Download or read book Callas Portrait of a Prima Donna written by George Jellinek and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2019-07-31 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maria Callas was the most glamorous, idolized and criticized operatic figure of our time. Loved or hated, no singer inspired so much discussion, nor exercised as much power at the box office as the “ugly duckling” who triumphed over a bitter childhood to become the Queen of Opera. Written in 1960, this is a portrait of the artist at the height of her fame, and includes an epilogue that extends the story to Callas’ death in 1977 and her posthumous glory. “... a remarkably balanced picture which goes some way towards explaining the burning, never contented determination of the woman... wonderful array of photographs...” — The Guardian “As an artist Maria Callas is greater than the sum of her abilities... Mr. Jellinek has written a very sensible and informative account of her career.” — The New Statesman

Download or read book Prima Donna written by Paul Wink and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-18 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prima Donna: The Psychology of Maria Callas explores the psychological mechanisms underlying the hypnotic power of Callas's artistry and the unfolding of her tragic life story. Although precipitated by the trauma and shame that followed her abandonment by Aristotle Onassis and the rapid deterioration of her voice, Callas's midlife disintegration reflects deep psychological vulnerabilities. In this book, Wink utilizes cutting-edge advances in research on developmental psychology and narcissism to shed light on Callas's puzzling personal deterioration during the last nine years of her life. Lacking a cohesive and integrated sense of self, Callas sought affirmation and vitality from adoring audiences and older men including her husband Battista Meneghini and her long-term partner Onassis. The propensity to fuse her identity with stage roles contributed to her artistic greatness, but envy and the lack of an intrinsic sense of meaning and worth intensified her vulnerability to life's vicissitudes. Prima Donna is both a powerful study of Callas's life and a contribution to the greater body of work on the psychology of artists.

Download or read book The Colors of Callas written by Taylor Pero and published by Llumina Press. This book was released on 2002-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taylor Pero, best selling Hollywood biographer, and researcher Patrick Byrne have created a compelling picture of opera's "prima donna assoluta"--Maria Callas. In it they explore the vibrantly painted chapters of her life--the colors of Callas.

Download or read book Maria Callas written by Rosemarie S. Laque and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Maria Callas written by Anne Edwards and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2003-02-27 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maria Callas continues to mesmerize us decades after her death, not only because she was indisputably the greatest opera diva of the 20th century, but also because both her life and death were shrouded in a Machiavellian web of scandal, mystery and deception. Now Anne Edwards, well known for her revealing and insightful biographies of some of the world's most noted women, tells the intimate story of Maria Callas—her loves, her life, and her music, revealing the true woman behind the headlines, gossip and speculation. The second daughter of Greek immigrant parents, Maria found herself in the grasp of an overwhelmingly ambitious mother who took her away from her native New York and the father she loved, to a Greece on the eve of the Second World War. From there, we learn of the hardships, loves and triumphs Maria experienced in her professional and personal life. We are introduced to the men who marked Callas forever—Luchino Visconti, the brilliant homosexual director who she loved hopelessly, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, the husband thirty years her senior who used her for his own ambitions, as had her mother, and Aristotle Onassis, who put an end to their historic love affair by discarding her for the widowed Jacqueline Kennedy. Throughout her life, Callas waged a constant battle with her weight, a battle she eventually won, transforming herself from an ugly duckling into the slim and glamorous diva who transformed opera forever, whose recordings are legend, and whose life is the stuff of which tabloids are made. Anne Edwards goes deeper than previous biographies of Maria Callas have dared. She draws upon intensive research to refute the story of Callas's "mystery child" by Onassis, and she reveals the true circumstances of the years preceding Callas's death, including the deception perpetrated by her close and trusted friend. As in her portraits of other brilliant, star-crossed women, Edwards brings Maria Callas—the intimate Callas—alive.

