Maria Callas’s hologram concert: ersatz simulacrum of a dead diva is weird and depressing

The legendary soprano was celebrated for her emotional connection. This moribund gimmick intended to bring her back – but in fact took her further away

In the final moments of Stephen Spielberg’s 2001 film AI: Artificial Intelligence, android boy David brings his “mother” Monica back to life for a single, bewildering day. People think this scene is sentimental, but it actually underlines the film’s dark central point: David can never be a real boy, and the bizarre and cruel resurrection of Monica only reinforces his intrinsic inhumanity.

This came to mind on Thursday night, as I snuck in late to Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s “concert in hologram” with legendary soprano Maria Callas.

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The legendary soprano was celebrated for her emotional connection. This moribund gimmick intended to bring her back – but in fact took her further away
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In the final moments of Stephen Spielberg’s 2001 film AI: Artificial Intelligence, android boy David brings his “mother” Monica back to life for a single, bewildering day. People think this scene is sentimental, but it actually underlines the film’s dark central point: David can never be a real boy, and the bizarre and cruel resurrection of Monica only reinforces his intrinsic inhumanity.
This came to mind on Thursday night, as I snuck in late to Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s “concert in hologram” with legendary soprano Maria Callas.
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