Maria Callas: Life and Art (1987) (TV)

User Rating:

9.7/10   

Directors:

Alan Lewens
Alistair Mitchell

Cast

Maria Callas

...

Herself (archive footage)

the Queen of Opera

This British EMI Records documentary directed by Alan Lewens and Alistair Mitchell and narrated by Rosalie Crutchley features to-camera interviews, performances from Callas, audio from her Julliard Master Class, and newsreels. It also conveys the sadness of the decline of Callas' career, more sorrowful perhaps because of it's greatness and her purposeful squandering of her talent for love.

It is suggested that Callas voice was faltering in her 1962 recitals and 1964 comeback of the opera "Norma", and that if she hadn't met Onassis and chosen the "jet set high society" life, she may have addressed the vocal problems. Rejected by Onassis in favor of Jackie Kennedy, who had refused to marry her or allow her to have a child, it is said that Maria's broken heart and loss of an audience's rapport is what killed her. Faced with a heart attack, she chose not to fight.

Franco Zeffirelli points out that artists, like athletes, only have a short life, and in comparing Callas to Michelangelo and Nijinksy, believes that audiences (and specifically critics) should have been grateful for the opportunity to hear her sing, at all. Accompanist Robert Sutherland claims that her voice was just overworked.

Others interviewed here are tenors Zani Kambanis and Giuseppe di Stefano (who describes director Luchino Visconti's dislike of his practical jokes), Lord Harewood (whose 1968 Conversations shows Callas in white make-up), agent S.A. Gorlinsky, producer Andy Anderson, EMI recording manager Peter Andry, Variety critic Jack Pitman, conductor Carlo Maria Giulini, and friend Edith Gorlinsky.

We see Japanese subtitled footage of the last concert in Tokyo, a newsreel deconstructed as evidence of press distortion, rare evidence of Callas' sense of humour about her troubles, and her barely concealed contempt when speaking to a stalking reporter. No explaination is given for her mid-career weight loss, apart from her wanting to be "beautiful", and we are told that part of Onassis' appeal was his sexual technique.

Callas voice is shown off best in a performance of Carmen's "Habanera" for black and white television, where she also looks great.