Prima Donna: The Psychology of Maria Callas (Inner Lives)

By: Paul Wink

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Synopsis: Prima Donna: The Psychology of Maria Callas explores the psychological mechanisms underlying the hypnotic power of Callas's artistry and the unfolding of her tragic life story. Although precipitated by the trauma and shame that followed her abandonment by Aristotle Onassis and the rapid deterioration of her voice, Callas's midlife disintegration reflects deep psychological vulnerabilities. In this book, Wink utilizes cutting-edge advances in research on developmental psychology and narcissism to shed light on Callas's puzzling personal deterioration during the last nine years of her life. Lacking a cohesive and integrated sense of self, Callas sought affirmation and vitality from adoring audiences and older men including her husband Battista Meneghini and her long-term partner Onassis. The propensity to fuse her identity with stage roles contributed to her artistic greatness, but envy and the lack of an intrinsic sense of meaning and worth intensified her vulnerability to life's vicissitudes. Prima Donna is both a powerful study of Callas's life and a contribution to the greater body of work on the psychology of artists.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
Book Size:: 296 Pages
ISBN-13:: 9780190857752
Related ISBNs:: 9780190857738, 9780190857745
Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Date of Addition:: 12/18/22
Copyrighted By:: Oxford University Press
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: Entertainment, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Psychology, Music
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.