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Summary: Paradoxical "Hero"
Review: "Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life" is a detailed look at this great tenor's career. I've looked forward to such a book for a long time since Vickers is a great favorite of mine. The work is enormously detailed about Vickers' upbringing, youth and career, and at times almost seems like an "If this is London, it must be Otello" travelogue. This is one of the book's weaknesses, in that it feels more like a listing of performances and incidental happenings than a thorough bio that delves in depth into important events, themes, and motivations. Much of this weakness, such as it is, must be blamed on Vickers' own refusal to cooperate with the author. The book needs a greater breadth of experiences from family, other artists, and Vickers himself, but apparently the tenor warned off many people from speaking on the record. I had another odd feeling before reading too far into this book: The man I have admired for so long as a musical artist was, as depicted in this portrait, mean-spirited, vindictive, quarrelsome, and at times virtually a sociopath when it came to interacting with people. I found my own admiration for the tenor lessening as I read this portrait of a pathetic man with too much ego for his own (and many other people's) good. The fact is, Vickers wasn't "a hero" at all, despite the title of the book and his many heroic stage roles. Again, possibly a rounder "official" bio approach could have tempered this, but it appears that Vickers really was pretty nasty. Nevertheless, it was great to read about an artist whose work I'll treasure. If you're interested in this topic, try to get the somewhat recently published biography of the Swedish tenor Jussi Bjorling, written by his widow and Andrew Farkas. A first-rate job.
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Summary: Esteemed critic Porter on "Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life"
Review: Andrew Porter writes in the April 2000 Gramophone:"One of the excitements of reading Jeannie Williams's book has been its evocation of so many unforgettable evenings in the theatre, one's responses set ablaze by the fervour with which each phrase was sounded.... This is not an authorised biography; Vickers did not co-operate in the writing of it, says Williams. But she heard him, thrilled to him, talked to him and talked to many who heard him and who worked with him. The facts are here (including a 30-page day-by-day performance history). So is ample appreciation from colleagues, conductors and critics of what made him special....what emerges is a vivid portrait of the most exciting tenor in the second half of the 20th century, in role after role."
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Summary: A Good Bio of a Complex and Difficult Personality
Review: As the author of a Jussi Bjorling biography that was never published in this country, I empathize with the task that faced Jeannie Williams. How can you make the bare details of a career interesting when you get no cooperation from the subject or his family? Then again, where do you draw the line and decide if a negative anecdote is unfair or probably untrue? Williams' solution was to try to present two sides to every argument, a noble idea that still sometimes did not work. The vindictive Terry McEwen, for instance, who rubbed a lot of artists the wrong way, is not entirely to be trusted in his presentation of Vickers as a man who betrayed friends, and there are likewise many singers who felt the same way about Georg Solti that Vickers did (he was a megalomaniac who purposely drowned singers out with his loud, raucous conducting). Even so, the portrait of Vickers that emerges is probably 80% fair and honest. It's the other 20% that disturbs me. As someone who spent 22 years of their life being backstage with opera singers, conductors etc., I know that this is not and never has been the "nice" world that outsiders often view it as. It is a cut-throat field in which a few dozen major "names" jockey for position in productions and recordings. It is also a business that eats young singers alive and punishes those whio do not "play ball." In this environment, Jon Vickers' actions make perfect sense to me. He had to fight tooth and nail to 1) carve out a repertoire that he felt psychologically and vocally comfortable with, 2) remain on top despite the fact that he could be bossy, difficult to work with and yet not really popular, and 3) maintain his own artistic integrity in the face of the demands of producers and impresarios. The difficulty he had, for instance, in getting his interpretation of "Die Winterreise" accepted is but one example of how petty and hard-minded critics and booking agents could be towards him. (My own opinion is that his "Winterreise" is very poetic and word-directed, more of a psychological than a strictly "musical" interpretation.) I remember when he sang "Forza del Destino" at the Met: the loud-mouthed opera regulars picked apart his singing during intermissions, stating that even such a secondary tenor as Barry Morell could sing it better. So much for Vickers' acceptance as an artist, even when his was the most fascinating and psychologically probing interpretation of the role ever given (I still recall the pained, strangulated voice with which he sang "Solenne in quest'ora"). Sheer athletic vocalism always seems to be appreciated more than artistic probing. Williams' book does reveal some personal flaws and weaknesses in this most intense of tenors. But this is only to be expected from a singer who gave so much in each and every performance. Pop critics talk about how rock screamers like Joe Cocker tear out their hearts when they sing, but Cocker has nothing on Vickers. He was animal intensity personified, his craggy voice the voice of Everyman in his struggle to survive a brutal and oftimes unfriendly world.
