55 YEARS IN FIVE ACTS (Hab'mir's gelobt)

About the author/subject of the book:
Ibolyka Astrid Varnay (1918 - 2006) was the premiere hochdramatische (the dramatic soprano who sings heavy Wagnerian/Straussian opera roles like Brunnhilde, Isolde, Elektra, etc) between the reigns of Kirsten Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson. Her operatic career lasted some 55 years from the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor to her last performance in Munich in 1998. Though this autobiography covers a much wider spectrum, from her parents' lives and careers to Varnay's retirement. It was first published in English and then translated into German under the title 'Hab'mir's gelobt', the opening phrase sung by the Marschallin in the wonderful soprano trio that starts the finale of Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.

Varnay was born to Hungarian opera singers in Stockholm, Sweden, but was raised in New York, USA. She started her career singing Siglinde for the indisposed Lotte Lehmann in a broadcast performance of Wagner's 'Die Walküre at the Metropolitan Opera at the tender age of 23. Had a major success and never looked back.

Though this artist was known for her vivid performances in the Wagner and the Strauss opera, she also sang many dramatic soprano Italian roles like Santuzza, Mamma Lucia, Aida, Leonora (from both Il Trovatore and La Forza del Destino) with distinction as well. Hers was a remarkably long and high quality career (or 3 of them, actually in leading, supporting and then character roles.. a wonderful Brunnhilde, Elektra, Klytämnestra, Herodias, Kostelnicka, basically wherever her voice led her). And when she retired from singing she taught singing/acting in Munich, Germany, where she lived.

While Birgit Nilsson was known for her powerful high notes and strikingly beautiful voice, Varnay was known for her dramatic presentation and precision (you'd be hard pressed to catch any off-tune singing from her... even after she developed the top register wobble that compelled her to move to mezzo repertoire, the wobble was always centered on the right note!). She was well loved among her colleagues and opera enthusiasts, both for her frankness and her wit. Plenty of both qualities is displayed in this remarkable and engaging biography.

About the book:
In this corraboration with her friend, the writer Donald Arthur, Varnay doesn't just list her accomplishments and rave reviews but shares her life experiences in classy, witty, and honest way without compromising her own dignity. There are great accounts of her family's early life in Sweden, Finland, Argentina, and the USA - with great insights into the young Kirsten Flagstad's start into opera while Varnay's parents ran the Comic Opera theater in Oslo. There are also anecdotes with her experience with her friends and colleagues (Nilsson, Mödl, Melchior, Knappertsbusch, Karajan, the Wagner grandsons, etc). There are also welcoming thoughts on historical events during her life time (such as the Nazi Anschlüss, the Pearl Harbor attack and WWII,...,etc) and how they affected hers life and those around her.

She writes of lots of wonderful stories of how she coped with various mishaps on stage, turning them into dramatic moments that fit the story (like how her Herodias went kicking stray grapes around in a show of temper while actually clearing the way for the singer singing Salome to do her Dance of the 7 veils, or how she improvised so convincingly onstage when the Radames failed to appear on stage during a Chicago performance of Aida that a visiting audience member lamented that the scene was cut from following performances!). When she explores stories of conflicts (like her break with Rudolf Bing (the Met's general manager) and the conductor Herbert von Karajan, she is very frank in presenting her side of the stories without ever descending into slander or gloating. And she doesn't miss any opportunity to praise her deserving colleagues either. Her comments about Teresa Stratas got me checking that fiery singer out, and I am eternally grateful for it. I also love her perspectives in doing opera films like Strauss' Elektra, and Salome.

The writing is very fluent, engaging and witty. Varnay had great commonsense. She explains things well enough that even those not into opera won't be lost in the singing technical terms like 'fach' or 'tessitura' or 'marking'. I read the whole book in two sittings even though it is quite hefty with 345 pages plus a fascinating list of her repertoire (started too late at night and couldn't stay awake long enough to finish it, but did the next morning). There are lots of great black & white photos of her and her colleagues. She doesn't adhere to a strict chronological time line, but would follow a chain of event through and then come back. That's a good move in my opinion as I was more interested in the stories than in chronology.

There also are long and educational accounts of how she researched her signature roles like Strauss' 'Elektra' (if you like this opera, you must get a hold of her air check from the Met conducted by Dmitri Mitropolous! This catches her in wonderful voice and she ends it with a high B instead of the written F.. to a spine-chilling effect) or Ortrud from Wagner's 'Lohengrin'. I like the way she explains her views on singing and acting. It really helps me appreciate the opera stories better and makes me appreciate the work the opera singer/actor do in their research in order to present convincing portrayal on stage. Not all that glamorous after all!

Astrid Varnay was married to Hermann Weigert (who passed away in 1955). They had no children. Weigert's affection for Munich was a major factor in her settling there. Varnay passed away after a long illness in Munich in September 2006 at age 88.

Bottom line, an engaging and reader-friendly biography by any standard. Highly recommended even if you aren't an opera fan, and an absolute must read for any opera lover.

Astrid Varnay: Opera Scenes & Orchestral Songs, Elektra (Cologne 1953), Elektra (Götz Friedrich 1982 film)

A few youtube clips of Varnay:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-R2XWXyRo9E (as the Kostelnicka in Leos Janacek's Jenufa)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WiMer6vVFeY (interview on German tv. Talking about her characterization as Strauss' Elektra)

Recommended: Yes