Callas by Callas: The Secret Writings of La Maria

by Renzo Allegri and Roberto Allegri

Passionate portrayals of the great Maria Callas have appeared in countless articles and books. Yet behind the unanimous enthusiasm for the soprano's talent remains the mystery of the woman... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0789301350
• ISBN13: 9780789301352
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: Universe Publishing(NY)
• Length: 166 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 9.4" x 11.4"

Customer Reviews

a surprise

A beautiful and worthwhile book on Maria Callas, in a sort of guise of coffee table tome. The ivory flap cover is almost Raphaelite, but it's the photos inside really worth the price of admission. The text has little that's new. Pieces of Callas' private diaries and letters provide a unique, not extensive glance at her private life, forming at times a melancholy sense of a tenuous woman's personal fears and difficulties. Refuting a rumor that Meneghini wanted her to stop singing altogether, she denied that was his view, saying "It is not his view, because if it were I would never have sung again." Some interesting bits on Elsa Maxwell, who was apparently in love with Callas, and some of the finest photographs of Maria I've seen anywhere. The book is a genuine homage to her art, and there's nothing cheap or filler about it. It's an experience to dominate any Callas lover for a few hours, and the kind of book you can return to repeatedly. Molto recommendation.

Lots of beautiful pictures!!!

I loved reading this book since Callas was clearing up a lot of the rumors in her own words. Very interesting!! The pictures were amazing!! It doesn't show a lot of pictures of her in operas but it has a lot of pictures of Maria the woman. The pictures are arranged in a very interesting format. Each page has at least two pictures on it. Very Cool!!

Copyrights

One cannot copyright titles

A book without the old hackneyed information

I was somewhat perplexed by the earlier review as it had nothing whatsoever to do with the book. While Maria Callas was not an articulate spokesperson, we do, in the volume, have a rare glimpse of the inner woman as well as the outer persona. The photographs were particularly good, and surprisingly intact considering that they must have been rather old when incorporated into this volume. And, above all, they were not the 'usual old photos of Maria Callas'. For fans of hers and even if you are not, there's a lot of meat in this volume especially after most of what has been printed about her is of the coffee table variety without much substance.