Download or read book Maria Callas Remembered written by Nadia Stancioff and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2000-04-14 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Years after her death Maria Callas remains one of the most renowned and compelling of all divas. Although much has been written about Callas the prima donna, the consummate stage magician, and the tragic lover of Aristotle Onassis, this is the first account of Maria the woman by someone who was close to her. Stancioff, a longtime friend, shares memories of the Maria who gave impromptu concerts of Beatles hits and Mexican ballads; of the Maria who starved herself to conform to the image of a celebrity but would go into rhapsodies about a plate of pasta. And to her own warm reminiscences, Stancioff adds the insights of Maria's friends, colleagues, and family. The figure that emerges is intriguing, infuriating, mystifying—and endlessly fascinating.

Download or read book Cast a Diva written by Lyndsy Spence and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2021-06-17 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maria Callas (1923–77) was the greatest opera diva of all time. Despite a career that remains unmatched by any prima donna, much of her life was overshadowed by her fiery relationship with Aristotle Onassis, who broke her heart when he left her for Jacqueline Kennedy, and her legendary tantrums on and off the stage. However, little is known about the woman behind the diva. She was a girl brought up between New York and Greece, who was forced to sing by her emotionally abusive mother and who left her family behind in Greece for an international career. Feted by royalty and Hollywood stars, she fought sexism to rise to the top, but there was one thing she wanted but could not have – a happy private life. In Cast a Diva, bestselling author Lyndsy Spence draws on previously unseen documents to reveal the raw, tragic story of a true icon.

Download or read book Callas written by Sergio Segalini and published by . This book was released on 1981 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Maria Callas primadonna written by and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Levensverhaal van de operazangeres (1923-1977).

Download or read book Maria by Callas written by Tom Volf and published by . This book was released on 2017-04 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Photographic history of Maria Callas' life with her own recorded comments s commentary.

Download or read book La Callas written by André Tubeuf and published by Universe Publishing(NY). This book was released on 1999 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the 1950s, Maria Callas was the leading star of the international opera circuit and arguably the most flamboyant, most sought-after performer in the world. With the unrivaled quality of her opulent voice and her much-publicized personal exploits, she became an international sensation. Ultimately, she was the most transformative force in twentieth-century opera: largely due to La Callas, opera evolved from a fashionable pastime into a popular obsession. Born in America in 1923 to recent Greek immigrants (without a drop of Italian blood), she was an unlikely future diva. As a child she was myopic, chubby, and spoke in the unrefined accent of her native New York. In 1937 her mother returned with her to Greece, where she began her studies at the Athens Conservatory and made her debut at the Athens Opera. Driven and passionate, by 1949 she was already recognized internationally as an original interpreter of the Italian bel-canto repertory. Maria Callas's rise was meteoric, and her demise seemed just as abrupt. Through the triumphs, and often self-imposed miseries of her life, she burned with the passions of a true prima donna. Maria Callas revolutionized the art of opera, influencing repertoire and singing style more than any artist this century. This book pays homage to this extraordinary diva through an enlightening text and a series of stunning photographs which capture La Callas in her most famous roles, at rehearsals, at recordings, and with adoring fans. We follow her first performance of Bellini's Norma at the tender age of nineteen, through the highlights of her career in the late 1950s, and her triumphant performances of opera's greatest heroines. Yet behind thesuccess lies a more haunting story. The great star's destiny echoed that of the tragic heroines she so often portrayed: she lived her roles, both on and off the stage, so intensely that she was devoured by them, both physically and emotionally. She spent her final years in silence and solitude, unaware of the great legacy she would leave, or of the dazzling legend that she had become.

Download or read book The Callas Legacy written by John Ardoin and published by Hal Leonard Corporation. This book was released on 1995 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This detailed analysis of every record made by Maria Callas examines the development of her art from her first recordings in 1949 to the last in 1977.

