Over 500 African American performers, directors, production personnel, critics and opera companies can be found in this comprehensive reference work. For people, the entry includes musical education, repertoire, opera companies and orchestras performed with, birth and death dates, and, when appropriate, recordings and videos. For companies, the date founded, years of operation, city, and featured performers are provided.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
This biographical dictionary lists individuals of "African or African-American" descent who have been involved in professional opera productions. The subtitle indicates content and inclusive dates of the work. Approximately 220 black American singers, directors, choreographers, and composers and 14 black U.S. opera companies are entered alphabetically. Some of the biographees have had minimal contact with the opera world (Cab Calloway, Alvin Ailey, Robert Guillaume, Geoffrey Holder).
Personal-name entries include dates, vocal register (for singers), musical training, debut, roles in repertoire, opera companies and orchestras performed with, awards, recordings and videos, and a bibliography of further information in standard English-language sources found in most reference collections. The compiler's attempt to be comprehensive has resulted in great variation in information supplied. Singers may be entered with only vocal register, one role, and one company. Small black-and-white photographs accompany more than 50 entries. The entries for opera companies include dates of existence, founder, location, repertoire, and several featured singers.
Preceding the main section of the book, a four-page "Highlights of Black Achievement in Opera" lists important firsts for black singers and composers. An appendix classifies nonsingers by specialty (choreographers, composers, directors) and singers by vocal register. A second appendix classifies biographees by place of birth. A subject index to opera titles, orchestras, companies, and schools concludes the work.
Blacks in Opera is a straightforward reference book that will be useful for readers with a strong interest in opera or black studies. Nevertheless, because major black opera singers and composers can be readily found in standard biographical sources, this is not a first-purchase for most libraries.
Review
"will be welcome to reference librarians and researchers" -- Choice
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This review is from: Blacks in Opera: An Encyclopedia of People and Companies, 1873-1993 (Hardcover)
Smith's encyclopedia is a fine source for both famous and obscure black opera singers who were active between 1873 and 1993. There is a biographical sketch for each singer and brief descriptions of black opera companies that flourished during the period. Each entry is followed by a bibliography. It is a basic resource that balances comprehensiveness with brevity.
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