Overview
The Voice is the profoundly inspiring memoir of one of the most sought after and admired classical singers in the world—a man who has arrived at the summit of his artistry by overcoming extraordinarily daunting odds.
Thomas Quasthoff, the German bass baritone, stands a shade over four feet tall, his severely underdeveloped arms and hands the result of thalidomide poisoning while he was in his mother's womb. But through stunning determination enlivened by an impish sense of human, Quasthoff has overcome his physical limitations and Dickensian childhood, cultivating his musical genius and thrilling classical music lovers with his sublime voice.
What shines through Quasthoff's astonishing story is his staunch refusal to wallow in self-pity, to see himself as a victim. Whether he is evoking a harrowing childhood marked by multiple agonizing surgeries, relating folksy family anecdotes, expressing his devotion to his students as a professor of voice, expounding on his love of jazz and American popular music (he is a great admirer of Stevie Wonder), or unburdening himself of his wickedly outspoken views on art and disability, Quasthoff's unerring sense of humanity, boisterous conviviality, and fierce honesty are always on display.
The Voice is utterly winning—a memoir to both marvel at and enjoy.
Synopsis
The Voice is the profoundly inspiring memoir of one of the most sought after and admired classical singers in the world--a man who has arrived at the summit of his artistry by overcoming extraordinarily daunting odds.
Thomas Quasthoff, the German bass baritone, stands a shade over four feet tall, his severely underdeveloped arms and hands the result of thalidomide poisoning while he was in his mother's womb. But through stunning determination enlivened by an impish sense of human, Quasthoff has overcome his physical limitations and Dickensian childhood, cultivating his musical genius and thrilling classical music lovers with his sublime voice.
What shines through Quasthoff's astonishing story is his staunch refusal to wallow in self-pity, to see himself as a victim. Whether he is evoking a harrowing childhood marked by multiple agonizing surgeries, relating folksy family anecdotes, expressing his devotion to his students as a professor of voice, expounding on his love of jazz and American popular music (he is a great admirer of Stevie Wonder), or unburdening himself of his wickedly outspoken views on art and disability, Quasthoff's unerring sense of humanity, boisterous conviviality, and fierce honesty are always on display.
The Voice is utterly winning--a memoir to both marvel at and enjoy.
The New York Times - John Rockwell
…complex and touching…The Voice is a friendly read, especially for those who already know and admire Quasthoff and his artistry. It has some flaws, but they don't detract from the overall charm, flecked with pain.
Editorials
Carolyn See
Since Thomas Quasthoff is a concert baritone by profession, the appropriate metaphor to describe this invigorating memoir might be to say that he strikes one clear note, and then holds it…The Voice is filled with concert-tour stories, explications of lieder-texts and guarded accounts of several of his girlfriends. He frames his disability in his own terms. The author refuses to give value to suffering. He saves his attention for art and fun and work, which makes this book a joy to read.—The Washington Post
John Rockwell
…complex and touching…The Voice is a friendly read, especially for those who already know and admire Quasthoff and his artistry. It has some flaws, but they don't detract from the overall charm, flecked with pain.—The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
In November 1959, Quasthoff's parents were completely unprepared to welcome into the world a child born with birth defects. One of thousands of German mothers to have taken thalidomide during her pregnancy to ease morning sickness, Quasthoff's mother gave birth to a young boy who, according to the doctors, looked just like a young seal with flippers for hands and crippled feet. The doctors told his parents that young Tommy would never be able to walk, but Quasthoff's inspiring memoir is a story of steely determination and a paean to the human spirit. With lively humor and unerring honesty, Quasthoff energetically regales readers with the challenges he faced growing up as well as his many triumphs as one of the world's most famous classical singers. His parents refused to treat his disabilities as a barrier to his success and taught him to walk, supported him through boarding school, lobbied on his behalf with music teachers and applauded his success when he debuted at Lincoln Center. Discovering his love of music during his boarding school days, Quasthoff, with the help of his parents, built a career as a bass-baritone lied singer, who also sings jazz, and he continued to teach voice and to perform upwards of 40 concerts a year around the world. Quasthoff's splendid memoir is not simply about overcoming the odds but about the power of music and one man's loving tribute to his powerful instrument. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.