Maria Callas is still regarded as one of the greatest singing actresses of all time, over 25 years since her death.
"She shone for all too brief a while in the world of opera, like a vivid flame attracting the attention of the whole world, and she had a strange magic which was all her own. I always thought she was immortal-and she is."
Tito Gobbi
Callas changed the sound of her voice for every role she sang and it ranged from black in 'Medea' to white in 'La Sonnambula', although one could never mistake her for anyone else. She also thought much about expression, what the character was trying to say at each point in the opera:
"We must not forget that the composer drew his inspiration from a script- a drama-and that the music sprang from every word of that drama. The notes weren't simply chosen as ornamentation. Every note and every phrase has a precise meaning, and it varies enormously, as in a conversation. Wouldn't it be horrible to hear someone express varied sentiments without ever changing the tone of voice?"
Maria Callas