A legend and perfectionist, not without faults who battled mental health to her last breath.

I enjoyed listening to Emily Ellet. She read calmly and with conviction. A beautiful calming voice.

Phew… What a woman. Anyone who knows anything about mental health can see Callas’ life unfolding. Whilst recognising that there were strong “princess” traits that she used to get what she wanted, for a tortured woman, she suffered in the extreme. Yes she was wealthy, and lived a life of luxury, but laying on a sun lounger on the Amalfi Coast, being waited on hand and foot means nothing if you’re so desperately unhappy and lonely.

The juxtaposition between demanding she be taken to a fur shop on a Saturday, spending hours looking through collections then not purchasing a thing, against being given a cheap watch from Onassis which she treasured says so much about this woman.

If only mental health was more openly discussed and understood in those days, I believe she could possibly have doubled the years she spent on stage.

The epilogue was gut wrenching to listen to although not surprising. I can’t even bring myself to talk about it.

I urge anyone who considers reading this, to be mindful of the little the world knew about mental health during Callas’ career. To me, she sang beautifully, all the while she struggling valiantly to hold her life together. One can only imagine how she coped with all her insecurities of being attacked for her weight, Tito thieving from her, Onassis’ cruel treatment, the loss of her baby, and the way her own family treated her. How sad she couldn’t get the help she so desperately needed.

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