Lily Pons

the long version

"From the moment of her Metropolitan Opera debut in Lucia di Lammermoor, Lily Pons captured the hearts and imaginations of opera audiences with her beauty, elegance, and style. She was an overnight success, and although she sang only ten roles in her three decades at the Met, Pons was its reigning diva from her 1931 debut until her final season in 1959. To American audiences especially, she remained the premiere coloratura soprano of the interwar years, bridging the gap between the eras of Amelita Galli-Curci and Maria Callas.". "Published in celebration of the centennial of her birth, this collection brings together the impressions of colleagues, critics, and scholars about this much-beloved diva. Editors James A. Drake and Kristin Beall Ludecke, who gathered the material for this tribute, provide additional commentary to guide the reader through Pons's life. All aspects of her life and career are covered, and the book is enriched by the inclusion of more than a hundred rare photographs from Lily Pons's own archives."--BOOK JACKET.