The mezzo who couldn’t get a word out of Maria Callas
mainThe Buffalo-born US mezzo Genia Las, who has died at 92, enjoyed a vibrant career in Europe, appearing in 87 different operas.
She once told Buffalo News: ‘There I was, a young singer on my own in Europe, rehearsing with the mightiest diva of her time, Maria Callas. On the stage of the Roma Opera. And she would only talk to the conductor. … I began to feel left out, unwanted, maybe she thought I didn’t belong there. Then she looked down to the maestro in the pit and said, loud enough for everyone to hear, ‘This girl is very good.’ It was one of the soaring moments of my young life.’
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