Rating: 
Summary: Mean-spirited American Opera Critic
Review: An opportunity missed. To think that a book on this subject was actually a possibility and Peter G. Davis was chosen to author it is unfortunate. He seems to have had no ability to put aside personal preferences and feelings for these artists to appraise their work with anything other than contempt, disdain and disrespect. I walked away feeling that the only thing I had learned from this book was that Peter G. Davis is an incredibly nasty and mean-spirited person. If you are really interested in this subject, skip this childish book and buy the CD's that have the same title. You'll learn a lot more about what these talented people were all about.
Rating:
Summary: Mean-spirited American Opera Critic
Review: An opportunity missed. To think that a book on this subject was actually a possibility and Peter G. Davis was chosen to author it is unfortunate. He seems to have had no ability to put aside personal preferences and feelings for these artists to appraise their work with anything other than contempt, disdain and disrespect. I walked away feeling that the only thing I had learned from this book was that Peter G. Davis is an incredibly nasty and mean-spirited person. If you are really interested in this subject, skip this childish book and buy the CD's that have the same title. You'll learn a lot more about what these talented people were all about.
Rating:
Summary: Mean Spirited
Review: Davis bashes some of the more important American Opera Singers (Sills, Moffo, Leontyne Price, Malfitano, etc.) in a book I found to be incredibly mean spirited. His credentials aside, he seems to have set out to settle some old scores here. You can learn more about the singers by listening to their recordings and deciding for yourself. I wish "no stars" was an option.
Rating:
Summary: Livin' in the Past
Review: Davis isn't bad with the earlier section of the book (dealing with singers he personally couldn't have heard live). When dealing with the recent past/contemporary singers, he tends to be unfair in his judgements. He seems to care more for singers of yore than any of his contemporaries. You come away wondering why he bothered to write a book about this subject.
Rating:
Summary: Cheap Sots
Review: I purchased this book because of some things I'd heard about it on an opera related chat site. I guess I wanted to see if they were true. Davis unfairly blasts some of the more popular singers. I thought his comments about Beverly Sills were pretty low. Unlike Davis, she gave me a great deal of pleasure and I don't care to see her career tarnished. I'm sure people will be listening to her recordings and watching her videos long after Davis book is forgotten. Buy at your own risk ... and forget it if you are a Sills fan.
Rating: 
Summary: A good history of American singing
Review: It is generous of Mr. Dizikes to review this book so favorably, since his own (Opera in America) is so much better. Nevertheless, the focus of the two is different. Dizikes focuses on institutions, Davis on individual singers. The popular press has overplayed Davis's assessment of today's singers (less than 100 pages). It's a solid history by one who has listened carefully to many records and read (it appears) every contemporary press report. As a journalist, Davis writes very well--though not as well as J.B. Steane. All in all, a very good book for anyone interested in singing.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive and opinionated
Review: Peter G. Davis' definition of "American" in this volume is quite broad, encompassing singers born abroad who made a significant contribution to the American operatic scene, as well as native-born artists who, for one reason or another, spent much of their artistic lives overseas. Thus, he discusses singers as diverse as Callas and Sills, Astrid Varnay and Helen Traubel, Claire Watson and Roland Hayes. With singers whose most significant career contributions took place outside the U.S., such as Callas and Varnay, Mr. Davis takes pains to show what role their American years and appearances played in their artistic lives.The scope and detail of the book is its strength, particularly the early chapters, which deal with many singers about whom detailed information would be difficult to obtain elsewhere. I particularly appreciated the chapter detailing the tortuous progress of the African-American opera singer in the American musical landscape. Mr. Davis is forthright and uncompromising in his opinions, which is the cause of the low ratings this book has received from reviewers on this site whose favorite singers have been singled out for rough treatment. What these fans seem not to have noticed is his even-handedness, even with those he criticizes. I happen to agree, for example, that Leontyne Price probably made a more significant contribution to the operatic art on recordings than in live performance. If one can get beyond knee-jerk reactions to this or that assessment, however, there is much of value here. His writing style is polished without being pretentious. This is a book that should be read in tandem with John Dizikes' Opera in America for a full portrait of this art form since its inception in the United States.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive and opinionated
Review: Peter G. Davis' definition of "American" in this volume is quite broad, encompassing singers born abroad who made a significant contribution to the American operatic scene, as well as native-born artists who, for one reason or another, spent much of their artistic lives overseas. Thus, he discusses singers as diverse as Callas and Sills, Astrid Varnay and Helen Traubel, Claire Watson and Roland Hayes. With singers whose most significant career contributions took place outside the U.S., such as Callas and Varnay, Mr. Davis takes pains to show what role their American years and appearances played in their artistic lives. The scope and detail of the book is its strength, particularly the early chapters, which deal with many singers about whom detailed information would be difficult to obtain elsewhere. I particularly appreciated the chapter detailing the tortuous progress of the African-American opera singer in the American musical landscape. Mr. Davis is forthright and uncompromising in his opinions, which is the cause of the low ratings this book has received from reviewers on this site whose favorite singers have been singled out for rough treatment. What these fans seem not to have noticed is his even-handedness, even with those he criticizes. I happen to agree, for example, that Leontyne Price probably made a more significant contribution to the operatic art on recordings than in live performance. If one can get beyond knee-jerk reactions to this or that assessment, however, there is much of value here. His writing style is polished without being pretentious. This is a book that should be read in tandem with John Dizikes' Opera in America for a full portrait of this art form since its inception in the United States.
