Caruso and Tetrazzini On the Art of Singing

by Enrico Caruso, Luisa Tetrazzini

The Cherry Orchard (Dover Thrift Plays) The Cherry Orchard was first produced by the Moscow Art Theatre on Chekhov's last birthday, January 17, 1904. Since that time it has become one of the most critically admired and performed plays in the Western world, a high comedy whose principal theme, the passing of the old semifeudal order, is symbolized in the sale of the cherry orchard owned by Madame Ranevsky.
The play also functions as a magnificent showcase for Chekhov's acute observations of his characters' foibles and for quizzical ruminations on the approaching dissolution of the world of the Russian aristocracy and life as it was lived on their great country estates. While the subject and the characters of the work are, in a sense, timeless, the dramatic technique of the play was a Chekhovian innovation. In this and other plays he developed the concept of "indirect action," in which the dramatic action takes place off stage and the significance of the play revolves around the reactions of the characters to those unseen events.
Reprinted from a standard edition, this inexpensive well-made volume invites any lover of theater or great literature to enter the world of Madame Ranevsky, Anya, Gayef, Lopakhin, Firs, and the other memorable characters whose hopes, fears, loves, and general humanity are so brilliantly depicted in this landmark of world drama.

Genres: Music

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1909

Reviews

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, it was ok. The only thing really worth taking to heart is something Tetrazzini said (I paraphrase): Don’t criticize anyone’s singing but your own. There is always something to be learned from listening to other singers.

[Mario Pešić · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lives up to date

Short and spot on with valuable information on how to sing.
It is not going to be the game changer, since it is you, who needs to change in order to produce world class voice. But there is so much more to singing than just a voice. I would say, after reading this, the voice is just one side of the equation.
For the winning formula, one must solve it and keep doing it every day.

[Tamzen Van Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like books that explain the old style of singing.

[Paul, · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book with some interesting comments by the old masters. Learned a few things. Also some weird stuff. For example.


I think one of the best exercises for learning to control the voice by first getting control of the breath is to stand erect in a well-ventilated room or out of doors and slowly snuff in air through the nostrils, inhaling in little puffs, as if you were smelling something. Take just a little bit of air at a time and feel as if you were filling the very bottom of your lungs and also the back of your lungs. When you have the sensation of being full up to the neck retain the air for a few seconds and then very slowly send it out in little puffs again. This is a splendid exercise, but I want to warn you not to practice any breathing exercise to such an extent that you make your heart beat fast or feel like strangling.

[Celestarius · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but sweet transcript of speeches by early 20th century Italian opera singers Luisa Tetrazzini and Enrico Caruso, as well as a brief biographical intro for each. Each is a combination of practical advice and a glimpse into life as a world-famous opera star of the day. I found Tetrazzini's to be a bit more weighted on the practical side, but both are fascinating for anyone interested in singing or even just cultural history.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this very interesting. Since I don't read a lot of books in this kind of genre I couldn't rank it compared to others, but the general principles of learning, dedication to and mastering of a set of skills, nerves, performance, etc are all valuable reminders and broadly applicable to any area.

[Chris Carbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in the fact that this short book was written by two opera greats of a previous generation, but nonetheless I would consider it less "informative" than a brief manual sprinkled here and there with bits of wisdom.

[Garry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book full of info for vocal students/coaches/teachers, it is well written and easy to understand even for someone that has not studied voce

[David Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this and found it very helpful. Got a lot out of what Tetrazzini had to say in particular.