for the old time opera fans- Giulietta Simionato

excerpts from an interview of opera singer Giuletta Simionato by Stefan Zucker

SZ: Why did you slap Callas?
GS: You know this, too! [Laughs.] I have a rather strange nervous
system. I'm ticklish. When I wasn't feeling well, I would tickle myself.
But I can't stand it if someone else does it to me. And she knew it. To
tease me, she tickled me. I whirled around and slapped her cheek, hard.
And I said to her, "Maria, don't do that to me. I go crazy when someone
does it." In fact, I always told everyone, "Don't tickle me, because I
can't stand it. It hurts me--I'm extra-sensitive there." My doctors told
me, "It's a question of your nervous system. You have to try to avoid
it." "How can I avoid it? They do it to me without warning."
I reacted like a beast. But five minutes later we were all hugs and
kisses, bosom friends again. She went to Battista [Callas's husband,
Giovanni Battista Meneghini] crying and said, "Battista, Giulia hit
me--she slapped me!" "Don't you tickle me. You know what it does to me."
"But who knew that you'd react so violently?" That's what happened.....

Picture of the Diva

This was intriguing enough that I wanted to see what she looked like. From Wikipedia . . .

Yeah, I found it to be a really interesting little tidbit. I'm surprised more people haven't responded to it.