Javier Romuldo
Rome, October 20 (EFE) – On the 100th anniversary of Maria Callas’ birth, two ambitious documentaries premiering at the Rome Film Festival look back at the two sides of the most famous soprano of the 20th century: Her brilliance on stage and his talent. The intimacy of loneliness, especially in the last years of his life.
“Callas, Paris, 1958” and “Maria Callas.” “Letters and Memories”, both projects driven by “Divine Comedy” biographer Tom Volf, present the full scope of her career: the first high-definition recreation of her legendary debut at the Paris Opera , the second delves into his intimate relationships through a series of letters read by Italian actress Monica Bellucci.
Bellucci said today at a press conference for the premiere of the documentary: “From a very young age, Callas has only focused on work, and at work she is like a general, but there are many things in life that she does not know .”
“Maria Callas. Letters and Memories” tells the story of Bellucci’s international tour, performed in three languages (English, French and Italian), in which the Italian muse takes on the form of a soprano and expresses emotion through her singing. consistent.
It was a lengthy tour, with Bellucci at every show wearing the same black dress that Callas had previously used to tell the story of the legendary artist’s ambitions, romances and troubles.
The film’s montage combines scenes from the show, which is modeled after the Paris apartment where Callas spent the last years of his life, with previous rehearsals, archival images and reflections by both artists.
“When she talks about work, we hear her being confident. But when she talks about her personal life, she shows a childish side,” Bellucci said in the recording.
Callas’s letters to Aristotle Onassis at the height of her career confirm this: “I need affection and tenderness,” she told the man considered the love of her life. This line summed up the star’s feelings offstage, and Bellucci delivered it with exquisite detail during every performance.
But rather than portraying Callas as a victim of her own fame, Wolfe’s script celebrates a cosmopolitan American-born woman of Greek descent, committed to success in Italy and France, who knew how to revive “Bel Canto” to achieve perfection. and popularized characters such as “Elvira,” “Aida” and “Medea.”
Her separation from her first husband, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, in 1959 in Italy, where divorce was not yet regulated, illustrates a woman’s ongoing search for freedom, such as her decision to The performance of “Norma” in Rome was abandoned midway. The cold prevented him from producing his best voice, which shows how demanding he is.
The diva’s reaction to the turmoil that led to her abandonment was equally telling: “I’m not attacking heads of state or the world of poetry. I just have bronchitis.”
“Maria Callas: Letters and Memories” also includes the soprano’s correspondence with Pier Paolo Pasolini after the filming of “Medea” in 1969, her only big screen appearance. Help her return to the big screen after a period of downturn and experience the sweetness of success. .The voice and tumultuous relationship with Onassis.
In letters to Pasolini, Callas acknowledged that her glory days were over, at which point she decided to sequester herself in an elegant Parisian apartment until her untimely death in 1977 at the age of 53, which the film returns to. Found this refuge. some scenes.
The French capital is also the location for the second documentary Callas, Paris, 1958, where recordings of his 1958 Paris Opera premiere have been restored and restored.
The poetry concert, considered historic, was broadcast on television in several European countries, not only to commemorate Callas but also to popularize the genre and bring it closer to countless homes far away from Paris.
After discovering the original film tapes, Wolfe personally promoted the film, delivering the event in high definition with new sound masters to inspire public interest in the “biography” of Callas being prepared in Hollywood film” directed by Chilean Pablo. Starring Larraín and Angelina Jolie.Effie
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