Callas, Maria. (1923–1977)
Autograph Letter on her Calling Card, mentioning Traviata
Autograph note to an unidentified recipient on both sides of her printed visiting card. Ca. 47 x 84 mm., with "Maria Meneghini Callas" printed to recto. One corner very slightly creased. "Dear friend – I am terribly sorry but Saturday is taken with my rehearsal of Traviata. Please call me and we will see each other if possible after the 6th. Thank you and best regards."Maria Callas was the most famous and also the most glamorous opera singer of her time. Her fame was enhanced by her attractive physique, and her early death turned her into an almost mythical figure. Initially performing dramatic roles including most of Wagner's soprano parts, she later focused on the Italian belcanto repertory. "Of Callas’s artistic pre-eminence there can be no doubt. Among her contemporaries she had the deepest comprehension of the Classical Italian style, the most musical instincts and the most intelligent approach. There was authority in all that she did on the stage and in every phrase that she uttered. Her voice, especially during the early 1950s, was in itself an impressive instrument, with its penetrating individual quality, its rich variety of colour and its great agility in florid music." (Grove Music Online)
Callas sang Violetta in La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera on February 6, 1957. (12413)
Autograph Letter Opera