| Since 19th July 2005 Venice has
officially had a “ponte” and a “fondamenta”
Maria Callas behind the monumental building of the Fenice
Theatre, where there is the entrance for boats. The
Venetian dedication to the great Hellenic singer, artistically
“born” just on the glamorous lagoon stage,
took place at 13.00 at the presence of the Mayor Massimo
Cacciari and of an exceptional patroness: the famous
mezzosoprano, 95-year-old, Giulietta Simionato. With
a successful career (49 years) behind her, she was great
friend of the “Divina” and her mate on the
stage in the most important theatres all over the world
from 1950 to 1965.
“ Maria Callas, I first met
at the Fenice, deserves this celebration”-the
“golden voice” of Forlì declared-
visibly moved in her rose pleated chiffon dress.
“Maria was the Music for antonomasia, and her
friendship accompanied me all my life, also when she
gave up music. There was no rivalry between us on the
stage, and when we were out of the stage we were only
Maria and Giulietta”.
Everybody was satisfied, the foremost
citizen of Venice, the Fenice Theatre executives and,
above all, the President of the cultural Association
Maria Callas, Bruno Tosi, who was the first one to suggest
to dedicate both the “ponte” and the “fondamenta”
behind the theatre to the great soprano.
“At last also Venice dedicates a street to the
leading opera singer, after a square in Milan and a
promenade in Paris”- Bruno Tosi mentions.
“The Hellenic singer sang at the Fenice Theatre
eight times from 1947 to1954, obtaining her first significant
successes in Venice by critics; then in the lagoon she
knew Aristotele Onassis”.
Regarding the special encounter between
the soprano and the Greek shipowner, the film director
Giorgio Capitani is shooting in Rome ( probably in Venice
too) the fiction “Callas-Onassis” with Luisa
Ranieri and Gerard Darmon, and it will be on at Christmas
on channel 5. Meanwhile, the sublime soprano is still
protagonist in the inedited pictures in the 2006 calendar,
promoted by the Association Maria Callas, that can be
purchased on the renewed official site “www.callas.it”.
In occasion of the entitling of the
“ponte” and “fondamenta” Maria
Callas, Ferruccio Mezzadri, who had been the leading
lady’s private chauffer for twenty years, offered
a new portrait of the singer with her beloved little
dogs Pixie and Djedda to the Fenice Theatre. The beautiful
work by the master Ulisse Sartini , introduced by Giulietta
Simionato, can be admired near the stalls entrance by
people passing by at every performance. At present,
after Sciltian and Annigoni, Ulisse Sartini is one of
the most famous portraitists. Previously he represented
Maria Callas and these works are at the Museum of the
Scala Theatre in Milan and at the foiler of the Opera
in Athens. Ulisse Sartini is the only painter who portrayed
the Pope Giovanni Paolo II.
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