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55 Years In Five Acts: My Life In OperaEditions
Review
The early years leading up to her phenomenal first appearance, usually the dreariest part of any diva’s memoir, are of particular interest as she was born into the mainstream operatic world of Europe in 1918, a time of great creative activity. Her mother was a respected coloratura soprano, her father a dramatic tenor and stage director and the great Kirsten Flagstad was a family friend, early mentor and lifelong inspiration. Sadly, Varnay has not had anything like her due since she made shockingly few commercial recordings of her greatest roles, although many dozens of pirate versions attest to her extraordinarily potent characterisations, especially in Strauss and Wagner (including no less than 5 illicit complete “Ring” cycles). So if this book is in some ways a work of self-celebration it is nevertheless a wonderful account of an undervalued artist, who collaborated with some of the greatest names in the operatic firmament. Not many jokes perhaps, but a full measure of insider tales. Her story of Melchior’s first meeting with his wife- she parachuted on top of him as he lay in his garden - certainly had me chuckling. And she surely can offer sound advice to the stars of today who jet-set around the world, on how to take care of their voices. After all, following that date at the Met in 1941, she really did sing for the next 55 years! - review by Stewart Grimshaw |
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John Sandoe [Books] Ltd |
Astrid Varnay made her debut aged 23, on the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbour, deputising for Lotte Lehmann as Sieglinde in a Met broadcast of “Die Walküre” - in the exalted company of Helen Traubel and Lauritz Melchior. Within the week she stood in for Traubel as Brunnhilde and thereafter established herself as one of the leading heroic sopranos of the age. A decade later she became one of the mainstays of Wieland Wagner’s New Bayreuth, tackling (and triumphing in) all the major Wagnerian roles.
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