Maria La Divina

Charyn, author of historical novels including Ravage & Son, offers an impressive portrait of opera singer Maria Callas (1923–1977), spanning from her awkward years as a teenage neophyte to the end of her career, when her legendary voice deserts her. At 15, the Manhattan-born Maria lands a place in the Athens Conservatory, where she’d moved with her mother after her father’s infidelities became too much to bear. Her teacher, Elvira de Hidalgo, is unimpressed by the “pasty, half-blind girl in an ill-fitting smock” until she hears Maria’s rich voice, “deep with emotion.” Her talents become more widely recognized after she sings the difficult title role of Tosca at 18, an especially triumphant moment as she has to compensate for her nearsightedness by memorizing the position of every piece of furniture on the stage. After WWII, Maria returns to the U.S., where her performances with the Metropolitan Opera cause attendees to chant “La Divina” (the divine one), and their standing ovations last more than 20 minutes. Maria’s personal life is more troubled, including her affair with Aristotle Onassis, and as her health declines, she fails to reach her earlier heights in her final performances. Charyn elicits sympathy for his complex lead through nuanced character work, and he manages to channel the excitement of Callas’s performances. This is a marvel. (Sept.)