The ghost of Maria Callas

“The Ghost of Maria Callas” by Matt Elliott is from his 2006 CD, Failing Songs. Wordless, it is unquiet and graceful.

Is it a song about failing? A song that is failing? A song failing (in the absence of) songs? (Now that is one sexy idea.)

What to make of the melody’s spin and tendency to fold in on itself? Of its quickening tempo and its dying out, hoarse, only to be taken up by that sad, sad piano?

Elliott evoked the spirit world earlier in his career. He said of his 1997 album, Ghost:

While I was making Ghost, I wasn’t really making it for humans. It seemed to me that there was like lots of people just hanging around. The whole experience was really strange.