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Summary: BBC Music Magazine review
Review: By Anthony Peattie "The strength of this biography is that it never degenerates into hagiography... Jeannie Williams's book does justice to Jon Vickers by documenting his insights into the roles he sang as equal-handedly as the unnecessary controversies that dotted his career....This biography is one of the best studies of a singer that I have ever read." --Anthony Peattie, BBC Music Magazine, January 2000.
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Summary: Critic's Comments
Review: CRITICS' COMMENTS on Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life Peter G. Davis, music critic, New York magazine, formerly of The New York Times:
""Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life ranks among the most impressive books I have ever read about an individual singer . ...If the man himself remains an intriguing enigma, that in no way lessens the achievement of this objectively written, painstakingly researched, immensely readable biography." Antony Peattie, BBC Music Magazine:
"This major new biography gives an unusually full picture of the man, his voice, and his career ... One of the best studies of a singer that I have ever read." Patrick J. Smith, Opera News:
"Jeannie Williams has done an excellent job in bringing back memories of an extraordinarily vivid singer." Publishers Weekly:
"In this remarkably even-handed, unauthorized account, Williams engagingly depicts the conflicting aspects of a great artist's personality and howthey shaped his career."
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Summary: Critic's Comments
Review: CRITICS' COMMENTS on Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life Peter G. Davis, music critic, New York magazine, formerly of The New York Times:
""Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life ranks among the most impressive books I have ever read about an individual singer . ...If the man himself remains an intriguing enigma, that in no way lessens the achievement of this objectively written, painstakingly researched, immensely readable biography." Antony Peattie, BBC Music Magazine:
"This major new biography gives an unusually full picture of the man, his voice, and his career ... One of the best studies of a singer that I have ever read." Patrick J. Smith, Opera News:
"Jeannie Williams has done an excellent job in bringing back memories of an extraordinarily vivid singer." Publishers Weekly:
"In this remarkably even-handed, unauthorized account, Williams engagingly depicts the conflicting aspects of a great artist's personality and howthey shaped his career."
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Summary: Genius and insecurity in art
Review: Jon Vickers is without question one of the foremost heroic tenors of this century. Nearly every character he has portrayed, from Tristan and Otello to Enee (Troyans) and Don Jose, has set a new standard for characterization and dramatic impact. At the same time, the man himself has remained nearly unknown, save for tales of his monumental willpower and inflexibility. Although this volume still leaves many questions unanswered, it provides readers with a well-written portrait of a man consumed with contradictions. It can be recommended for opera lovers in general, as well as Vickers' fans.
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Summary: Opera News December review of Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life
Review: Jon Vickers:A Hero's Life has received an excellent review in the forthcoming issue of Opera News, from Patrick J. Smith, former editor of the magazine. Brief excerpts: "There is literally no other tenor who sounds or ever sounded remotely like him," writes Jeannie Williams about Jon Vickers in this finely researched biography, and she is right... Williams' book, through extensive interviews (some with Vickers himself), manages to balance the legends and the facts, presenting both sides of these conflicts fairly. ... No one who heard Jon Vickers on a night when he "came alive" will ever forget him; his ideas on singing, and the strength of his commitment in roles ranging from the heroic Enee to the comic Vasek, ensure that this singer's biography is a cut above most. Jeannie Williams has done an excellent job in bringing back memories of an extraordinarily vivid singer. Performance history and a selected discography/videography are included.
