Singers and Performers of Opera
The largest compilation is the most valuable:
- Kutsch, Karl Josef, and Leo Riemens. Grosses Sänger-Lexikon. 3rd ed. Bern:
Saur, 1997. 6v. ISBN 3-598-11250-5. ML105 .K83.
First edition, 1962, as Kleiner Sängerlexikonand reissued in a second edition
under that title in 1966. In 1975 and 1982 there were revisions under the name
Unvergängliche Stimmen Sängerlexikon.An English translation of the 1966
version appeared as A Concise Biographical Dictionary of Singers (Philadel-
phia: Chilton, 1969). In the current manifestation, there are entries for about
12,000 persons, many of them truly obscure (there are 5 named Albanese).
Information given includes life and career and critical observations; some
recordings are noted. No bibliographies. V.6 has an index of opera and
operetta titles mentioned in the text.
The remaining books of collective opera biography are listed by author:
- Barbier, Patrick. La maison des italiens: Les castrats à Versailles.Paris: Gras-
set, 1998. 302p. ISBN 2-246-52591-8. ML400 .B373.
A narrative history of the castrati, with their social and economic life in Paris.
Much biographical information about leading performers of the ancien
régime.Backnotes, bibliography of about 100 entries, name index. - Blanchard, Roger, and Roland de Candé. Dieux et divas de l’opéra. Paris:
Plon, 1986–1987. 2v. ISBN 22-5901-4291. ML400 .B59.
A narrative account of opera with singer biographies interspersed as they
appeared on the scene. Coverage is from 1600 to Maria Callas. Portraits, criti-
cal comments, footnotes, bibliography and name index in each volume. - Celletti, Rodolfo. Le grandi voci.Rome: Istituto per la Collaborazione Cultur-
ale, 1964. xiv, lp, 1,044 columns, lp. ML400 C44.
Biographies of about 250 singers, with perceptive comments, portraits, and
discographies. - Celletti, Rodolfo. Voce di tenore. Milan: IdeaLibri, 1989. 264p. ISBN 88-
7082-1277. ML400 .C442.
Biographical information is interwoven with a narrative account of tenor
singing from the 16th to the 20th century. There are interesting sections on
singers of certain styles, from various countries, and with composer associa-
tions. No notes or bibliography; with name and title index. - Christiansen, Rupert. Prima Donna: A History. New York: Viking, 1985.
366p. ISBN 0-670-80482-7. ML1700 .C56.
A popular account of the leading stars, with quotations but no footnotes, and
a weak bibliography. Of interest for comments in the affinity groups (singers of
Mozart, of Wagner, etc.). Name and title index.
44 Opera