Sarah Caldwell: The First Woman of Opera

by Daniel Kessler

Overview

This is the first biography of the musician, conductor, and director Sarah Caldwell, an indomitable force for opera in America, and the first woman to conduct at the Metropolitan Opera.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810861107
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/31/2008
Pages:	334
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Daniel Kessler is a writer and lecturer on opera. He is a contributor to Opera Quarterly and has served as a lecturer for the San Francisco Opera.

Table of Contents

Preface     v
Acknowledgments     vii
Sarah Caldwell: Boston Finale     1
The Early Years     7
Sarah the Improviser     23
Getting the Show on the Stage     31
Sarah the Musicologist     39
The Golden Years     49
Touring and the Anoc     65
The Nomadic Years     81
More Feats of Derring-Do     93
Seizing the Moment: Opera New England     109
Working with Sarah     117
Other Artistic Worlds to Conquer     125
A Home at Last     141
Sarah and the Imelda Marcos Connection     153
Understanding Sarah     161
Sarah's Indian Summer     171
Sarah in Exile     183
Sarah the Enigma     189
Epilogue     195
Annals of the Boston Opera Group and the Opera Company of Boston     197
Annals of Opera New England     263
Annals of the American National Opera Company     289
Bibliography     301
Index     305
About the Author     317

What People are Saying About This

Martin Bernheimer

Sarah Caldwell was a unique force in the world of opera — inspired, inspiring, bold, idealistic, unconventional and almost indomitable. Daniel Kessler's fascinating exploration of her life and work is sensitive, cool-headed, delicately balanced, elegantly written and splendidly researched.

Editorial Reviews

This new opus by Daniel Kessler, highlighting the ever-enigmatic Sarah Caldwell, starts off much more promising than Caldwell's self-penned memoirs....This book is more detailed, more deeply researched and promises to give a less subjective account of the elusive icon.

March 2009 Opera News

important and valuable historical survey.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

This new opus by Daniel Kessler, highlighting the ever-enigmatic Sarah Caldwell, starts off much more promising than Caldwell's self-penned memoirs....This book is more detailed, more deeply researched and promises to give a less subjective account of the elusive icon.

Opera News

There are many telling anecdotes in Kessler's fast-paced, honest, and very thorough chronicle of Sarah Caldwell's career.

From the Publisher

Sarah Caldwell was a unique force in the world of opera — inspired, inspiring, bold, idealistic, unconventional and almost indomitable. Daniel Kessler's fascinating exploration of her life and work is sensitive, cool-headed, delicately balanced, elegantly written and splendidly researched.

Martin Bernheimer

There are many telling anecdotes in Kessler's fast-paced, honest, and very thorough chronicle of Sarah Caldwell's career. Sept/Oct 2009

Fanfare Magazine

Kessler provides eyewitness testimony for each scene's mise-en-scene, backed up by production stills and the sole studio recording Caldwell made (for EMI). Kessler's dilligent research probably cannot be bettered. April 2009

Opera (British Magazine)

important and valuable historical survey.

Chronicle of Higher Education

Kessler provides eyewitness testimony for each scene's mise-en-scene, backed up by production stills and the sole studio recording Caldwell made (for EMI). Kessler's dilligent research probably cannot be bettered. April 2009

(British Magazine) Opera

Kessler provides eyewitness testimony for each scene's mise-en-scene, backed up by production stills and the sole studio recording Caldwell made (for EMI). Kessler's dilligent research probably cannot be bettered.

Opera - April 2009

There are many telling anecdotes in Kessler's fast-paced, honest, and very thorough chronicle of Sarah Caldwell's career.

Fanfare Magazine - Sept/Oct 2009