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Summary: A well-balanced and meticulously researched biography
Review: No matter whether or not you like the intrinsic quality of the singer's voice, or that you may look askance at his many idiosyncracies, there is no doubt that Jon Vickers was one of the great singing-actors of the second half of the 20th Century. In this quite impressive biography (the first for Vickers), author Jeannie Williams has set out the illustrious career of Vickers in great detail and clarity. Although Vickers has not collaborated with Williams for the writing of this book, which may account for the presence of a few minor points where the author appears to be not too sure of, it is evident that a lot of meticulous research has been undertaken for the writing of the work. A number of episodes (e.g. the "Tannhauser incident") have been given extensive treatment here. Not only has Williams laid out the views of those who were immediately involved in those controversies, the opinions of friends and colleagues have also been gleaned and revealed without unnecessary embellishments. As such, the book does provide a well-balanced and richly detailed account of Vickers's singing career from the humble beginnings in parishes of his native Canada (where he met with a number of difficulties later on), through his ascent to the pinnacle of the operatic world in which he became the definitive Siegmund, Peter Grimes, Otello and Tristan, to his low-key withdrawal from the stage in the late 80s. Nevertheless, despite all the wealth of details, which are set against the colourful and often cantankerous world of opera, and the fact that Vicker's intergrity and dedication to his art is never in doubt, the singer's emotional character, his behaviour backstage (which has raised a lot of eyebrows) and some of his convictions continue to baffle the reader and, presumably, most people who know him in person. Nevertheless, to be fair, it is almost impossible for any third-party to penetrate the depth of another's psyche and Williams has already tried her best to put on the table all the facts as well as different views so that the reader can make up his own mind as regards Vickers the person as well as the merits of his (and his opponents') arguments. Therefore, while the actual writing is not too stylish, and may sometimes be linguistically a bit bland, this is still an excellent biography of an important singer. The book also contains a selected discography and, above all, an exhaustive chronology of performances which is indispensable for those who need such information. On the whole, the book can be recommended with enthusiasm.
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Summary: The first biography of one of the century's greatest tenors.
Review: Opera Lovers: This is the first biography of Jon Vickers, one of the greatest tenors of the 20th Century. He's a very private man and has not "cooperated" with the book, although I have worked on other projects with him. But I believe he richly deserves a book, as he passes into legend, having retired as a singer in 1988 (he is now doing narrative works on stage). Stories of him abound in the business, but few have seen print; I found his colleagues eager to speak about him, but still baffled by many parts of his complex persona. Vickers sang the most demanding of roles - Tristan, Peter Grimes, Otello, Enee. In fact, no other tenor in recent memory mastered all four of those roles at the same time in his career. Also a great Canio, Samson (in both Handel and Saint-Saens), Florestan, Don Jose and more, Vickers gave many operagoers some of the most exciting nights of their musical lives (Seattle Opera's Speight Jenkins is one who relates this in the book). I trace Vickers' life from boyhood in western Canada to studies in Toronto, his breakthrough in The Trojans at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and his work on all the major stages. The book covers his over-the-edge performances and stormy battles with conductors and directors; a lengthy feud with the BBC-TV; his falling-out with Sir Georg (cq) Solti; his views - and Benjamin Britten's, of his Peter Grimes; his much whispered-about cancellation of Tannhauser; the behind-the-scenes traumas of the 1985-86 Handel Samson; his troubled relationship with his Canadian homeland. I also discuss the world view of this deeply religious and often misunderstood artist. I interviewed scores of sources, from Colin Davis, James Levine, Julius Rudel, Charles Mackerras, Elijah Moshinsky, Colin Graham, to Leonie Rysanek, Regina Resnik, Teresa Stratas, Carol Vaness, Gwyneth Jones, Sherrill Milnes, Peter Glossop. The book's photos include Vickers with his family and in roles in which he was rarely seen, including Nerone in "L'Incoronazione di Poppea" and Pollione in "Norma." A performance history is included. I hope you will find that "Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life" sheds new light on this remarkable tenor. Jeannie Williams
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