My First Diva...

I've always had opera in my life (with a last name like mine, it's pretty much a given. most likely genetic). When I was younger, my mom would wake me up for school by playing music - many times it would be an album of arias by Luciano Pavarotti. I also remember in grade school, watching Amadeus and Carmen in music class, and going on field trips to Lyric Opera and the CSO. So it isn't altogether surprising that I like opera, am a season subscriber to Lyric Opera (for several years) and have a fan group dedicated to the lovely and fabulous Ms. Renee Fleming.

But my very first soprano, and my first Diva (capital D) was Maria Callas (who would have celebrated her 83rd birthday yesterday). I stumbled across Maria entirely by accident - I'd watched a mini-series about Aristotle Onassis and was facinated by Maria - who was not a major "character" in the series and was never shown singing. I was full of questions about her - firstly, what did she sound like? what happened to her in the course of her own life? I ran out to the library, got some of her vast catalogue of music, and started listening and learning. I was born a year after she died, so I never had the chance to see her on stage. It says something about the power of her voice that I was so hooked just by recordings. Hers is not a pretty voice, but there's something else there - a strength, an edge, a certain power and drama that I just was drawn into. Her story is also compelling - growing up in Greece during the German occupation, her transformation from an awkward chubby girl into a beautiful, thin social Diva, all of it just added to the fascination for me. Maria sang so many of the iconic opera roles, and I listened to (and now own) many of her recordings. She gave me strong foundation into the repertoire and I enthusiastically explored it.

I have since moved on - other singers, other repertoire, and experiencing opera through attending performances (at Lyric, where Maria helped open the fledgling company founded in 1954). But you know, it's true what they say: you never forget your first.

Happy Birthday, Maria.