What evidence supports the reputations of Madonna and Maria Callas as divas? How might theses reputations be compared and contrasted?
A diva, in the classical music world, is a hugely talented woman with great vocal competence. She has a larger-than-life public persona and the ability to convey the emotional nuances of the music to her audience (Moohan, 2008, p. 163). Both Madonna and Maria Callas have definite ‘diva’ qualities. It could be argued that their contrasting genres of music - pop and opera respectively, dictate different reasons for them being labelled divas.
Both Maria Callas and Madonna have personalities that embody their vocational and personal lives. Throughout her life, Callas experienced a ‘particular variety of fame associated with personal and professional difficulty’ (Moohan, 2008, p. 175). Similarly, Madonna is rarely out of the press with details of her private life featuring frequently. Having lives played out in full view of the world’s media is a common characteristic of a diva. Madonna’s public image is much more visible than Callas’ due to the Internet and the ‘advent of the pop video and the launch of MTV’ (Hawkins, 2002, p. 190).
Both ‘divas’ have an extraordinary ability to tell stories through their music. Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ is a very strong example of this. The lyrics are controversial and ambiguous. They evoke thoughts of sexuality, spirituality and religion. The verses and choruses are almost like a question and answer session. Madonna’s voice in the verses is enticing, gentle and soothing. In contrast, her voice in the choruses is accompanied by a gospel choir and becomes more robust and energetic. Similarly, when Callas performs ‘Una voce poco fa’ from The Barber of Seville by Rossini, she has a ‘powerful and sensitive way of acting the words as she sings them’ (Moohan, 2008, p. 178). Both Madonna and Maria Callas seem to draw on aspects of their lives to aid them in conveying the powerful messages within their music. Madonna has very famously drawn on her strict Catholic upbringing. ‘It just fit right in with my own personal zeitgeist of
Both Maria Callas and Madonna have personalities that embody their vocational and personal lives. Throughout her life, Callas experienced a ‘particular variety of fame associated with personal and professional difficulty’ (Moohan, 2008, p. 175). Similarly, Madonna is rarely out of the press with details of her private life featuring frequently. Having lives played out in full view of the world’s media is a common characteristic of a diva. Madonna’s public image is much more visible than Callas’ due to the Internet and the ‘advent of the pop video and the launch of MTV’ (Hawkins, 2002, p. 190).
Both ‘divas’ have an extraordinary ability to tell stories through their music. Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ is a very strong example of this. The lyrics are controversial and ambiguous. They evoke thoughts of sexuality, spirituality and religion. The verses and choruses are almost like a question and answer session. Madonna’s voice in the verses is enticing, gentle and soothing. In contrast, her voice in the choruses is accompanied by a gospel choir and becomes more robust and energetic. Similarly, when Callas performs ‘Una voce poco fa’ from The Barber of Seville by Rossini, she has a ‘powerful and sensitive way of acting the words as she sings them’ (Moohan, 2008, p. 178). Both Madonna and Maria Callas seem to draw on aspects of their lives to aid them in conveying the powerful messages within their music. Madonna has very famously drawn on her strict Catholic upbringing. ‘It just fit right in with my own personal zeitgeist of