Description:
Each chapter in Diva, the second collection of interviews with sopranos and mezzos conducted by Helena Matheopoulos, is an uncanny reflection of how effective the singer is in the opera house. Stage animal Catherine Malfitano tells us why Madame Butterfly is not a victim, explains how Salome might have acted differently if only John the Baptist had made a simple gesture, and prefers characters whose simple dreams can't compare with reality. The superb Swedish soprano Karita Mattila defines the differences between singing Strauss, Verdi, and Mozart, describes how performing Wagner changes the voice, and finds the single moment when Don Carlos changes course. Cecilia Bartoli, with a sure sense of what is and is not suitable for her voice, is expanding her repertoire backward into the baroque rather than forward into Verdi and verismo. On the other hand, Ruth Ann Swenson has nothing of interest to say (except for a complete misapprehension of Mozart performance practice), and the chapter on Renée Fleming passes without incident. If there's a common thread among the 21 interviews, it's how down-to-earth the divas are. Jane Eaglen loves wrestling and e-mail, and she once fell asleep on Brünnhilde's rock. Dolora Zajic, during a bad period, was sleeping in Central Park. Denyce Graves witnessed a shooting in her native Washington, D.C. The glaring exception is Angela Gheorghiu, whose unprofessional demeanor is on full display. Despite lapses in editing, Diva provides a good short course in the state of opera stardom today. --William R. Braun
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