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ernani
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« on: 15:47:12, 24-08-2007 » |
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I mentioned the excellent biography of Jussi Bjorling on one of the Culshaw threads. Another fine autobiography is Astrid Varnay's and I recall reading Gigli's a few years ago - very interesting although it glosses over some of his rather dubious political activities in the 30s and 40s. And Herbert Breslin's book on Pavarotti is something else - neither comes off well, and his account of Pavarotti's final opera performances has to be read to be believed, being at once hilarious and deeply sad.
Any others, good, bad or indifferent?
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« Last Edit: 01:05:22, 25-08-2007 by ernani »
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ernani
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« Reply #1 on: 10:56:32, 25-08-2007 » |
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Oh well... guess I'm the only one that finds these interesting  |
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MabelJane
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« Reply #2 on: 14:39:06, 25-08-2007 » |
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Oh well... guess I'm the only one that finds these interesting  I find them, and your post, interesting ernani! I should like to read about Pavarotti's last performances. I was lucky enough to hear him several times when he was in his prime. Despite him being massively overweight, I found his Rodolfo in the last act of Luisa Miller very moving as his voice was so touchingly beautiful and expressive. He was superb in Ballo too. I hate to think how awful those last performances must have been. As you know I've just ordered Jussi for myself - he should arrive on Wednesday.  I gave my dad Nicolai Gedda's My Life and Art which he's enjoyed reading but I haven't borrowed it yet to read for myself. |
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Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.
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Soundwave
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« Reply #3 on: 14:53:34, 25-08-2007 » |
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The most entertaining autobiography I know is the great tenor Leo Slezak's totally amusing "Song of Motley". I encounterd it many years ago and find I still grin whenever it comes to mind.
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Ho! I may be old yet I am still lusty
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iwarburton
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« Reply #4 on: 15:46:01, 25-08-2007 » |
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I much enjoyed the biography of Kathleen Ferrier by her sister Winifred, published as long ago as 1955 and first read by me around 1967 but possibly still available via Amazon. The story unfolds with affection and sensitivity but no sentimentality. A good read!
Ian.
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George Garnett
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« Reply #5 on: 16:04:18, 25-08-2007 » |
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Galina Vishnevskaya's autobiography, Galina, is full of the sound of old scores being settled but the story she has to tell is an astonishing one and well worth a read.
I also re-read every so often Janet Baker's Full Circle which is essentially her diaries covering the rehearsals and performance of her last three operas on stage: Alceste, Mary Stuart and Orfeo and Euridice.
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #6 on: 16:06:37, 25-08-2007 » |
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I like those two as well, George.
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #7 on: 17:00:29, 25-08-2007 » |
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A quick shufti of the sagging shelves:
Recital Elena Gerhardt
Rosa Ponselle James A Drake
My Golden Age of Singing Frieda Hempel
The Last Prima Donnas (Lisa della Casa, Kirsten Flagstad, Jarmila Novotna, Dorothy Kirsten, Maria Callas, Galli-Curci, Ebe Stignani, Voirica Ursuleac, Germaine Lubin, Irmgard Seefried, Sena Jurinac, Zinka Milanov)
Never Sing Louder Than Lovely Isobel Baillie
The Pursuit of Perfection (A Life of Maggie Teyte) Garry O'Connor
My Memoirs in Pictures Birgit Nilsson
Lotte Lehmann Alan Jefferson
Elisabeth Schumann Gerd Puritz
More Legendary Voices (Chaliapin, Ferrier, Gigli, Maria Jeritza, John McCormack, Lauritz Melchior, Claudia Muzio, Titta Ruffo, Conchita Supervia)
My Heart and I Diana Napier Tauber
Peter Pears: A Biography Christopher Headington
The Bluebird of Happiness - Memoirs of Jan Peerce Alan Levy
Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie Rita Hunter
The Record of Singing Michael Scott's 2 volume set to accompany the large LP issue. Indispensable.
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Swan_Knight
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« Reply #8 on: 19:09:38, 25-08-2007 » |
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The problem I have with singer's autobiographies is that they tend to be precious in the extreme....the same is also true (though to a lesser extent), of actors. I'm afraid I want warts and all stuff....I simply don't believe that every other singer someone worked with was 'a wonderful colleague'. I want to hear about the egotism, the pettiness, the rivalries, as well career and technical details. I will read the Breslin book one day, when it turns up in the library, though I won't be adding to Mr. Breslin's already too ample coffers for that pleasure. But the image of Pavarotti stuffing his face with pasta during a concert performance of Otello (while Dame Kiri was in mid-aria) is a beguiling one....as is that of Mr. P being hoisted onto the stage by crane, as the steps couldn't take his weight! |
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...so flatterten lachend die Locken....
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trained-pianist
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« Reply #9 on: 19:40:00, 25-08-2007 » |
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I did not like Vishnevskay's book, but it had powerful moments. The story of her surviving in Leningrad (St Petersburg) during the WWII is powerful. She also survived the death of her son. One could be crashed, but she found strengh to go on and achieved so much in her career, met Rostropovich, etc.
Great life!!!
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Tony Watson
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« Reply #10 on: 21:06:55, 25-08-2007 » |
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The image of Pavarotti stuffing his face with pasta during a concert performance of Otello (while Dame Kiri was in mid-aria) is a beguiling one.
In D'Oyly Carte productions of The Gondoliers, while the Grand Inquisitor sang "I stole the Prince", the other characters would eat a plateful of spaghetti on stage, leading up to the line: "Life is one closely complicated tangle". Jessie Bond, the original Iolanthe and other characters, wrote of her meeting Oscar Wilde during the first run of Patience in her autobiography: He deigned to stoop and shake hands with me; and I did not like the feel of his hand, nor did I like him, though I knew no harm of him then.We should be careful about judging people for holding the prejudices of their times but she was writing more than 30 years after his trial and the last few words do strike a sour note. |
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George Garnett
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« Reply #11 on: 22:47:49, 25-08-2007 » |
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I want to hear about the egotism, the pettiness, the rivalries... We had sort of noticed it was a particular interest of yours, Swanners |
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