Rating: 
Summary: A hard-nosed look at singing and singers
Review: This book is not for the faint-hearted, nor is it for those who cannot abide anything other than unadulterated praise for their pet singers. Peter G. Davis has long been one of most brutal, but often insightful, of American critics, as those who read "New York" magazine will know. Both the brutality and the insight are on display here. Davis provides a fascinating and comprehensive review of the "American" singer - which is limited not just to native-born Americans and Canadians, but also to foreign-born singers like Caruso and Pons whose careers were centered in the U.S. and who in some way had a major impact on the American operatic consciousness. In these pages, I encountered many singers of whom I had previously been unaware, particularly from years past. For the open-minded reader, there is a great deal to learn here. There is also a great deal to infuriate fans of certain singers of the recent past. Beverly Sills, for example, comes in for some pretty rough treatment. But in this reader's opinion, Davis is right on the mark with his assessment of Sills' voice and career. Davis is absolutely right in his assertion that Sills was, by nature, a light lyric soprano and that she sang at her best in this repertoire. Only the most gushy, stars-in-the-eyes fan would deny that Sills' voice began to take a crash-dive after she started singing the heavy bel canto repertoire in the early 70's, or that many of her later recordings are marred by excessive vibrato and shrill, wobbly high notes - it's all there to hear. Indeed, the whole of Davis' book takes Sills to task for her ridiculous, self-serving assertions that before her career, American singers "didn't get no respect" or that she was some kind of trail-blazer. Dozens of great American singers had done it all before her. Similarly, Davis' unflattering remarks on Leontyne Price's later singing may not be particularly gallant, but they are accurate. Davis is generous with praise, where he thinks it is deserved, which is often. But like any good - or honest - critic, he considers the bad along with the good. I found this book continually fascinating and a source of much information. I recommend it highly to inquiring minds.
Rating:
Summary: A hard-nosed look at singing and singers
Review: This book is not for the faint-hearted, nor is it for those who cannot abide anything other than unadulterated praise for their pet singers. Peter G. Davis has long been one of most brutal, but often insightful, of American critics, as those who read "New York" magazine will know. Both the brutality and the insight are on display here. Davis provides a fascinating and comprehensive review of the "American" singer - which is limited not just to native-born Americans and Canadians, but also to foreign-born singers like Caruso and Pons whose careers were centered in the U.S. and who in some way had a major impact on the American operatic consciousness. In these pages, I encountered many singers of whom I had previously been unaware, particularly from years past. For the open-minded reader, there is a great deal to learn here. There is also a great deal to infuriate fans of certain singers of the recent past. Beverly Sills, for example, comes in for some pretty rough treatment. But in this reader's opinion, Davis is right on the mark with his assessment of Sills' voice and career. Davis is absolutely right in his assertion that Sills was, by nature, a light lyric soprano and that she sang at her best in this repertoire. Only the most gushy, stars-in-the-eyes fan would deny that Sills' voice began to take a crash-dive after she started singing the heavy bel canto repertoire in the early 70's, or that many of her later recordings are marred by excessive vibrato and shrill, wobbly high notes - it's all there to hear. Indeed, the whole of Davis' book takes Sills to task for her ridiculous, self-serving assertions that before her career, American singers "didn't get no respect" or that she was some kind of trail-blazer. Dozens of great American singers had done it all before her. Similarly, Davis' unflattering remarks on Leontyne Price's later singing may not be particularly gallant, but they are accurate. Davis is generous with praise, where he thinks it is deserved, which is often. But like any good - or honest - critic, he considers the bad along with the good. I found this book continually fascinating and a source of much information. I recommend it highly to inquiring minds.
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