Nevertheless, it didn't stop her from filling her performances with drama and bravura.īut the famed diva contended with more than harsh words from critics. Even Callas' mentor, Tullio Serafin, got in on the nasty comments, referring to her by the pejorative "una grande vociaccia," or literally, "the great ugly voice." Perhaps saddest of all, Callas didn't enjoy the kind of voice she had. Celletti wrote that her voice sounded ugly and arid. But others, such as the Italian Rodolfo Celletti, had nothing but bad news for the soprano. On the one hand, critics like Walter Legge noted her possession of "the most essential ingredient for a great singer: an instantly recognizable voice" (via Snippet of History). Eventually, they published a retraction and paid for damages and legal expenses. After Cazzarolli refused to publish a retraction and apology, Callas sued the company, the lawsuit of which dragged on for three years. Cazzarolli, a family friend who served as best man at Callas' wedding to Giovanni Battista Meneghini. The company claimed Callas' lost weight resulted from consuming their "physiological pasta," a claim signed by Dr. In an interview with The Guardian, Tosi explained that Callas "did have to have treatment for worms, possibly because of her fondness for raw steak, but she dropped the weight by following a diet based on consuming iodine." The iodine diet worked, although it came with dangerous side effects like changes to her metabolism and central nervous system.īut the most troubling rumors, according to " The Autobiography of Maria Callas," involved an unscrupulous pasta company, Pantanella Pasta and Flour Factory, who saw her physical triumph as an opportunity to make money. This myth still makes the internet rounds, but is there any merit to the parasitic story? Bruno Tosi, president of the International Maria Callas Association, debunked the rumor in 2006.
Following a performance of "Aida," one music critic cruelly noted, "It was difficult to discern Callas' ankles from those of the elephant in the scene." Ultimately, concerns about her singing career and her voice feeling heavy motivated Maria to go on a self-starvation regimen.
Critics would also begin weighing in on Maria's physique as she gained acclaim on the world stage. In her memoir, "My Daughter Maria Callas," Litza would later write of her daughter's devotion to singing - " practiced day and night and sometimes forgot to eat, which for Maria was miraculous" (as quoted in Encyclopedia). She was myopic and dressed sloppily, exacerbating feelings of inferiority and inelegance. According to Cultura Colectiva, Maria weighed 220 pounds by her teens. While Litza believed Jackie Callas to embody feminine perfection, Maria received little attention, except for her budding vocal career. As a result, Maria suffered from weight issues throughout her early career, exacerbated by her mother's constant comparison of her two daughters.
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