An extremely versatile singer, her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini; further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her remarkable musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina. She also achieved success as a cinematic actress, playing the title role in Pasolini's Medea.
Born in New York City and raised by an overbearing mother, she received her musical education in Greece and established her career in Italy. Forced to deal with the exigencies of wartime poverty and with myopia that left her nearly blind onstage, she endured struggles and scandal over the course of her career. She turned herself from a heavy woman into a svelte and glamorous one after a mid-career weight loss, which might have contributed to her vocal decline and the premature end of her career. The press exulted in publicizing Callas's allegedly temperamental behaviour, her supposed rivalry with Renata Tebaldi and her love affair with Aristotle Onassis.
Her dramatic life and personal tragedy have often overshadowed Callas the artist in the popular press. However, her artistic achievements were such that Leonard Bernstein called her "The Bible of opera"; and her influence was so enduring that, in 2006, Opera News wrote of her: "Nearly thirty years after her death, she's still the definition of the diva as artist—and still one of classical music's best-selling vocalists."
O mio babbino caro
Maria Callas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
mi piace è bello, bello;
vo'andare in Porta Rossa
a comperar l'anello!
Sì, sì, ci voglio andare!
e se l'amassi indarno,
andrei sul Ponte Vecchio,
ma per buttarmi in Arno!
O Dio, vorrei morir!
Babbo, pietà, pietà!
The lyrics of "O mio babbino caro" are a plea from Lauretta, the daughter of a wealthy man, who is desperately asking her father to give her permission to marry the man she loves. She expresses her desire to go to Porta Rossa, a market in Florence, to buy the engagement ring. She also tells her father that if her love is not reciprocated, she will jump into the Arno River from the Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge in Florence. The lyrics reveal Lauretta's extreme emotional distress when she sings about feeling tormented and that the only solution to her pain is to die. She begs her father, calling him "Babbo," to have mercy and grant her request.
The song is highly emotional both lyrically and musically, and it is often performed as an aria in operas, making it a staple in the repertoire of popular sopranos. The soaring melody and lush orchestration effectively convey the depth of Lauretta's feelings. The lyrics, while expressing the extreme romantic fervor of a young woman, also convey a feeling of hopelessness, underscoring the tragedy that would result from thwarted love.
Line by Line Meaning
O mio babbino caro,
Oh my dear father,
mi piace è bello, bello;
I am in love, it is beautiful, beautiful;
vo'andare in Porta Rossa
I want to go to Porta Rossa
a comperar l'anello!
to buy the ring!
Sì, sì, ci voglio andare!
Yes, yes, I want to go there!
e se l'amassi indarno,
And if my love is in vain,
andrei sul Ponte Vecchio,
I would go to Ponte Vecchio,
ma per buttarmi in Arno!
But to throw myself in the Arno!
Mi struggo e mi tormento!
I am tormented and in agony!
O Dio, vorrei morir!
Oh God, I wish to die!
Babbo, pietà, pietà!
Father, have mercy, have mercy!
Contributed by Eli H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-gk7du5vm6s
Непревзойдённая певица ! Лучше ее до сих
пор нет ! Она вся превра-
щается в звучание, вся ее
душа поет и страдает, переживая, как и ее геро-
ини всю гамму чувств ! Это что-то сверхестественное, это чудо ! Голос ее льется из
самой Души ! Господи благодарим тебя за такое
дарование !
Какое счастье слышать
ее исполнение !
@ksm7696
No se como explicar el impacto que me da la Callas al cantar, es como transportarme a la historia que cuenta en ese momento y puedo incluso sentir su voz desgarradora y apasionante no solo en mis oídos sino en mi corazón, ella no solo canta con la garganta y diafragma sino con su alma y puedo hasta verla y eso me emociona de sobremanera, nunca he visto ni escuchado a una cantante de ópera que me permita sentir su propia alma... es raro vd, ciertamente.....
@ksm7696
Nattalia GF hermosa Amira!!☺️
@Lol-ok9kl
Nattalia GF si pero el acento de Amira no es tan buena como Callas
@saadiaandaleeb8385
She is Italian
@ApLemon
Ella es inigualable.
A mi me pasa igual.. siento que me atraviesa directo al alma con su voz.
@casadelvino2337
@@saadiaandaleeb8385 mexicana ?
@dlphcoracl9645
If you ever wanted to know why Maria Callas was affectionately called 'La Divina' (The Divine One), this two-minute YouTube clip will explain it to you. Dozens of sopranos, a few with vocal instruments superior to Callas, have recorded this, but no one has ever sung it with the emotion and intelligence that Callas does. The phrasing is impeccable. This is a woman pleading with her father to approve of her unpopular choice of boyfriend, not a soprano merely singing a popular operatic tune. When Callas sings, one feels the urgency of her plea as no other soprano can do.
@user-od6ex7dx3w
You couldn't describe it better, Bravo.
@ulichristine3246
Well said.
@bennetthernandez8583
Beautifully said