Maria Callas was an American-born Greek opera singer, often regarded as the greatest ever soprano. She combined a wonderfully versatile voice with a natural ability for drama. She made opera popular with millions of people and her recordings are studied by budding opera singers today. Callas’ own life has been rich enough to be the subject of an opera.
玛丽亚·卡拉斯为著名美籍希腊歌剧演唱家,被誉为史上最伟大的女高音歌唱家。她的声域宽阔,天生具有歌剧演唱才能。因为卡拉斯,数百万听众被歌剧所倾倒,直到今天,她的演唱仍为学生们的研究话题。而她的一生足可以成为一部歌剧主题。
Callas was born in New York and raised in Greece. Her mother recognized Maria’s singing talents early on. Callas said: "I was made to sing when I was only five, and I hated it." In 1937, a singing tutor in Athens described her voice as being “an amazing phenomenon” that should “shine with all its brilliance”. She studied and sang for ten hours a day.
卡拉斯在纽约出生,希腊长大。母亲很早就发现了她的演唱才能。卡拉斯称:“我五岁起被迫学习唱歌,我讨厌极了。”1937年,雅典某歌唱老师称她的嗓音“惊为天人”,应该让她光满四射。卡拉斯每天练习10个小时。
Callas made her professional debut in Athens in 1942. A critic stated Callas was "an extremely dynamic artist possessing the rarest dramatic and musical gifts". Callas’ career took off in 1946 when she went to Italy. She got increasingly rave reviews. One famous soprano said Callas “opened a new door for all the singers in the world”. She got the nickname ‘Divina’, the divine one.
1942年,卡拉斯在雅典首次“发声”。某评论家认为,卡拉斯的音乐才华史上罕见,是一位极具才华的艺术家。1946年,卡拉斯前往意大利,她的歌唱事业从此腾飞。并且好评如潮。某著名女高音歌唱家认为,卡拉斯为全球歌者开启了另一扇门。并获得“Divina”(顶尖)称号。
In 1965, Callas ended her stage career in London’s Royal Opera House. She was adored by opera enthusiasts worldwide. A famous conductor spoke of her amazing talent. If the public could understand, as we do, how deeply and utterly musical Callas is, they would be stunned." Callas spent her final years living in isolation in Paris.
1965年,卡拉斯在伦敦皇家歌剧院完美谢幕。全球歌剧迷为卡拉斯所倾倒。某著名指挥家曾谈及她的演唱天赋。关于卡拉斯的音乐天赋,业内人士非常明白,若大众也同样知晓,那么你们一定会震惊不已。卡拉斯在巴黎孤独度过晚年。