Renata Tebaldi : the woman and the diva / Victor Seroff.
| Author/creator | Seroff, Victor |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | New York : Appleton-Century-Crofts, [1961] |
| Description | vii, 213 pages : portraits ; 21 cm |
| Subjects |
| Abstract | "The life of a great opera prima donna is traditionally glamorous. She lives in a world of costumes and wondrous music, of temperament and adulation. But her life always remains something of a mystery, even to her friends and admirers. In this biography of Renata Tebaldi, Victor Seroff raises the veil with a bold and sensitive hand, giving us a truly intimate portrait of the woman behind the artist. She emerges as a shy and charming person, passionately devoted to her art, proud of her success and aware of what it has cost her. From Milan to New York, from Vienna to Paris and San Francisco, impresarios have only to announce a performance by Renata Tebaldi to assure a packed enthusiastic house. For thirty or forty golden evenings each year the soprano performs her miracle and receives her reward. But what of the months spent in study and preparation, in the exhausting ordeals of travel and recording sessions? What incidents and episodes in her life helped to shape and crystallize her ambition? Mr. Seroff tells of her childhood and adolescence in an Italian village, where she lived under the tension of her parents' separation. During the war, while she grieved over the devastation of her beloved Italy, she had to cope with the difficult circumstances of her first love. She became engaged to a partisan whom she could see only at rare intervals. Eventually she was forced to make the agonizing choice between marriage and her career. But this is also the story of her triumphs, beginnings with her memorable audition with Toscanini. Her first appearance at La Scala, so great a strain, so important to her career, was an enormous success. Then came a South American tour, with another soprano called Maria Callas in the company. The ensuing rivalry between the two singers, so often misrepresented, is described here in detail. This book could have been written only by someone who has known Renata Tebaldi personally. At first hand Victor Seroff has witnessed many moments of despair and exultation, of tragedy and triumph, undergone by the singer during her career. The result is the compassionate and moving story of a woman who once said, 'When I cannot sing, I just don't feel I am alive.' The book contains 30 illustrations of Renata Tebaldi, a discography and an index."--Dust jacket. |
| Bibliography note | "Operas and other works sung by Renata Tebaldi": pages 199-202. |
| Bibliography note | "Discography of Renata Tebaldi recordings issued in the United States, compiled by George Jellinek": pages 203-210. |
| Biographical note | The study of the lives of celebrities in the world of music has long been Victor Seroff's special interest. He has written standard biographies of Dimitri Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel, and Debussy and a book titled The Mighty Five: The Cradle of Russian National Music. For the past seven years he has been a regular contributor to the Saturday Review. Mr. Seroff first met Renata Tebaldi in the spring of 1946, just as she was beginning her career. So impressed was he with her voice, her dignity and charm, that he predicted a brilliant career for her in an article he wrote shortly afterward. Since that time he has followed her career with interest, both from afar and at close range. |
| LCCN | 61007590 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Closed Stacks - Ask at Circulation Desk | ML420.T28 S5 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |