Confessions of an Opera Singer

The memoir traces a singer's development from a music-rich childhood through rigorous study and engagements across Paris, Berlin, German provincial houses, and London, culminating in performances at a major metropolitan opera house. It explains practical preparation for operatic roles, contrasts French and German stage traditions, and describes the workings of small municipal companies. Backstage life appears in anecdotes about costumes, rehearsals, salaries, illnesses, and the personalities who populated theaters, including encounters with the officer class and celebrated colleagues. The volume concludes with a repertoire list and illustrated costume plates.