JON VICKERS: A Hero's Life

Boston, Massachusetts: Northeastern University Press, 1999. CS2 - A first edition (numberline starts at "1") hardcover book SIGNED and inscribed by author to previous owner on the title page in very good condition in very good dust jacket. Dust jacket has some wrinkling and chipping on the edges and corners, small tear on the front upper left, crease on the front flap, some scattered scratches and rubbing, light tanning and shelf wear. Book has some bumped corners, light discoloration and shelf wear. Foreword by Birgit Nilsson. 9.5"x6.5", 391 pages. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Jonathan Stewart Vickers, known professionally as Jon Vickers, was a Canadian heldentenor. Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he was the sixth in a family of eight children. In 1950, he was awarded a scholarship to study opera at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. In 1957 Vickers joined London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden company. In 1960 he joined the Metropolitan Opera. He became world-famous for a wide range of German, French, and Italian roles. Vickers' huge, powerful voice and solid technique met the demands of many French, German, and Italian roles. He was also highly regarded for his powerful stage presence and thoughtful characterizations. (Conversely, he was sometimes criticized for "scooping"-beginning a note below pitch and then sliding up to the correct pitch-and for "crooning".) In 1968 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. Vickers received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, in 1998. . Signed by Author. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.