Renata Scotto on Maria Callas: greater than all of us
“Listen to me, everyone speak about Callas. But I know Callas. I know Callas before she was Callas.
She was fat and she had this vociaccia — you know what a vociaccia is? You go kill a cat and record its scream. She had this bad skin. And she had this rich husband. We laugh at her, you know that?
And then, I sat in on a rehearsal with Maestro Serafin. You know, it was Parsifal and I was supposed to see if I do one of the flowers. I didn’t. And she sing that music. In Italian of course. And he tell her this and he tell her that and little by little this voice had all the nature in it — the forest and the magic castle and hatred that is love. And little by little she not fat with bad skin and rich-husband-asleep-in-the-corner; she witch who burn you by standing there.
Maestro Serafin he say to me afterwards, you know now something about Parsifal. I say, “No, Maestro, I know much more. I know how to study. And I know that we are more than voices. We are spirit, we are god when we sing, if we mean it.”
Oh yes, they will go on about Tebaldi this and Freni that. Beautiful, beautiful voices, amazing. They work hard. They sincere. They suffer. They more talented than Maria, sure. But she was the genius. Genius come from genio — spirit. And that make her more than all of us. So I learn from that. Don’t let them take from you because you are something they don’t expect. Work and fight and work and give, and maybe once in a while you are good.”
Renata Scotto in recorded conversation with writer, vocal coach, and music critic Albert Innaurato. More quotes about Callas on Wikiquote.
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
love them both
CALLAS FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Envy is such a sad feeling…How dare you Scotto,such hypocrisy !
There is no evidence of ENVY in this interview whatsoever. Perhaps English is not your first language as it is surely not Renata Scotto’s. Despite less than perfect English, she describes Callas’ gifts as beyond the mere mortal, as spiritual and even God-like. That you could possibly interpret this as anything less than the greatest tribute to Callas is beyond belief unless you have a hateful agenda against Scotto to begin with. Which one is it: a language problem or your agenda? Or, perhaps both?
Envy is not so bad when it helps you become better at your craft and that is what Madame Scotto is trying to convey. I love Callas for all of her faults, but I love Scotto for her ability to adapt and make wonderful music. The end of “Suor Angelica” will live with me forever. She is still the cream of the crop.
Better to ignore those comments, they are just part of the Segunda Donna’s nature, dear Scotto, you should take a look at your cinemateca – memorabilia and re-consider the idea of making negative comments about someone’s else physical appearance. I used to have some respect for you
awful english. no evidence she said that.