Callas. Savage cascades of sound, passionate and intense. Callas. The soft and floating prayer of a frightened, confused and trapped young girl. Callas. A high E flat for seven seconds, begun ethereally, the tone swelling, filled with feeling, then drawn down to a whisper. Callas. Dark and haunting tones, punctuating phrases in a way that is uniquely her own. \nThis is Maria Callas, superstar, legendary actress, jet setter, whose unique gifts ignited the operatic world. Her romances and cancelled performances often receive as much publicity as her professional appearances. Through her twenty meteoric years as a singing-actress, the Callas opening night progressed from an interesting musical occasion to the highlight of the season and finally to an international event. Through a counterpoint of text and photographs, Maria Callas: The Art Behind the Legend presents a detailed study of Callas's extraordinary career. Henry Wisneski shows how her electrifying performances as Tosca, Medea, Norma, Lucia, Violetta and others set the standard for a generation of opera-goers. He relives the powerful and poignant performances in which her spontaneity of interpretation and wealth of tonal shadings brought on thunderous ovations and downpours of flowers. Wisneski details thirty- five roles with rare costume photographs and accompanying action pictures of the artist, many of which are published here for the first time. We also see Callas's career evolve through a definitive day- by-day chronology of her appearances and recording sessions (with complete casts and index), from her first performances in Athens to her 1974 tour of Japan. A discography of private recordings completes the documentation of the Callas legacy in sound. Here, in permanent form, is a magnificent tribute to an extraordinary artist and personality.