Maria Callas, conversations

From 1965 onward, as the legendary Maria Callas gradually stepped away from the world of opera after more than twenty years in the spotlight, her admirers were left to mourn the loss of one of the most iconic and acclaimed singers of her generation. Both adored and detested, she remains a fascinating figure who revolutionised the world of bel canto thanks to the richness of her timbre and extraordinary capacity for embodiment. Four years later, she gave an interview to French journalist Pierre Desgraupes, in which she talked about her art and the reasons for her retirement. It was also an opportunity to hear her sing in extracts complementing the interview, ‘Infranta, sì, se alcun di voi snudarla’ from Norma, as well as the aria from Massenet’s Manon, ‘Je suis que faiblesse… Adieu, notre petite table’. Performed on 2 May 1965, the latter takes on a poignant new meaning when you realise that Callas was, perhaps unknowingly, bidding a final farewell to her audience.