Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis: the history and tragedy of love

The whole world watched with bated breath the romance of one of the richest men and one of the most talented women in Europe and America. Unfortunately, the fairy tale of love was broken into thousands of fragments of bitter reality...

"Voice of Blood"

This is how Aristotle Onassis subsequently explained to numerous friends and relatives the reason for his new sudden passion. A young and attractive billionaire who had made his fortune in whaling, he was already happily married to Tina Aivanos, a girl with a more than generous dowry. However, one evening turned his entire previously measured family life upside down. Then the famous opera diva Maria Callas appeared on Aristotle’s yacht, or Ari, as his relatives called him. She appeared, it must be said, together with her husband - both were invited to a reception with an influential Greek tycoon by a mutual friend, Elsa Maxwell. It is unlikely that on that day Elsa foresaw even approximate consequences of her action. Rather, she simply wanted to please both friends by showing Onassis “a Greek diamond in an Italian setting” and Callas a luxury yacht with a first-class welcome on board. The idea, I must say, was a success. Aristotle was fascinated by the singer from the first minutes. A small fan of opera, he, of course, heard the name Callas - like all educated people in Europe and America in the 50s of the twentieth century. But it was one thing to hear, and quite another to see a dark, bright and passionate compatriot with sharp and unforgettable features. It was Ari who was able to discern the Greek emigrant Cecilia Sophia Anna Maria Kalogeropoulos in the American Maria Callas.

A million red roses

Their romance developed so rapidly that even the press could not always keep up with it. After the fateful reception on the yacht, where Onassis, according to Maria’s recollections, “drew bitter Greek wine from his palms,” followed a ball at a London hotel, thrown by Aristotle in honor of Callas. At this ball, he literally showered her with roses: there were so many purple flowers that they filled all the free space in the hall. The 36-year-old opera diva, who has already seen many eccentric fans during her career, fell in love like a girl. She left her husband and filed for divorce, which, however, did not take place immediately due to strict Catholic traditions (Callas’s husband was Italian). To be fair, it must be said that Aristotle also got divorced. The lovers began to live in Paris, content, it seemed, only with each other. Onassis, of course, did not interfere with matters of the heart from running an already thriving business. But Maria Callas, for the sake of her beloved, actually gave up the most precious thing she had. She stopped singing.

"We are only good friends"

The first thunder struck when Callas became pregnant. By that time she was already 42, and doubts were overwhelming, so the support of a loving person was needed more than ever. But Aristotle suddenly snapped: “I already have two children, and I don’t need a third.” No amount of persuasion helped; Maria did not dare to disobey, which she later very much regretted. So an innocent baby was sacrificed to great love... And Onassis was carried on. Instead of offering Maria his hand and heart, as everyone around expected, he suddenly announces at a press conference that he and Callas are “only good friends.” The reason for this sudden transition from love to “friendship” is the charming and elegant Jacqueline, Jackie Kennedy, the widow of the American president. It was her finger that Ari eventually put the engagement ring on. And Maria was left alone, betrayed and insulted, just like her favorite opera heroine Medea. After Onassis' betrayal, she still tried to build a career and starred in a film. But... “without him, everything doesn’t matter,” Maria wrote in her diary. Onassis died in 1975. When this news reached Callas, she announced: “I have only death left.” Two years later, the great opera singer died in Paris, the city that gave her so much happiness and grief at the same time.

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Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas: Love and Death

Since the Greek oligarch plays an active role in the love story between Ari and Maria, the story should start with him. A descendant of a wealthy Greek family was born in 1906 in Kartash, Turkey. However, in 1922, after the massacre of Christians in Smyrna, the Onassis went bankrupt and were forced to flee to Greece, from where Aristotle was sent to Buenos Aires. Despite his young age, he had business acumen - first he worked as a night dispatcher at the port, then he started his own business, renewing family ties with tobacco importers.

Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas photo

Two years later, with a capital of 100 thousand dollars, Ari became Consul General of Greece, and by the age of 25 he earned his first million. In 1932, he began buying cargo ships, then moved into expensive real estate, took over the Greek national airline concession, and created a fleet of supertankers. However, one should not think that Onassis was only interested in business and income. He was quite experienced in relationships with women, having started at the age of 13 with an affair with his own teacher, and literally did not miss a single beauty who came into his field of vision. At the same time, the billionaire behaved very rudely with women. He did not hesitate to rudely insult and even beat those from whom he had recently sought reciprocity, justifying himself with the Greek analogue of the Russian proverb about the relationship between love and assault (“He hits, it means he loves”).

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In 1946, Aristotle proposed marriage to seventeen-year-old Athena (Tina) Livanos. Although the contrast between the fragile young blonde and the not too young and not particularly handsome shipowner was striking, Stavros Livanos, a port magnate, appreciated the prospects of such a marriage. It is difficult to say how warm the relationship between the spouses was; according to rumors, there was also some assault there. However, in 1948 their son Alexander was born, and in 1950 their daughter Christina, and Aristotle doted on his heirs. In particular, he built a luxury yacht, named after his daughter, on which his romance with Maria Callas subsequently unfolded. In the mid-fifties, Tina discovered her husband and girlfriend in bed in their own home. She and her children left Onassis, but did not file for divorce.

Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas photo

Maria Callas was born in 1923, in the family of Greek emigrants George and Evangelia Kalageropoulos, who lived in Manhattan. Her childhood could not be called happy, since her parents constantly quarreled with each other. The girl's older brother died very young, and the mother, passionately wanting to give birth to a boy again, was very upset by the birth of Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia. However, over time, the girl discovered good hearing and a pleasant voice. Evangelia, who was unable to realize her musical abilities, seriously took up her daughter’s education. From the age of three she was introduced to classical music, at five she was seated at the piano, and at eight she began to learn vocals. At the same time, the mother softened towards her daughter only when she sang well. Maria felt ugly, unwanted and unloved, and sought solace in food, gaining extra pounds, and due to myopia she had to wear glasses.

In 1937, having finally quarreled with her husband, Evangelia and her two daughters returned to their homeland. Maria, despite her young age, was accepted into the Greek National Conservatory, where she studied with Maria Trivella, then with Elvira Hidalgo. From the age of fifteen, the girl already performed in classical music concerts, sang second roles at the National Opera of Greece and supported her mother and sister, who did not work anywhere.

Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas photo

In 1942, Maria made her debut at the Athens Opera, performing the role of Tosca. In 1945, after the end of the war, she went to the USA to live with her father. Callas auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera, but the girl refused the title roles in Madama Butterfly and Fidelio not so much because of her excess weight, but because of an unprofitable contract. After meeting impresario Giovanni Zenatello, she was invited to sing in Verona. It was there that Maria Callas met with the elderly wealthy industrialist Giovanni Meneghini. A passionate opera fan fell passionately in love with the young singer, left his business and became her producer.

In 1949 they got married, and Maria changed beyond recognition. She became prettier, slimmer and was boldly photographed in both tight evening dresses and swimsuits. Her opera career was also successful. After touring in South America, the singer performed on stage at La Scala, where she earned the title of 'queen of prima donnas'. In 1953, all operas with Callas' participation were recorded by EMI. This was followed by performances on the best stages in Europe and America, and each production turned into an event. In 1957, in Venice, Maria Callas saw Aristotle Onassis for the first time at a ball in Venice, without attaching much significance to this acquaintance. In 1959, the meeting was repeated, and then the billionaire specially came to London to attend the singer’s concert. After the concert, a luxurious reception was held in her honor, at which Onassis invited Maria and her husband to sail the Mediterranean Sea on his famous yacht 'Christina O'.

Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas photo

From the very beginning of the cruise, Aristotle showed Mary all kinds of attentions, and the woman could not resist. Their relationship immediately ceased to be a secret to others, but Menegini still hoped that after the end of the voyage, Maria would return to her usual activities. However, the singer announced that she was moving to Paris to live with Aristotle. Tina Onassis obtained a divorce in 1960, and the procedures for dissolving the Catholic marriage of Callas and Menegini turned out to be lengthy. This did not bother the couple in love, but their life together was stormy. Aristotle either promised to give his beloved woman the island of Skorpios, which was his property, or showered her with insults, declaring that she had a whistle in her throat and it had deteriorated. Maria did not remain in debt, but Onassis was not so far from the truth - she began to lose her voice.

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Experts later came to the conclusion that the singer suffered from a rare disease, dermatomyositis, which, in turn, could be triggered by sudden changes in weight. Callas practically stopped performing and broke contracts with La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. In 1964, she became pregnant, but Onassis said that he did not want to have any more heirs. Maria got rid of the child and bitterly regretted it for the rest of her life. And four years later, her hopes for happiness with Aristotle collapsed completely. He married Jacqueline Kennedy, and Callas learned about this from newspaper news.

Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas photo

After some time, Onassis again attempted to reunite with Maria, declaring that his marriage to Jackie was a formality he needed for PR. The woman believed and did not believe, she did not return to her beloved, but wrote him piercing letters full of true love. From time to time they appeared together. Ari claimed that he was going to divorce his new wife, whose only passion was clothes.

After the death of his son Alexander in a plane crash (1973), the character of the billionaire changed dramatically, and Callas, who lived very secluded, was the only one who could somehow console him. In 1975, the billionaire died from complications caused by myasthenia gravis, from which he suffered in the last years of his life. Maria was next to him; Jackie flew from New York only after the death of her husband and was bitterly disappointed that his entire fortune was bequeathed to his daughter and a charitable foundation named after his deceased son. Maria outlived her loved one by two years and died of a heart attack caused by dermatomyositis. The singer was seen off on her last journey by thousands of people and a sea of ​​unusual flowers - they were sent according to a special clause included in Onassis's will. Maria herself did not dispose of her considerable fortune, and it was inherited by old people who were hostile to her - her mother and husband.

There were many rumors surrounding the singer’s death, including that her coffin was stolen and then found. It is reliably known that the niche with the initials of Maria Callas in the Père Lachaise cemetery stands empty - after cremation, her ashes were scattered over the Aegean Sea, where the loudest romance of the century once began.

Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas photo

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