Aristotle Onassis 1906-1975 was the smartest businessman of Asia Minor and Greece.
The immigrant from Smyrni, made his first million by his wits alone. Nobody helped him. He was 23.
Flamboyant, tempestuous, raucous, truculent, and belligerent, lavish and generous, loving and cruel, loved wine, women and song, in that order. He collected women.
Onassis was a big spender. He worked hard and played hard. He "sailed in high winds" and made it.
Aristo was a winner. He had big dreams. Big ideas. His projects were big, bigger than anyone else's, and he executed the plans perfectly.
Relentless in the single minded pursuit of his objectives.
Never afraid to speak his mind. His enemies, and he had many, called him "the old Turk", but never to his face.
Self educated, by the shores of Smyrni, no Continental Engineering and London School of Economics degrees, like the current crop of shipowners.
Aristo could recognize political talent when he saw it. He spent $10,000 for a night with Eva Peron:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14272407@N03/2043592868/
Maria, always adored him, wanted desperately to be his wife, spent 9 years of her life with him. Her and another million women, wanting to wed the richest man in the world. Callas was not another woman, Maria was the voice of the twentieth century.
Callas, the American born, Greek soprano, was also the best operatic heroine in the world. Her love affair with Ari, was the stuff Greek tragedies are made of.
He run to her, after Alexandros' death.
Callas' last pilgrimage was to Skorpios and his grave.
Maria, "the divine one" as Aristo called her, stated once: "I would like to be Maria, but there is "La Callas" who demands that I carry myself with her dignity."
Aristo freed the Maria in herself. He opened her up, gently like a rose and make her feel like a woman, for the first time in her life. Callas confided to Franco Zeffirelli(no big fan of Onassis or women): "I felt like a virgin with Aristo."
Onassis met Kings, Presidents, Sheiks and dictators. Dated Princesses, stars, starlets and divas. He had seen it all, and done it all. Maria Callas, the divine one, was the only true love of his life.
Aristo's advice on being successful: "To be successful, keep looking tanned, live in an elegant building (even if you're in the cellar), be seen in nice restaurants (even if you only nurse one drink) and if you borrow, borrow big."
Aristo said once: "After a certain point, money is meaningless. It ceases to be the goal. The game is what counts."
Aristo, was true to his name, the very best player in the game.
The soundtrack's first Aria is from the Opera Norma, written in 1831, the piece is "Casta Diva" by Vincenzo Bellini, the conductor was Tullio Serafin conducting the Milan Teatro alla Scala Orchestra, an EMI label release, in stereo. The exact part Maria Callas is singing in "Casta diva" with an English translation can be found here:
http://www.aria-database.com/translations/norma04_casta.txt
The second Aria, is from the Opera La Wally, written in 1892 by Alfredo Catalani, the piece is "Ebben" , the conductor was again Tullio Serafin, conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra, an EMI label release, a mono recording. DSP chips can do miracles even in mono recordings with Callas' voice.
The heroine in Act I of La Wally, vows to escape an arranged marriage and contemplates the dangers of the long journey away from home. Dangers, Hellenic expatriates, the world over, are very familiar with. The libretto for La Wally can be found here: http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/catalani_wally.html
The exact part Maria Callas is singing in "Ebben," with an English translation, can be found here: http://www.aria-database.com/translations/wally03_ebben.txt
Both excerpts are examples of "Bel Canto" meaning "to sing beautifully," the style Maria Callas "La Voix Du XXeme Siecle" singlehandedly revived. A very difficult and demanding style, only "La Divina" could sing with such perfection.
Euripides in "Alcestis" written in 438BC has set the bar sky high for Hellenes:
Alcestis: "To honor you (Admetus, her husband and one of the Argonauts), and at the cost of my own life, that you may still behold the light, I die." verses 283-284. In ancient Greek: "Ego se presvevousa, k'anti tis emis psyhis katastisasa fos tod' eisoran, thnisko."
Maria Callas having recorded Alcestis on 4.4.1954 knew the story well and wanted her life to imitate her art. Jackie O. regrettably was not too familiar with the story.
Tags: Aristotle Onassis Αριστοτέλης Ωνάσης Maria Callas Μαρία Κάλλας
