Prima Donna : A History

There have been countless books written about the specialized musician known as the opera singer, and quite a few about female opera singers in particular; still, Rupert Christiansen's effort from the 1980s holds up well. As is logical, his discussion is basically chronological, starting with the rise of the female singer in the later Baroque period (as the previously dominant castrati waned in favor), proceeding through the heyday of the adored prima donna in the nineteenth century and concluding with a look at the scene in modern times (the book now, of course, is dated, stopping with the 1970s). Christiansen's chapters, however, are not only devoted to differing vocal types and their evolution (the coloratura "nightingale," the Wagnerian singer), but also different national schools and influential geographic centers, such as New York and Vienna. These shifting foci lend the book additional perspectives and interest, though occasionally the organization necessitates some backtracking as far as pure chronology is concerned. In a fairly compact volume overall only a few individual singers can be discussed in any great detail, and Christiansen's zeal for summarizing leads him to make some questionable assertions; lumping Callas, Sutherland and Horne together as singers with "enormous" voices, for example. Still, he has a definite gift for sketching complete musical personalities in relatively few words that makes this volume a consistently enjoyable and informative read. Incidentally, it is worth seeking out the Viking hardback, as the photographs included are different, more numerous and interesting than in my Penguin paperback reprint.