Franco Corelli. Prince of Tenors :: Education by Design Store

Editorial Review
His exceptional good looks made him a matinee idol, and Franco Corelli - the Prince of Tenors - was dubbed ""Mr. Soldout"" for 20 consecutive years. In 1958, just seven years after beginning his career, he was already the highest-paid tenor in Italy. Following his Met debut in 1961, he was celebrated as the greatest tenor in the world, a position that he retained until his departure from the Met in 1975. His charismatic performances in such operas as La Vestale and Fedora (both in collaboration with Maria Callas), coupled with a formidable mystique, as well as a number of notorious and colorful incidents, including his real-life sword fight with Boris Christoff in Rome, the Callas walkout there, the beating up of a spectator in Naples, and the alleged biting of Birgit Nilsson on a Boston tour of Turandot, created a mania for Corelli. Nearly a decade in the making, this definitive biography is based on the author's extensive research of theater archives and interviews with the opera star's numerous friends, family members, colleagues (Nilsson, Pavarotti, and many others), as well as the management of some of the world's leading opera houses.
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Customer Reviews

a shallow book

2008-04-20
Rather than an in-depth biography, this text reads like a cut-and-paste job of previously published articles padded with recipies, libretto translations, and performance annals. The singer's greatness is noted--but we already have the recordings to reveal this. The man himself remains unrevealed. There is, for example, some gossip about an affair with an unidentified female singer but no mention of the rumors of an intimate relationshio with the baritone Ettore Bastianini. Repeatedly the author tries to mitigate the disasterous effect of Corelli's wife on his life to the point that he "protests too much". Franco Corelli comes across primarily as a vain, neurotic, and shallow individual. Hopefully this was not the case.

Bravo Mr. Seghers

2008-04-09
I highly recommend this book for all opera lovers and especially for those who loved Corelli. Mr. Seghers lets us peek behind the curtains of the grand opera stage to see for ourselves the difficult day to day business of placating the divos and divas of Corelli's era especially the man for whom the book was written. His life is chronicled from birth to death, we learn about the family and city he loved and most of all, his relationship with the woman who lived for him.

As a result of reading this book I have more appreciation for the man who gave us so much thrilling and beautiful music despite his insecurities and personal problems. I hope more readers will come forth to share their delight with this book and give Mr. Seghers the credit he deserves.

Franco Corelli in Mexico

2008-03-23
Before the realizing of this book, I did send an e-mail to René Seghers asking why never anybody tell about the concert of Franco Corelli in México?, and he kindly answer that he didn't have any information of Corelli in México. So I offered to send all I have of that historical concert: the program, reviews, the ticket and a couple of selections of a tape recording taken in the theatre by my father, and to prepare a telephone interview with Mrs. Gilda Morelli who was (along with Rómulo Ramírez Esteva) the responsible to prepare all for that performance. So for me and for my father was a great pleasure to collaborate with Mr. Seghers and to render homage to our favourite tenor of history.

I just still waiting for my Autographed book by Mr. Seghers.

Juan José Arias Jr.

A wonderful work of love!

2008-03-08
Thanks to René Seghers we know more about Franco Corelli the artist and above all the man! This is a true work of love! Now let's hope the next promised titles, including a photobook, will be released soon!

Amazing and compelling

2008-03-07
Rene Seghers must possess that rare charm that allows one to magically walk through doors long sealed, or perhaps luck and timing with persistence granted him favor with Corelli's family, friends and the institutions that opened their archives to him.

At last, a short time after Corelli's passing, his family agreed to share their story, pictures, and even private recordings made in his student days (not available with the book). Seghers provides Corelli's family-tree and all vital statistics; we learn that Franco was married in January 1961 just days before his New York debut, yet Loretta had been his shadow and constant companion since 1952. Among the book's numerous strengths are the copious b/w snapshots (several shirtless) and many photographs of Corelli in costume from early productions.

Seghers has turned over rocks discovering treasure and kitsch where most would never venture to tread -- in the latter category, a musical appearance in the 1956 Italian feature-film: "Suprema confessione"; and perhaps most amusing, a series of pictorial novellas made for an Italian magazine as late as 1960 and 1962. Hardly a page is turned without discovering something of importance or interest.

The biography's great strength derives from (but is not limited to) an enormous amount of research in the archives of the Metropolitan Opera and EMI (Corelli's recording company). From these pillars an almost complete picture of the man and artist emerge representing all his triumphs, glory, petty harmful intrigue, and painful human failings. Seghers does not shy from damaging the idol when truth requires it, and the picture painted is of someone all too human.

The biography is strictly chronological, the English flows freely, the text is beautifully printed, and virtually every paragrah has notes describing the sources (usually original). We could probably do without the poorer quality color photographs in the center of the book (and cover), but the many black/white images leave one yearning for even more. There are slight problems with some performance dates and the chronological sequence, but the overwhelming quality and breadth of the research make this work exciting and magnificent.