Franco Corelli: Prince of Tenors [Hardcover]

Rene Seghers (Author), Franco Corelli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2008

His exceptional good looks made him a matinee idol, and Franco Corelli - the Prince of Tenors - was dubbed ""Mr. Soldout"" for 20 consecutive years. In 1958, just seven years after beginning his career, he was already the highest-paid tenor in Italy. Following his Met debut in 1961, he was celebrated as the greatest tenor in the world, a position that he retained until his departure from the Met in 1975. His charismatic performances in such operas as La Vestale and Fedora (both in collaboration with Maria Callas), coupled with a formidable mystique, as well as a number of notorious and colorful incidents, including his real-life sword fight with Boris Christoff in Rome, the Callas walkout there, the beating up of a spectator in Naples, and the alleged biting of Birgit Nilsson on a Boston tour of Turandot, created a mania for Corelli. Nearly a decade in the making, this definitive biography is based on the author's extensive research of theater archives and interviews with the opera star's numerous friends, family members, colleagues (Nilsson, Pavarotti, and many others), as well as the management of some of the world's leading opera houses.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: HAL LEONARD CORPORATION (February 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574671634
• ISBN-13: 978-1574671636
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,028,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and compelling, March 6, 2008

By 

Frank G. Hamilton "frankgrahamilton" (Georgia (USA)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Franco Corelli: Prince of Tenors (Hardcover)

Rene Seghers must possess that rare charm that allows one to magically walk through doors long sealed, or perhaps luck and timing with persistence granted him favor with Corelli's family, friends and the institutions that opened their archives to him.

At last, a short time after Corelli's passing, his family agreed to share their story, pictures, and even private recordings made in his student days (not available with the book). Seghers provides Corelli's family-tree and all vital statistics; we learn that Franco was married in January 1961 just days before his New York debut, yet Loretta had been his shadow and constant companion since 1952. Among the book's numerous strengths are the copious b/w snapshots (several shirtless) and many photographs of Corelli in costume from early productions.

Seghers has turned over rocks discovering treasure and kitsch where most would never venture to tread -- in the latter category, a musical appearance in the 1956 Italian feature-film: "Suprema confessione"; and perhaps most amusing, a series of pictorial novellas made for an Italian magazine as late as 1960 and 1962. Hardly a page is turned without discovering something of importance or interest.

The biography's great strength derives from (but is not limited to) an enormous amount of research in the archives of the Metropolitan Opera and EMI (Corelli's recording company). From these pillars an almost complete picture of the man and artist emerge representing all his triumphs, glory, petty harmful intrigue, and painful human failings. Seghers does not shy from damaging the idol when truth requires it, and the picture painted is of someone all too human.

The biography is strictly chronological, the English flows freely, the text is beautifully printed, and virtually every paragrah has notes describing the sources (usually original). We could probably do without the poorer quality color photographs in the center of the book (and cover), but the many black/white images leave one yearning for even more. There are slight problems with some performance dates and the chronological sequence, but the overwhelming quality and breadth of the research make this work exciting and magnificent.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, July 30, 2009

By 

Musette (Eastern US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Franco Corelli: Prince of Tenors (Hardcover)

This is an absolutely fascinating biography. I can't imagine any other treatment that would be so open and comprehensive, and it answers many questions we old "Corelliacs" have had over the years. I knew someone who knew him fairly well, and much of what that person told me was confirmed in this book. I know a little bit more, but I'll keep it to myself! Anyway, I don't think Franco Corelli comes across in this book as arrogant in "real life" as is often described by his detractors. From what I've heard, he was rather shy and contemplative. He did not take praise easily, and treated his fans with respect, even his overly passionate female fans. He could appear prideful, but only regarding his hard-won accomplishments. It was especially enlightening to read of how much he worked on his technique over the years and how serious he was about his singing. In the 1960s, he had a amazingly difficult Met schedule, with the "spring season" and the US tours. An added treat in this book was seeing his "comic books" again, which my friend didn't allow me to read or even touch. BTW, there is a strange mistake that I've found in the book and that is in the author's reference to the Met record album containing pieces of the old Met curtain and that is the recordings in this album (titled "Opening Nights at the Met") are not of the final night of the original house, they are old recordings of star singers dating back to the ancient cylinders in the Met archives. The author left out San Francisco and Los Angeles/Pasadena appearances. I was fortunate to be at his last concert, in New Jersey. He even sang to us fans in the first row: "vecchie fanciulle" he sang, and gave us a big grin. We couldn't have Corelli forever, but we remember him both fondly and with great passion.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo Mr. Seghers, April 9, 2008

By 

Antoinette S. Sellitto "operalover" (Phila. Pa.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Franco Corelli: Prince of Tenors (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this book for all opera lovers and especially for those who loved Corelli. Mr. Seghers lets us peek behind the curtains of the grand opera stage to see for ourselves the difficult day to day business of placating the divos and divas of Corelli's era especially the man for whom the book was written. His life is chronicled from birth to death, we learn about the family and city he loved and most of all, his relationship with the woman who lived for him.

As a result of reading this book I have more appreciation for the man who gave us so much thrilling and beautiful music despite his insecurities and personal problems. I hope more readers will come forth to share their delight with this book and give Mr. Seghers the credit he deserves.