Download or read book The Callas Imprint A Centennial Biography written by Sophia Lambton and published by The Crepuscular Press. This book was released on 2023-12-02 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coating opera's roles in opulence, Maria Callas (1923-1977) is a lyrical enigma. Seductress, villainess, and victor, queen and crouching slave, she is a gallery of guises instrumentalists would kill to engineer… made by a single voice. But while her craftsmanship has stood the test of time, Callas’ image has contested defamation at the hands of saboteurs of beauty. Twelve years in the making, this voluminous labour of love explores the singer with the reverence she dealt her heroines. The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography reaps never-before-seen correspondence and archival documents worldwide to illustrate the complex of their multi-faceted creator - closing in on her self-contradictions, self-descriptions, attitudes and habits with empathic scrutiny. It swivels readers through the singer's on- and offstage scenes and flux of fears and dreams... the double life of all performers. In its unveiling of the everyday it rolls a vivid film reel starring friends and foes and nobodies: vignettes that make up life. It's verity. It's meritable storytelling. Not unlike the Callas art.

Download or read book Villard The Life and Times of an American Titan written by Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2019-08-15 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born Heinrich Hilgard in Bavaria, Henry Villard (1835-1900) emigrated to the United States at age 18 after a disagreement with his father, penniless, not speaking a word of English and without his parents’ knowledge. Within five years, he had mastered the English language and was covering the events of the day for the nation’s top newspapers. Villard reported firsthand on the Lincoln-Douglas debates and from the front lines of the Civil War, filed graphic, hard-hitting reports that earned him the admiration of the newspaper community. His circle of acquaintances included President Lincoln, General Grant, and the famed abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, whose daughter Villard married. When the Civil War ended, Villard’s penchant for risk-taking and adventure and his uncanny business acumen led him to become a restless innovator, breaking new ground in many areas. In journalism, he launched the first news syndicate in the United States; in the world of finance, he was a pioneer of venture capitalism and one of the first to employ the leveraged buyout. He catapulted himself into the presidency of the Northern Pacific Railroad and shared with Thomas Edison the vision of an electrified nation. His investment in Edison’s electrical enterprises paved the way for Villard to mastermind the consolidation of what is now known as the General Electric Company. In 1883, triumphantly driving the last spike himself, he completed the nation’s second transcontinental railroad. Later that year a financial panic nearly ruined him, but within a few years he made a phenomenal comeback based on his faith in Edison and the future of electricity. Drawing on unpublished letters, Henry Villard’s German and English memoirs, and other sources, this biography vividly recreates Villard’s times and tells the rags-to-riches story of a German immigrant who made major contributions to his adopted homeland. “[Villard’s] story is worth telling and in this biography it is told well.” — The Economist “The account here of young Henry’s ghastly first year as an immigrant is terrific, as good a piece of American biography as I’ve read. In general, you come away from the book with a much clearer idea of the Civil War as opportunity, not merely disaster, and as the watershed in U.S. history... Villard was an attractive character: optimistic, generous, affectionate. His attitudes toward slavery and female emancipation need cause his great-granddaughter no blush... [B]ecause we have so much information about Henry Villard [...] he comes alive for us as no other businessman of his age.” — James Buchan, The Observer “In their well-crafted biography, Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave and John Cullen lovingly recount the meteoritic rise of one of the nineteenth century’s most unsung business ‘titans,’ Henry Villard.” — Ryan J. Carey, Harvard Business School’s Business History Review “An insightful, lively and much-needed biography...” — John M. Lindley, Ramsey County History “Henry Villard is a name not widely known today, but a century ago this would not have been the case. Alexandra de Borchgrave’s and John Cullen’s biography of her greatgrandfather’s rise from penniless and prospectless young German immigrant to prominence and wealth has the fast pace and rich detail of a good novel and the meticulous research of a good history.” — Dr. Henry A. Kissinger “Henry Villard’s great-granddaughter Alexandra de Borchgrave and John Cullen have brought us a fascinating, brisk, and judicious life of one of the most intriguing figures in American history. Villard is the story not only of one man’s heroic enterprise, but also of Abraham Lincoln, William Lloyd Garrison, and the Civil War, the rise of railroads, the contradictions of the Gilded Age, and New York’s arrival as a world-class city.” — Michael Beschloss, historian “A spruce, engaging account of the life and services of one of the great public and private figures of our time. Anyone engaged with New York and American values in the past century should certainly read it. It will be time admirably spent.” — John Kenneth Galbraith, professor of economics, Harvard University “A remarkable, illuminating portrait of one of the great figures of New York history. Superbly told. An important adjunct to the library of anyone who is interested in the history of New York City.” — George Plimpton, author; editor of The Paris Review “The stirring saga of a truly remarkable man who enthusiastically embraced the challenges of his turbulent century. Immigrant, journalist, explorer, war correspondent, entrepreneur, tycoon, and visionary — Villard’s boundless energy, adventurous spirit, and courage in the face of adversity are an inspiration.” — Brian C. Pohanka, Civil War author and consultant to Time-Life Books’ The Civil War “Alexandra de Borchgrave and John Cullen at last do justice to a forgotten giant of American journalism and finance. A Civil War correspondent who invented the news syndicate and knew and was admired by President Lincoln, he then entered the world of finance to tussle with the likes of J. P. Morgan in the building of American railroads, and the founding of what became General Electric. Almost ruined in the panic of 1883, he returned to rebuild his empire and regain his place both in business and society. It’s a great addition to the story of America.” — Walter B. Wriston, former chairman, Citicorp

