- Steane, J. B. The Grand Tradition: Seventy Years of Singing on Record. Lon-
don: Duckworth, 1974. xii, 628p. Reprint, Portland, Ore.: Amadeus, 1993.
ISBN 0-931340-640. ML400 .S821.
Although the Amadeus publication is labeled “2nd edition,” it is (reading the
small print) in fact “a reprint of the original book...[with] many correc-
tions.” An interesting narrative history of operatic and concert singing as dis-
played on recordings, with much discerning critical opinion. Useful chapters
on singers of each country and on the interpreters of Mozart, Wagner, etc. This
is not—despite the implication of the title—a discography; however, there is an
appendix comparison of recorded performances of 12 arias. With 138 illustra-
tions of singers, many in costume. Index of composers with their works, index
of names. - Steane, J. B. Singers of the Century. London: Duckworth; Portland, Ore.:
Amadeus, 1996–1998. 2v. ISBN 1-57467-009-3, 1-57467-040-9 (Amadeus).
ML400 .S73 S5.
About 50 brief, personalized biographies, originally published in Opera News.
Among the artists covered are Emma Calvé, Geraldine Farrar, Régine Crespin,
Arleen Auger, Jon Vickers, Lucia Popp, Jussi Björling, Maria Callas, Placido
Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Lawrence Tibbett, and Kiri Te Kanawa. Percep-
tive critical comments on acting ability as well as the voice itself; with fascinat-
ing vignettes. Not strong in citations or bibliographic data, but indexed.
46 Opera