Maria callas bel canto

ByEngrid Barnett

Greek-American soprano Maria Callas was born in 1923 and took the operatic world by storm with her intensely dramatic mid-century portrayals of classical music's most famed leading ladies, from Medea to Norma and Aida.

She performed in 1941's "Boccaccio" with the Royal Opera of Athens, which helped her garner her first significant role in "Tosca." By 1947, she officially debuted in Italy at the Verona Arena. But one of her most notable roles would come in the 1954 production of "Norma." 

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During her musical career, Callas won acclaim for her electrifying interpretations, one-of-a-kind voice, and incredible range.

Yet, time would not deal kindly with her. She enjoyed her most solid vocalizations in the early 1950s, but an early and perceptible decline started near the end of the same decade (via NPR).

Some critics blamed the change in her voice on extreme dieting and weight