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A riveting history of the early male and female sopranos for whom
many of the greatest roles in opera were written During its first
two centuries, opera was dominated by sopranos. There were male
sopranos, or castrati, whose supercharged voices (female vocal
cords powered by male lungs) were capable of feats of vocalism that
are hard to imagine today. And there were female sopranos, or prima
donnas, whose long battle for social acceptance and top billing was
crowned in the early nineteenth century when the castrati
disappeared from the opera stage and left them supreme. Whether
they were male or female, these singers were amazing virtuosi,
perhaps the greatest singers there have ever been-"angels."
Unfortunately, some of them (and often the most famous) were also
capable of behaving extremely badly, both on and off
stage-"monsters." This book tells their colorful stories. Besides
providing fascinating anecdotes about some of those who graced and
disgraced the operatic stage, Richard Somerset-Ward tells the story
of their greatest glory-the singing tradition they founded and
perfected, which we know as bel canto and which is still the
backbone of operatic singing today. Rich in musical, social, and
cultural lore, Angels and Monsters illuminates a unique and
vanished tradition and will be irresistible to opera lovers
everywhere.
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