Customer Reviews

Maria Callas

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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.