Customer Reviews

Confessions of an Opera Singer

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This is made for the opera buff who has a real interest in the "old" singers from the turn of the previous century. Kathleen Howard, a Canadian contralto and actually a gifted writer, studied in France and had a good career singing major roles in Germany before coming to the Met where she sang a wide variety of character roles, including Zita in the world-premiere of Gianni Schicchi. Her Met career was followed by years as a writer and then acting in Hollywood in film, notably with W.C.Fields. Her very well-written memoirs end with her return to North America but are filled with vivid recollections of her life and studies in Paris and then what it was like to be singing as a foreign singer in pre-WWI Germany with all the atmosphere and daily life in provincial and not-so provincial German opera houses She really creates a feeling of the somewhat halcyon time before the devastating war. I found the book highly readable and enjoyable, but then I love historical musical memoirs. Recommended if you do, too.

This was the second book I purchased to read, going across country on the train, for my new Kindle. Unlike 'Strangled Melody' which was set in the 1980's in America, this book purports to be the memoirs of a singer I had never heard of- an 'also-ran' who sang Contralto/Mezzo in some of the secondary Opera Houses in Europe, in the late 19th, and early 20th Century.

Like many works of this genre, the writing is not stellar. It is not, however, merely a recitation of facts, dates, and famous royalty met and/or courted. This woman loved her family, yet loved her art more. She left America for the 'career in Europe' back when that meant something, and proved herself, both to the chauvinistic Germans of the era, as well as to herself, and the critics. There are moments for a historical Opera buff, that bring to light (even if just for an instant) famous composers, and (yes!) even the Royalty of Europe, that perished in the Great War (WWI).

I am glad this book has been preserved on the Kindle format. There is no need to republish this in paperback. It is not worth the time and effort. It is not a Flagstad, or a Robert Merrill bio, of the greatest of the Greats. It is not even on the level of a Louise Homer, but it IS a record of one American singer's life and times. For that, it was worth the writing.