VARIOUS: TWO COLLECTIONS OF POSSESSIONS OF OPERA DIVA MARIA CALLAS GO UNDER THE HAMMER AT PARIS AUCTION HOUSE

Record ID: 190478

  • Title: VARIOUS: TWO COLLECTIONS OF POSSESSIONS OF OPERA DIVA MARIA CALLAS GO UNDER THE HAMMER AT PARIS AUCTION HOUSE
  • Date: 5th December 2000
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND (FILE) (REUTERS) 1. MV MARIA CALLAS BEING APPLAUDED ON STAGE AT COVENT GARDEN 0.16 PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - 1968) (REUTERS) 2. SCU MARIA CALLAS TALKING TO ADMIRERS BACKSTAGE (MUSIC) 0.23 3. SCU STILL BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS OF MARIA CALLAS (MUSIC) (3 SHOTS) 0.38 PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 24, 2000) (REUTERS) 4. SCU ;SLV/SLV AUCTION ITEMS ON EXHIBIT; SCU BATCH OF CALLAS' HAIR TIED IN RIBBON; SCU BASKET CONTAINING LETTERS FROM FANS; COATS, WIGS, SHOES AND ODDS AND ENDS; SCU REPRESENTATION OF THE HOLY FAMILY, WHICH WAS CALLAS' GOOD LUCK CHARM (7 SHOTS) 1.14 5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) AUCTIONEER FREDERIC CHAMBRE SAYING "This sale is taking place because the two collectors, especially the Greek, tried to create a museum. But they failed in their attempt and today they have decided to sell by auction their entire collections, but with much bitterness and emotion. They came here today with tears in their eyes because they lived a long time with the memory of Callas. But they hope this auction will give as much pleasure to future owners as they enjoyed for many years" 1.50 PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 2, 2000) (REUTERS) 6. SLV EXTERIOR AUCTION HOUSE/ POSTER FOR AUCTION AND CROWD WAITING TO GET IN; MV CROWD WAITING (2 SHOTS) 2.02 7. SLV INTERIOR AUCTION WITH BIDDING 2.13 8. SCU FREDERIC CHAMBRE TAKING BIDS 2.18 9. SCU ELECTRONIC SCREEN SHOWING BID AMOUNT AND EXCHANGE 2.24 10. MV AUCTIONING OF BLUE SILK AND LACE NEGLIGEE 2.29 11. SLV AUDIENCE AND SALE OF REVERSIBLE EMERALD SILK AND CHINCHILLA COAT 2.36 13. SCU ENVELOPE ON WHICH MARIA CALLAS AND HUSBAND/MANAGER GIOVANNI BATTISTA MENEGHINI WROTE A STATEMENT EXPLAINING WHY SHE ABANDONED A GALA PERFORMANCE OF "NORMA" IN 1958. THE STATEMENT WAS NOT READ OUT TO AUDIENCE, LEADING TO ROME SCANDAL 2.43 14. SCU AUCTION ASSISTANTS TAKING BIDS ON COMPUTER 2.50 15. SCU WHITE KIDSKIN GLOVES BY HERMES ON AUCTION 2.53 16. SLV PAN BIDDING ON WHITE GLOVES 3.00 17. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) COLLECTOR ILARIO TAMASSIA SAYING (NB: This is rough translation only): "One night, at 5:30 a.m., I had a dream that Maria Callas appeared before me. She was wearing pearl earrings, a pearl necklace and a black suit. She looked at me and shook my hand. It was late at night, 5:30 in the morning on December 6. At a quarter to eight, I received a phone call from her ex-husband Meneghini, who said Mr Tamassia, I've been thinking about you all night. About me? I said. That's impossible. Yes, about you. And I'll tell you why. I'm selling all of Callas' possessions" 3.51 18. SCU HOLY FAMILY PICTURE 3.56 19. SCU FREDERIC CHAMBRE TRYING TO GET A HIGHER BID THAN 900,000 FRENCH FRANCS FOR THE HOLY FAMILY PICTURE, AND THEN DECLARING IT SOLD 4.04 20. SCU AUDIENCE APPLAUDING 4.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE AND LONDON, ENGLAND
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA500I12DUNLLM5C93FE5X80D1O
  • Story Text: Two extensive collections of the possessions of
    legendary opera diva Maria Callas have gone under the hammer
    at a Paris auction house.

    Over 100 items that belonged to opera diva Maria
    Callas, from clothes, wigs and underwear to music sheets,
    fanmail and furniture, went under the hammer at Paris's Drouot
    Montaigne auction house on Saturday (December 2).

    When Callas died on September 16, 1977, embittered by the
    loss of her voice, she was living an isolated existence in
    Paris, looked after by two faithful servants.

    She is still idolised and adored, as much for her
    sumptuous voice as for her extradordinary theatrical skill and
    charismatic presence.

    The memorabilia, of which another 315 pieces will be
    auctioned on Sunday (December 3), was sold by two collectors:
    Nicolas Petsalis-Diomidis of Greece, who acquired his
    collection from Callas' sister Jackie, and Ilario Tamassia of
    Italy, who bought the possessions from Callas' ex-husband
    Giovanni Battista Meneghini.

    Both men had tried for several years to create a Maria
    Callas museum, but after failing made the emotional decision
    to sell everything.

    "They came here today with tears in their eyes because
    they lived a long time with the memory of Callas", said
    auctioneer Frederic Chambre.

    Tamassia, who said he bought the Callas memorabilia after
    having a dream about her, plans to donate the proceeds from
    the sale to an opera company.

    The most important piece of the auction was a picture of
    the Holy Family which Meneghini, an industrialist who became
    her agent and impresario, had given her. She brought it with
    her to every performance as a lucky charm.

    "Only twice have I forgotten to take it to my dressing
    room, and on both occassions I developed severe hoarseness and
    couldn't go on", she told a Canadian newspaper in 1958. It
    fetched 900,000 francs.

    Other items included night gowns and girdles, gloves and a
    bunch of hair tied in ribbon, which fetched 78,000 French
    Francs from a New York woman who bid on the Internet. It is
    the only physical remains of her, because she was cremated and
    her ashes scattered in the Aegean sea.

    Another key piece, was a card and envelope sent to the
    diva by Italian film-maker Luchino Visconti. It was on the
    back of these that Meneghini wrote a statement explaining why
    Callas -- suffering from a complicated respiratory infection
    -- had to abandon a gala premiere performance of Bellini's
    "Norma" in Rome in January 1958.

    The statement was never read out to the audience, instead
    only a cursory announcement was made. It was seen as an insult
    to Italy's President Giovanni Gronchi and led to what is now
    known as the Rome scandal, which took on unbelievable
    proportionsin the press.

    In the days that followed, Callas received hundreds of
    letters from fans voicing their support for her, which were
    also sold at the auction.


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