An unauthorized biography of the Teflon diva's career from its beginnings in Nazi Germany to her old age. Famed for her iron will, her cool elegance, and especially for the lyrical beauty of her voice, soprano Schwarzkopf found herself caught between art and politics. Her rise in the world of music coincided with the rise of the Nazi Party. Indeed, the young Schwarzkopf was a favorite of Goebbels's and received his support. Jefferson shows that she became a Nazi Party member early on, that she repeatedly lied about or otherwise minimized her party status after the war, and that the Allied authorities were well aware of her Nazi connections but allowed her to weasel out of responsibility for her past. Though rumors of her unsavory connections cast a shadow over her career, they didn't impede her rise to superstardom. All of this should prove to be gripping material for a biography. Unfortunately, Jefferson seems content to supply a simple chronology of events. He views Schwarzkopf at a distance, failing to give us a deeper understanding of her personality, her motives, her thoughts, or the context of her life. This superficiality may to some extent be inevitable, since the singer (now in her 80s) refuses to talk about her past. Those who know her well, presumably, will not talk either. Jefferson's strength is in the realm of anecdotes drawn from Schwarzkopf's career. He is old enough to have attended her performances in person and is able to give a good account of her vocal achievement. But he seems unwilling to contemplate the deeper meanings of the great artist's complicity in political bestiality. The final two chapters serve as a critical discography of sorts. Jefferson's narrative summary of Schwarzkopf's career and art is less than probing, but it will do until a more reflective biographer comes along. (photos)
Pub Date: Aug. 8, 1996
ISBN: 1-55553-272-1
Page Count: 285
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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