True confession time. Are you ready? I have never understood the fascination with Maria Callas. When I was in college I knew of her larger-than-life reputation—on and off the stage—and I tried listening to her. But I could never get past the glaring and numerous technical flaws in her voice to really sit down and listen to her. And I guess that’s my second confession: I haven’t listened to that much Callas in my lifetime.
When an article submission about Callas from writer Tony Villecco came through my inbox a few months ago, I was surprised to discover that, for a time, Villecco felt the same as I did. But, as Villecco admits (p. 32), he needed repeated exposure to “La Divina” as well as a little more of his own life experience to begin to understand what draws people to Callas’s voice and work. What made Callas great involves understanding how her personal life impacted her operatic interpretations.
With that in mind, here are a few of Callas’s life observations in her own words to introduce this issue.
“ . . . The difference between good teachers and great teachers: good teachers make the best of a pupil’s means; great teachers foresee a pupil’s ends.”
Perhaps no one understands the powerful impact of a great teacher more than rising star Ryan Speedo Green, featured in this month’s cover story (p. 16). The bass-baritone grew up in a trailer park and spent time in juvenile detention—not your typical stops on the way to an opera career. But through the intervention of two influential teachers who saw Green’s potential, he rose above and continues to create a professional and personal life he once never could have imagined.
New York Times best-selling author Daniel Bergner met Green while covering the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. The two continued corresponding after the competition, and Bergner eventually convinced Green to let him tell his story in the new book, Sing for Your Life (p. 12). Like Green’s two teachers, Bergner also saw where this young singer’s drive and talent might take him—a story that is still being written.
“Some say I have a beautiful voice, some say I have not. It is a matter of opinion. All I can say, those who don’t like it shouldn’t come to hear me.”
Opinions vary about the new a cappella fascination storming the country. Regardless of your feelings about the reality TV show The Sing-Off or the movie Pitch Perfect, perhaps you’ve asked the question: Is there a place for classical singers in this medium? The writer of the hit Broadway musical In Transit tells Rachel A. Antman that there definitely is (p. 26). Antman also highlights classical singers who are exploring the a cappella possibilities in their own careers.
“An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I’ve left the opera house.”
Husband-and-wife team Robert and Jane Mirshak discuss how to develop a Callas-like artistry through thorough and complete preparation. Then when you add passion to preparation, they explain, you create that extra something special that will get you hired (p. 30). And speaking of passion, don’t miss reading about Las Vegas-based singer Michelle Johnson and how she is drawing inspiration from the great artists she has worked with over the years (p. 38).
I may have doubted Callas’s vocal technique—but even in my limited exposure to her singing, I never doubted her intense passion and commitment to her characters. “Art is domination,” the singer said. “It’s making people think that for that precise moment in time there is only one way, one voice. Yours.” That kind of passion is something we can all aspire to.
Sara Thomas