Download or read book Paul C zanne written by Gerstle Mack and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2019-08-15 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), whose work profoundly influenced modern art, is revealed here in all his sensitivity and complexity. With over one hundred letters to Zola and others, poems and photographs. “In this biography, admirable from beginning to end, Paul Cézanne is at last brought convincingly to life... Gerstle Mack has produced a full-length portrait [...] likely to prove, all in all, the most sympathetic, unbiased and complete picture of the extraordinary ‘hermit of Aix’ that we shall ever have... to read Mr. Mack’s beautifully coordinated narrative is sheer pleasure... With what amounts virtually to a novelist’s grasp of the whole situation, Mr. Mack causes Cézanne’s friends — those who played in any measure a significant part in his life — to come alive along with him... Gerstle Mack, in preparing this exceptionally fine biography of Cézanne, has assembled the existing material, weighed it with discriminating judgment, and woven the strands together to form a portrait that seems irradiated with truth...the life of Paul Cézanne as reconstructed by Mr. Mack is extraordinarily full and satisfying. It is a deft, engrossing, revelatory piece of work.” — Edward Arden Jewell, The New York Times(October 13, 1935) “The best biography [of Paul Cézanne] in English.” — John Rewald, The History of Impressionism “A thorough, dependable biography... It will remain the one indispensable source for those who undertake to interpret the modern master.” — The Nation “[Gerstle Mack] gives an excellent account of the impressionist movement... while his discussion of Cézanne’s painting is always lucid.” — London Times Literary Supplement “Mr. Mack’s chief reward is likely to come in finding that his work has set a date in our understanding of Cézanne’s real part in the history of modern painting.” — The New Republic “Definitive life of the painter who probably influenced modern art more than any man of his time... An important book for anyone interested in the history of art.” — Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book The Assoluta Voice in Opera 1797 1847 written by Geoffrey S. Riggs and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2003 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is unusual for styles in opera to carry over from one era into another. It would be even more unusual for one era's characteristics to linger two generations into the next. Yet this is precisely what happened during the first half of the nineteenth century, when the intricacies of the fleet bel canto style were combined with the Romantic era's heroic declamation and formidable orchestral emphasis resulting in the creation of the assoluta voice. This work traces the emergence of the impressive vocal writing that resulted from the marriage of the bel canto and Romantic eras. It also covers the uniquely versatile divas who were given the opportunities to make their mark on opera from the time of Cherubini to that of a young Verdi. Here, both the wide-ranging vocalism in the scores themselves and the artists capable of performing this style are referred to as assoluta. Chapters consider Luigi Cherubini's Medee, Gioacchino Rossini's Armida, Carl Maria von Weber's Oberon, Gaetano Donizetti's Anna Bolena, Vincenzo Bellini's Norma, Donizetti's Gemma di Vergy and Roberto Devereux, the time of transition in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco and Macbeth.

Download or read book The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music written by Don Michael Randel and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 1048 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biographaical dictionary emphisizes classicaland art music; also gives ample attention to the classics as well as Jazz, Blues, rock and pop, and hymns and showtunes across the ages.