Singers of the Century, Vol. 3 [Hardcover]

J. B. Steane (Author)

Book Description

Series: Singers of the Century | Publication Date: March 1, 2003

The subjects of this third volume range from survivors of the so-called Golden Age of the 1890s, such as the formidable Lotte Lehman, to those whom the 20th century has bequeathed to the 21st, such as Cecilia Bartoli and Ian Bostridge. This is a personal selection that includes many of the great names, including Melchior, heldentenor of the century, and Gigli, the most popular Italian singer of his generation. The entire series (for this is the final volume) ends with a chapter on Caruso, still widely regarded as the greatest of all.Steane's critical essays seek out the special qualities of each singer and relate them to wider concerns in music and in life. His eloquent descriptions of the nuances of the vocal art are wonderful examples of the best kind of music appreciation. HARDCOVER.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Steane, who writes for Gramophone, Musical Times, and Opera News, is the author of The Grand Tradition: Seventy Years of Singing on Record, 1900-1970 and Voices, Singers and Critics. He resides in Coventry, England.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

If a doubt about greatness may arise with Renée Fleming in view, how much more insidious and insistent are the whisperings or, worse, the indulgent silences that may now attend the name of Enrico Caruso. He is acknowledged of course: every anthology of voices on records, even if it ignores all the other marvellous singers of his time, has to have its token Caruso. People will say 'I suppose he must have been wonderful really', meaning they can't quite see it. Or 'Of course it's a terrible recording but it gives you an idea', meaning you would hardly play it for pleasure. Others will probe ('But was he really so great? Wasn’t it just that in those days...'). Some will chip away at the edges ('Not much of an actor was he?'). Some will condescend amiably ('Completely natural, instinctive gift', meaning he was a peasant), or informatively ('His singing killed him you know. Oh yes, burst a blood-vessel poor chap'). I remember Compton Mackenzie, with faith, hope and charity in his heart, writing 'every day, somewhere, somebody will hear his voice for the first time and say "This was a singer"' (The Gramophone, July 1924). And I wish I could be sure of such a future, or even such a present.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 275 pages
• Publisher: Amadeus Press (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574670573
• ISBN-13: 978-1574670578
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,593,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colourful and heart-warming vignettes of great singers, February 18, 2001

By 

Vincent Lau - See all my reviews

This review is from: Singers of the Century, Vol. 3 (Hardcover)

Like its predecessor volumes, in this third (and final) instalment of this wonderful series, vocal connoisseur John B. Steane has once again managed to paint colourful and interesting vignettes for 63 notable singers of the 20th century. Restricting himself to around 1,500 words per chapter (there are altogether 50 of them arranged in random order), Steane goes straight into the heart of the matter and reveals with immense vividness and insight why the voices and images of those featured artistes are so dear to our hearts and why they occupy such exalted places in the annals of classical vocalism.

Given the limited space available, instead of charting the career of each singer in detail, Steane would highlight a few special recordings, performances or even musical phrases and gestures which, in his view, best embody the art, character and aura of these often larger-than-life personalities. These are buttressed by personal recollections and observations by the author himself throughout his many years of music appreciation. Indeed, given the wealth of Steane's experience, his views are often exceptionally illuminating, such as those in the discussion of the art of the French song (chapter for Gerard Souzay), the assessment of Alfredo Kraus's Werther, the almost phrase-by-phrase comparison between the Macbeths of Renato Bruson and Sherrill Milnes, the revelation of the "magic" of Maggie Teyte, the explanation Plancon's greatness and expressivity as a singer (as illustrated by the aria "Vi raviso, o luoghi amen"), the delineation of "Ich" by Ian Bostridge in Schubert's Winterreise, the outlining of the various strengths and weaknesses of Cecilia Bartoli, and the touching re-appraisal of Enrico Caruso, whose chapter brings the entire series to an end.

The actual style of writing is witty, warm and stylish. While an air of authority does seep into every phrase, there is also a sense of charm and intimacy throughout that makes the book hugely readable. Steane also quotes quite a lot from other eminent critics, some in support and some to contradict (e.g. those in the chapter on Claudia Muzio). Nevertheless, whether one agrees with Steane's assessments or not, the voices and images of these featured singers will immediately spring to one's mind when reading these delightful portraits, making one eager to reach for those records which have given one so much pleasure in the past to admire them with renewed interest or from a different (and perhaps more enlightened) perspective.

In the Foreword, Steane once again reiterates that the choice of singers in this series has been personal. Nevertheless, taking the 3 volumes of "Singers of the Century" as a whole, Steane does seem to favour those who possess a more traditionally beautiful voice (or a smoother vocal production) and those who have recorded well in the studio. And there are many glaring omissions: Astrid Varnay, Fritz Wunderlich, Gwyneth Jones, Jose van Dam, Anja Silja, Wolfgang Windgassen, Fedora Barbieri, Alessandro Bonci, Ebe Stignani, Piero Cappuccilli, Giulietta Simionato, Pierre Bernac, Helen Traubel, James King, Claire Croiza, Leo Nucci, Johanna Gadski, Mark Reizan, Agnes Baltsa, Cesare Siepi, Fiorenza Cossotto, Ramon Vinay, Ileana Cotrubas, Charles Santley, Teresa Berganza, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Anna Moffo, Geraint Evans, Beverly Sills, Leo Slezak, Magda Olivero, Ludwig Weber, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Maria Reining, Julius Patzak, Suzanne Danco, Gottlob Frick, Bidu Sayao, Maurice Renaud, Teresa Stratas, Erich Kunz, Lisa Della Casa, Leopold Simoneau, Rita Streich, Walter Berry, Leonie Rysanek, Kurt Bohme, Maria Muller, Paul Schoffler, Lilian Nordica etc.. Even when restricted to singers of the older generation, this reviewer can still easily name 50 other celebrated artistes which have not been featured in this three-volume series.

Can we have some more, please?