Maria Callas, la Divina, passed away on September 16, 1977 at age of 53. She was—without the shadow of a doubt—the greatest soprano of the 20th century. But she was also known for the scandals that exploded around her and for the isolation and silence she imposed on herself in her final years. Her reputation was built by the dramatic power of her performances, in which she breathed astonishing life into each of her many roles, revealing the true natures of characters like Tosca, Norma, Medea, and Violetta.