The Last Prima Donnas [Paperback]

Lanfranco Rasponi (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 654 pages
• Publisher: Limelight Editions; 2nd edition (June 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879100400
• ISBN-13: 978-0879100407
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,435,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A review of the greatest opera book ever written, July 1, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The last prima donnas (Hardcover)

Lanfranco Rasponi in his book, The Last Prima Donnas, compiles a series of interviews spanning fifty years with some of the most legendary divas to grace the operatic stage. This book is easily the most comprehensive, engaging, and just downright fascinating piece of work concerning opera out there. Such grand old dames as Eva Turner, Lily Pons and even Maria Callas expound intelligently and lucidly upon their careers and colleagues, the past, present and future of opera and many other subjects concerning their art and lives. It's an absolute must-read for anyone who's ever been enchanted by the sounds of opera, for it is the story of opera told through the eyes of some of its greatest and most colorful interpreters

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Piece of History, February 16, 2010

By 

Pamela P. Wanamaker "Dramatic Soprano" (Annandale, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The last prima donnas (Hardcover)

"The Last Prima Donnas" is a compilation of interviews that the author conducted with the divas themselves. In some cases, the author had more than one occasion to meet with the singers, and was even friends with a few. The majority of singers represented were born before World War I and were active in the 1920's to 1950's. Several worked with the composers themselves. Many names are not as well known to us in 2010 as they were in their day. If you think somebody deserves to have been included who was not, remember that these were all women who were interviewed directly by the author. This is a book that you buy for content. I bought one that must have been a library book that was less than $3.00 before shipping and I am quite satisfied.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, December 19, 2010

By 

Raul Ricardo Gallo Calvo (Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Prima Donnas (Paperback)

No real opera fan can affort NOT to read this informative and entertaining book...So much insight into what opera used to be....Awesome reading.