McFarland has released “Voices of Opera, 1950s–1970s,” a new 190-page volume by writer and tenor Tony Villecco.

The book offers interviews with 22 opera singers whose careers began in the late 1940s and extended through the 1970s.

Throughout the book, artists reflect on their training and performance experiences with major figures including Maria Callas, Rosa Ponselle, Beniamino Gigli, Aureliano Pertile, Lydia Lipkowska, Leonard Bernstein, and Leonard Warren. The book also highlights the career of George Shirley, the first African American tenor to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, whose story underscores both the progress and challenges of the era.

“Voices of Opera” includes 84 photographs, discographies, and an index.

“I hope those who read the book may not only see the changing landscape of pursuing a singing career today, but more importantly, may not forget the names of these great pioneers,” Villecco told OperaWire.

Villecco, a classical tenor, contributes regularly to Classic Images, Films of the Golden Age, School Music News, Classical Singer, and Silent Film Monthly. He resides in Port Crane, New York.

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