The 100th anniversary of Maria Callas’ birth is still being celebrated. “Callas e Verona. La nascita della Divina”, a display honoring the significant connection between Callas and the city of Verona, is taking place at the Conservatorio “E. F. Dall’Abaco” spaces in Verona. The exhibition, which runs until March 28th, is divided into three sections that alternate between multimedia and narrative, immersing the viewer in the life of the Divina.
Maria Anna Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulos, more commonly known as Maria Callas, debuted in Verona in 1947 and resided there until 1954. She made an indelible impact on the city throughout the years and is still a source of great pride for Verona, which just commemorated the 100th anniversary of her birth on December 2. However, the celebrations could not be limited to a single day; therefore, there were various activities held throughout the year, including an exhibition at the conservatory with free entrance from Via Massalongo, 2 Verona. Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Three sections to discover the life, passions, and voice of Maria Callas
“The Theater,” which is situated in the hallway and entry hall, is the first space that may be visited. Upon entering the conservatory, the visitor transforms into an actual spectator and is propelled into an animated display that replicates a theater’s interior. With the use of movie projections, Maria Callas herself goes with him on his quest to discover the Divina. Amid vocalizations in the dressing room and opera clips, the first section creates the atmosphere of a theater.
The second section, “Life,” is located in the cloister loggia. Five double-sided banners that depict various periods of Maria Callas’ life are located in the port that borders one of the cloister’s sides. These include visits to Milan, Paris, Athens, New York, Monte Carlo, and, of course, the legendary Veronese years, which are explored with rare images of her personal life.
The third and final segment, “The Voice,” takes the audience on a trip through the roles she played over her five seasons at the Arena di Verona. Listeners will be able to hear mastered versions of studio or live recordings from 1951 to 1956 that are included in the unique Warner Classics box set “LA DIVINA – Maria Callas in all her roles,” which is the richest compilation of Callas recordings ever released. Additionally, guests will have a chance to select the audio track and turn their listening experience into an artistic one thanks to the spectrography that isolates her voice’s key characteristics on the screen from the orchestra. This is made possible by the tablets and screens that are provided.
