Leonard Warren: American Baritone

(Amadeus). The great baritone Leonard Warren was history's most notable interpreter of Verdi, making his mark in the title roles of Rigoletto , Macbeth and Simon Boccanegra . Warren's dramatic death over 40 years ago is famous: he collapsed and died onstage at the Met on March 4, 1960 in a performance as Carlo in La forza del destino . In this definitive biography, Mary Jane Phillips-Matz, author of an acclaimed biography of Giuseppe Verdi, offers an intimate portrait of a beloved opera star, based on hundreds of interviews. More than 100 rare photographs capture Warren in his great roles as well as in private moments. HARDCOVER.

This biography of America's great mid-20th century baritone briefly covers his family background, childhood, and youth, but emphasizes his singing career, with some attention paid to his courtship and marriage. Largely compiled with the assistance of Warren's family. Includes a discography, chronology of his opera performances, and abundant b&w photographs. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

To many opera lovers, Leonard Warren was the greatest baritone of the 20th century. The Bronx-born son of Russian immigrants had extraordinary flexibility and control of dynamics, and the great Verdi roles--Rigoletto, Scarpia, Amonasro, Iago--seemed to have been written for his big, powerful voice. This exhaustive, occasionally repetitive biography appears in time for the 40th anniversary of the singer's dramatic death, onstage during a performance of La forza del destino at New York City's Metropolitan Opera. Phillips-Matz, a frequent contributor to Opera News and Opera Quarterly and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award-winning author of Verdi (Oxford Univ., 1993), provides a wealth of detail about the singer's personal and professional life along with valuable supplemental materials. The Leonard Warren Foundation is releasing a commemorative CD set in conjunction with the publication of this book, which should find a place on the shelves of academic and large public libraries.--Kate McCaffrey, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\