Diva Book

The past eight years have seen the renaissance of the Diva, with the rise to prominence of a number of female singers who are capable of drawing mass audiences as well as delivering performances to rival those of the stars of the past. The divas analyze their roles, both vocally and dramatically, discuss choices in repertoire and reflect on their lives and careers. Matheopoulos interweaves her narrative with insightful and critical commentary, and peppers her profiles with remarks from conductors, directors, voice teachers, coaches and, on occasion, famous colleagues from the past. She also highlights changes in the opera scene, including the appearance in recent years of many talented Russian singers and the prominence of American-born divas during the last decade. Interviews include 14 sopranos, including Barbara Bonney, Renee Fleming, Angela Gheorghiu, Galina Gorchakova, Catherine Malfitano and Carol Vaness, and seven mezzos, including Cecilia Bartoli, Olga Borodina and Jennifer Larmore.