Maria Callas [Hardcover]

Jurgen Kesting (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

After releasing Michael Scott's fine Maria Meneghini Callas ( LJ 8/92) only last year, the same publisher has come out with another biography of the celebrated soprano. One would be apt to consider this step redundant were it not for the superb insights and total command of his material displayed by the author, who is the head of Stern Magazin' s cultural department. In addition to providing a chronological narrative, the new volume begins with four fascinating essays that approach the Callas phenomenon from several perspectives, placing her in context. An 80-page discussion of Callas's recorded legacy is obviously based on careful and reflective listening. Somewhat in the manner of Harold Schonberg's new biography of Vladimir Horowitz, Kesting is at times openly partisan, quibbling with some bad reviews the soprano may well have deserved. Nevertheless, the book is well worth acquiring. Recommended for most collections.
- E. Gaub, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, N.Y.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The ultimate opera diva: temperamental and flamboyant, as much at home in scandal as in artistry. Isn't that how the great Maria Callas is remembered? This new biography by a German critic seeks truer, closer, more comprehensive definitions of the Greek soprano beyond the turbulence that seemed always to swell around her. He sets the life and career of Callas in a larger context, posing and reflecting on such questions as what is the way opera is to be performed, what is a prima donna, what is a beautiful singing voice, what is greatness in art, what is fame? Callas had a controversial voice and approach to rendering characterizations onstage. Kesting answers charges against her on those grounds, in the process slowly but surely establishing her distinctions, eschewing a simple chronological narrative of events. One comes away from this tirelessly researched and passionately imagined biography with a genuine feel for the voice, the voice, the voice--the voice that was so extraordinary in its ability to lend exquisite drama to roles sopranos before her had only walked through. Brad Hooper

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 465 pages
• Publisher: Northeastern (November 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555531792
• ISBN-13: 978-1555531799
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,165,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Callas, Maria

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More akin to Ardoin's "The Callas Legacy", July 29, 2005

By 

Kelly Bolter (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maria Callas (Hardcover)

Jurgen Kesting's account of Maria Callas is an almost radical departure from what is generally written, replacing the usual gossip mongering with a critical eye trained more on her musical achievements than on her personal drama.

As a relatively new fan of La Divina, I had not hitherto understood the technical marvel that was (and still is) the voice of Maria Callas as I believe I do now after reading this book. The manner with which Kesting has written is a welcome change from the tabloid style so pervasive in many accounts of Callas's life. Here she is evaluated based not on scandal, but rather on what is sadly overlooked in favor of mere entertainment: her voice.

Included in the back of the book is a helpful glossary of musical terms used throughout the narrative and also extensive notes on resources cited in each section. The last section, 'Singing for the Imagination', seemed to lag at times and come off as rather repetitive in some places, but it does give excellent insight into most of Callas's performances and highlights aspects of her musical technique which I am sure many people have not given much thought to.

All in all, I rate this book at four out of five stars. It is an extremely insightful work on the subject, but I would not recommend it to those who are simply looking for new "dirt" to be uncovered on Maria Callas.