- Heriot, Angus. The Castrati in Opera.London: Secker & Warburg, 1956.
243p. Reprints, London: Calder, 1960; New York: Da Capo, 1975. ISBN (Da
Capo) 0-306-80003-9. ML400 .H47.
A basic study of the castrati, who constituted (Heriot says) 70 percent of all
male opera singers, as late as the end of the 18th century. Filippo Balatri
(1676–1756) gets special attention; about 50 others have bio-sketches. Foot-
notes, bibliography of 101 items, index of names and titles. - Rosselli, John. “The Castrati as a Professional Group and a Social Phenome-
non, 1550–1850.” AM60 (1988): 143–179.
A review of earlier literature and a detailed history of the castrato era. The
cultural, religious, and economic aspects of Italian life amalgamated to make
possible a bizarre practice that is incomprehensible in our time. - Lahee, Henry C. Famous Singers of Today and Yesterday.Boston: Page, 1898.
ix, 337p. ML400 .L183.
Brief, popular sketches of about 250 persons. Useful chronological table that
arranges them in order of birthdates. Index of names. - Lahee, Henry C. The Grand Opera Singers of Today.Rev. ed. Boston: Page,
- x, 543p. ML400 .L185.
First edition, 1912. A running critical commentary, with biographical facts,
about hundreds of singers who took the stage in New York, Chicago, or
Philadelphia during the period after 1903. Name and title index. - Müller-Marein, Josef, and Hannes Reinhardt. Das musikalische Selbstportrait,
von Komponisten, Dirigenten, Instrumentalisten, Sängerinnen und Sänger
unser Zeit.Hamburg: Nannen, 1963. 508p. ML385 .M91.
Autobiographical: 50 artists discussing themselves and their work. Includes
these singers: Berger, Streich, Seefried, M. Lorenz, Leider, Lemnitz, Mödl, Mel-
chior, Varnay, Rosvaenge, Winters, Hotter, Kunz, Ludwig, and Windgassen;
also director Rolf Liebermann. Name index. - Rasponi, Lanfranco. The Last Prima Donnas. New York: Knopf, 1982. 633p.
ISBN 0-394-52153-6. ML400 .R37.
One of the better books about women singers (56 of them, from the 20th cen-
tury) emphasizing their art over their personalities. Much of the material
appeared first in Opera News.Expansive index of 70 pages. - Rosenthal, Harold D. Great Singers of Today.London: Calder & Boyars,
- 212p. ML400 .R79.
Facts, dates, and critical opinions concerning about 100 singers, male and
female; in popular style but not chatty. Many photos, no bibliography or index. - Smith, Eric Ledell. Blacks in Opera: An Encyclopedia of People and Compa-
nies, 1873–1993.Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1995. xi, 236p. ISBN 0-89950- - ML102 .O6 S6.
Life and career information on singers, directors, and producers; portraits,
bibliographies, recordings. Indexed.
Biographies 45