Lina Cavalieri : the life of opera's greatest beauty, 1874-1944 / Paul Fryer and Olga Usova.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fryer, Paul, 1955-

Contributor:

Usova, Olga.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cavalieri, Lina, 1874-1944.

Cavalieri, Lina.

Sopranos (Singers)--Biography.

Sopranos (Singers).

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

vii, 200 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, [2004]

Summary:

A prominent star in both pre-Revolutionary Russia and New York, Lina Cavalieri, described as the most beautiful woman in the world, was one of the most frequently photographed personalities of her time. The cabaretperformer, courtesan, and international star is documented in this, her first English-language biography. Researched from Russian archive sources,the book details her career from her early experiences in caf--chantant and variety theatre in Paris, London, and St. Petersburg, through a highlysuccessful operatic career in which she sang in many of the world's leading opera houses with such celebrities as Caruso and Ruffo. In 1914, Cavalieri became the first great opera singer to appear in silent movies, making her debutin Manon Lescaut and continuing with a series of successful films. Her life was ended by an Allied air raid in World War II. The book includes excerpts from period reviews, programmes, posters, and many previously unseen photographs. Appendices include a bibliography, filmography, discography, and chronology of stage performances (dates, venues, work, cast, conductor).

Contents:

Beginnings

The queen of variety

The opera star I

The opera star II

The film star

Endings.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-195) and index.

Discography: page 181.

Filmography: pages 179-180.

ISBN:

0786416858

OCLC:

53331651