Graphic novel 'Sempre libera' and exhibitions mark 40 years since Maria Callas's death

Forty years after Maria Callas died on September 16, 1977, in her Paris apartment on Avenue George Mandel, numerous initiatives commemorate the Greek-born soprano. A major exhibition, 'Maria by Callas, l'exposition', opens September 16 at La Seine Musicale on the Seine riverbanks, featuring an immersive installation revealing an unseen side of the diva. Among recent publications, 'Mille e una Callas' (Quodlibet, 640 pages), edited by Luca Aversano and Jacopo Pellegrini, gathers contributions from philosophers, art historians, and sociologists exploring Callas's artistic and human facets alongside figures like Renata Tebaldi, Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli, Aristotle Onassis, and Pier Paolo Pasolini. Illustrated books include 'La Callas. Vita di Maria Callas illustrata da Amalia Mora' (Hop! Edizioni), a picture-book biography by illustrator Amalia Mora, who uses mixed media with pencil and digital color overlays. The latest release is 'Sempre libera', a 192-page graphic novel by Lorenza Natarella (BAO Publishing), who adopts a biographical, narrative, and visual style. Natarella told ANSA she begins the story from Callas's decline, aiming to portray the woman behind the brilliant career. The book will be officially presented on September 13 at Feltrinelli in Piazza Duomo, Milan, where an exhibition of the original plates will run for a month.