In the centenary year of her birth, Maria Callas stepped onto the stage at Hamer Hall – which was still under construction when she died in 1977.

There was an awed gasp as her holographic form materialised before a packed audience who had, surely with few exceptions, never had the chance to see La Divina perform live.

Despite some extraordinary audio and visual technology, this concert could only ever be an approximation of what that must have been like. So is it worth experiencing? The answer will vary widely depending on individual expectations and operatic background.

Created by Base Xperiential, Maria Callas: A Concert in Hologram has been presented around the world since 2018. The great soprano’s voice has been digitally remastered from various recordings, while her image is, I understand, largely constructed from body doubles recreating her gestures.

This outing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was the second of four one-off Australian concerts presented by the European Union, with Sydney already having had the virtual pleasure, and Adelaide and Perth concerts to come.

Wearing a slim white gown, sometimes with the addition of a long white or red shawl, holographic Callas appeared in the centre...