Customer Reviews

Men Women and Tenors

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

 

 

I've only heard Frances Alda on poor recordings. But she certainly had a fun and glamorous life and wrote very well about it. The name dropping is relatively discreet, but it's also fun to read some of the animosity toward Geraldine Farrar (in her own autobiography, Farrar refers to Alda as a prima donna of secondary importance without naming her), and the ups and downs of her marriage to the manager of the Met. Artistic and entertaining at the same time, probably much like her performances. It's also a link to an old performing tradition, since her teacher also taught Nellie Melba and studied with the great vocal instructors of the 19th century, and some of that comes through in the description of her vocal exercises and lessons. In the end, there's a tiny bit of self-indulgence, but a model of information and good writing compared to biographies (hagiographies) of more recent singers.

Madame Alda was born in New Zealand but raised in Melbourne, the birthplace of her fellow student of Madame Mathilde Marchesi, Madame (later Dame) Nellie Melba. It seems that there were indeed many Madames associated with the world of song. Her family members included many singers - Frances Saville, Alda's aunt, was a well known soprano who enjoyed a successful international career.

Taken with a few pinches of salt, this story of a singer's life may represent a reasonably accurate account - and certainly an interesting one - of the struggles for success, in training, and on and off stage.