"First I lost my voice, then I lost my figure and then I lost Onassis"

Maria Callas’s poignant reflection, “First I lost my voice, then I lost my figure and then I lost Onassis,” encapsulates the profound sense of personal and professional loss experienced by one of the twentieth century’s greatest opera singers. Her words highlight the interconnectedness of her identity with her artistry, physical presence, and intimate relationships. The sequence of loss is significant and layered, illustrating the cumulative toll of her life’s pressures and sacrifices.

The voice, for Callas, was not merely an instrument, but the cornerstone of her fame and self-worth. Its decline signaled the erosion of her central means of expression and success, an irreplaceable facet of who she was. The gradual fading of her vocal prowess was more than a professional setback, it precipitated an existential crisis, shaking her sense of purpose and value.

Losing her figure followed, representing more than a physical transformation. For a woman in the public eye, particularly in mid-century opera where appearance was increasingly scrutinized, body image was a source of both empowerment and vulnerability. Callas’s dramatic weight loss was widely publicized and tied to her drive for artistic and romantic acceptance. When she refers to the loss of her figure, there is a sense of self-awareness about how external expectations shaped her self-perception and, ultimately, her wellbeing.

Finally, the reference to losing Onassis speaks to the poignant intersection of personal love and public scrutiny. Aristotle Onassis was not only the romantic center of her private life but also a symbol of unattainable fulfillment. The collapse of their relationship punctuated the cumulative losses in Callas’s life, leaving her isolated.

These words resonate beyond the specific tragedies of Callas’s storied existence, revealing universal themes of identity, the costs of ambition, and the vulnerability that accompanies visibility. Her lamentation is a meditation on the fragile balance between career, self, and love, and a testament to the human cost of genius.