. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A fascinating account of the woman between the myth written by a music scholar who became a friend. As well as telling callas' story there is also a chapter giving Callas' thoughts on her development as an artist. Many of the chapters are folowed by sections containing photos of the various operas Callas sang in and at the end there is a disography and a chronology of performances. Unfortunately the index is not very comprehensive.
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Author Information
6 Works 107 Members
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Maria Callas
- Original language
- English
Classifications
- Genres
- Music, Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 782.1092 — Arts & recreation Music Vocal music Operas and related dramatic vocal forms; concert versions modified standard subdivisions History, geographic treatment, biography Biography
- LCC
- ML420 .C18 .G263 — Music Literature on music Literature on music History and criticism Biography
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 71
- Popularity
- 443,782
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.25)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 4
