My Wife Maria Callas
New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1982. 1st US Edition. Octavo, publisher's mauve cloth over gray paper-covered boards, spine stamped in silver, original photo-illustrated dust jacket.
First US edition of Giovanni Battista Meneghini’s biography of his ex-wife, the Greek-American opera soprano. Callas made her professional debut in Italy in 1941, skyrocketing to international fame almost immediately for her distinctive, and at times controversial, singing voice. The dramatic timbre of Callas's voice wasn't the only controversial aspect of her image: she was a hot topic in the media for her rivalry with fellow soprano Renata Tebaldi, as well as her reputation for being difficult to work with. Nonetheless, her voice and prolific career cemented her status as one of the greats long after her death in 1977. Meneghini, a brick manufacturer, met 23-year-old Callas in 1947. They were inseparable for a decade before Callas abruptly abandoned him for Aristotle Onassis, leaving Meneghini confused and distraught. Written after her death and shortly before his, Meneghini’s portrait details the ups and downs of their relationship along with her other varied love affairs, collaborations with the likes of Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli, Leonard Bernstein, and Arturo Toscanini. Translated from the original Italian, with an introduction, by Henry Wisneski. Illustrated with black-and-white photos; with an index. Dust jacket designed by Melissa Feldman featuring a portrait of Callas by Christian Steiner. Originally published in Italy in 1981. Unclipped dust jacket with some chipping and edgewear. Very good. Item #10894
$45.00