Tragic Actress and Human Voice. Maria Callas in Ifigenia in Tauride Directed by Luchino Visconti
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13136/5ha0sf51Abstract
This article examines Maria Callas’s role as Iphigenia in Christoph W. Gluck’s opera Iphigénie en Tauride (Iphigenia in Tauris), which was performed at the Teatro alla Scala in 1957 as Ifigenia in Tauride. This eighteenth-century opera serves as a significant testament to Maria’s prowess as a singer and “grande attrice”, as noted by Visconti, who directed the production. The artistic collaboration between Callas and Visconti commenced with Gaspare Spontini’s La vestale (The Vestal Virgin) in 1954 at the same venue and reached remarkable heights with La traviata (The Fallen Woman) in 1955-1956. Maria Callas’s portrayal of Iphigenia thus marks the culmination of an extraordinary journey, prompting a reflection on several critical aspects of her legacy: her unique identity as a singer-actress and “menschliche Stimme”, a phrase coined by Ingeborg Bachmann, who was profoundly moved by Callas’s interpretation of Violetta; the professional, artistic, and personal relationship with Luchino Visconti, which contributed to one of the most memorable seasons in twentieth-century opera, acting, and directing, along with the theatrical insights that emerged from this collaboration; and Callas’s own connection to her Greek origin and to Greek tragic myths. In exploring the life and impact of Maria Callas, it is essential to acknowledge the diverse dimensions of her legacy. The concluding section of this article discusses a poetic tribute to
Callas and her collaboration with Visconti: Hommage à Maria Callas (Homage to Maria Callas) by Ingeborg Bachmann, along with Mario Martone’s installation and film showcased in the exhibition Fantasmagoria Callas at the Teatro alla Scala in 2023-2024.
KEYWORDS: Maria Callas; Luchino Visconti; Iphigénie en Tauride by Christoph W. Gluck; opera singer-actor; Ingeborg Bachmann
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