Maria Callas

Everyone loves Maria Callas, because she doesn’t get locked up in a technique box. She keeps her rrrr [gesturing toward her chest] The unity of emotion and word and tone. Especially, the purity of expression. Every genre has these mechanical clichés that get implanted in the voices and start to hide the power of words.“ She sang a bit of rock ‘n roll around the words “I don’t know nothing“ and made a bit of bel canto from the words “I know everything.“

The New Yorker, 30 august 2004