An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I've left the opera house.
Maria CallasRead
I would like to be Maria, but there is La Callas who demands that I carry myself with her dignity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle of balancing personal identity with societal expectations.
In this quote, Maria Callas expresses a desire to embrace her own individuality and artistic expression while feeling the weight of the expectations set upon her by the legendary soprano, La Callas. This duality highlights the conflict many artists face between their personal aspirations and the standards imposed by their predecessors or society at large, illustrating a broader theme of identity in the arts.
Themes
IdentityArtExpectationsIndividualitySelf-Expression
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at an art exhibition, to encourage artists to stay true to themselves.
More from Maria Callas
All quotes →First I lost my voice, then I lost my figure and then I lost Onassis.
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I will always be as difficult as necessary to achieve the best.
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What is there in life if you do not work? There is only sensation, and there are only a few sensations— you cannot live on them. You can only live on work, by work, through work. How can you live with self-respect if you do not do things as well as lies in you?
Maria CallasRead
To sing is an expression of your being, a being which is becoming.
Maria CallasRead
I don't need the money, dear. I work for art.
Maria CallasRead
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