Fame Is A Boomerang
As far as flashy, oversize coffee table books go, opera star Maria Callas is a fitting subject. A larger-than-life figure, she had a complicated off-stage story that played out with as much searing drama as the operas she sang. With hard work and sacrifice, Callas vaulted to the top of her art while pushing it to new levels of intensity. In her personal life, she searched for love, found it, then lost it and died young.
Photographer and film maker Tom Volf (with publisher Assouline) has just released a gorgeous new photo book, Maria by Callas. It is a loving and luxuriously upholstered tribute to one of the most fascinating artists of the 20th century. Its publication marks the 40th anniversary of the soprano's death, which falls on Sept. 16.
Volf came late to the Callas bandwagon. But once he discovered the controversial singer, he was moved to begin a journey that led him around the world, interviewing Callas' friends and colleagues and gathering photographs and other materials along the way. The book, which weighs in at more than seven pounds with its satin cover and deluxe slipcase, includes
