What Evidence Supports the Reputations of Madonna and Maria Callas as Divas?

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Italian for goddess, diva traditionally means a distinguished female singer. More recently the word also has come to mean a woman who will do anything to get what she wants or one who is difficult to work with and makes unreasonable demands. Maria Callas’ reputation is that of a traditional diva, serene yet powerful, like a heavenly deity, as well as being a supremely talented singer. Conversely, Madonna is a modern-day diva: ambitious, determined and sometimes exhibiting temperamental and imperious behaviour. Maria Callas was highly regarded as ‘an outstandingly gifted opera singer,’ (Phillip, 2008, p. 175). As demonstrated in the second half of the aria Una voce poco fa, Callas exhibits enormous vocal range and control: her timbre is powerful yet playful in keeping with the lively nature of the piece. Her voice shows flexibility, rapidly alternating between two notes (tremolo, a difficult technique), building in volume and power. At 2:55 after she hits a high note, her voice is at its fullest and most controlled and she gracefully and effortlessly changes the dynamics, suddenly getting slower and quieter before gradually becoming louder and faster. Her tone is distinctive and rich. By contrast, ‘Madonna’s voice is often criticised as being the weakest aspect of her performance.’ (Jones, 2008, p. 165). In Material Girl her voice is high, thin and altered electronically. Therefore it is devoid of texture and depth, lacking in power throughout. She does not display a wide vocal range. In a truly modern diva style, the lyrics are very prima donna-like; demanding money, replacing love. ‘The stereotypical diva…. is someone with great vocal facility and an ability to convey the emotional nuances of the music to her audience.’ (Moohan, 2008, p. 163), which Callas does beautifully in the extract from Tosca. At 1:10 she sounds desperate and becomes more distraught.

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