The Grand Tradition

By J.B. Steane,

Book cover of The Grand Tradition: Seventy Years of Singing on Record

Book description

Before the gramophone could do justice to an orchestra, it was able to reproduce the human voice with comparative fidelity. Steane examines the great mass of singing on record and follows the fortunes of modern singers as well as old, in song, opera, and choral singing. This corrected second edition…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Grand Tradition as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

J.B. Steane’s massive book, over 600 pages, is one of the most comprehensive books on historical singers ever written. My copy is riddled with text underlining and notes in the margins. His evaluations of singers are always honest, but fair. I have read this book at least 3 times and have re-read sections many more times. It invaluable.

From Nick's list on historical opera singers.

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