Customer Reviews

Diva: The New Generation

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found this book interesting to read once, but I don't think I would read it a second time - in contrast with Jerome Hines' book on Great Singing which was published in the early 1980s and which I reread regularly.

Helena Matheopoulos has done a lot of research and gone to a great deal of trouble to gather as much information as she can about her subjects and their careers (in this case 14 sopranos and 7 mezzos), but it's hard to see who the book is going to please. The focus is on roles and repertoires, but singers and singing students will find themselves frustrated because in the discussions by the singers on their vocal technique there is not enough meat and too much padding of the type "It almost sings itself, and feels so good while you're singing it". Some of the singers are better than others at giving useful information; nevertheless, the book's author may not have been the best person to judge which bits of information should best be included in a book of this type, which can easily become boring if the mundane or irrelevant isn't edited out. I suspect that the other category of readership, opera goers and fans, will be frustrated for the opposite reason: too much boring technical stuff and not enough anecdotal or biographical information. They will also wish that there were more photographs.

I gave this book five stars to up the average from SBF's cruelty as much as the math will allow. Yes, the book needed editing. The author twice puts the words "North Carolina" into Jennifer Larmore's mouth when any Atlanta native would have had to have said "South Carolina." Notwithstanding, the personalities of the singers come through, and that's worth the read.

The book was an interesting read, especially on how the performers explained their interpretations of their most notable roles. Fairly light reading, but if you don't delve in with high expectations, you'll be fine.

This book was interesting but I was distracted by the numerous factual errors in it. Names of important teachers were misspelled and at least one teacher was referred to as a coach and placed in a geographic loacation that he did not work. Why didn't anyone check these things before it went to print?? Unacceptable.