Dorothy Kirsten

Dorothy Kisten is most noted for her operatic stage roles. During her 35 years of singing at the top opera houses in the world, all were impressed with her vocal health, which never diminished as other opera singers did. She wrote a delightful book, "A Time to Sing" and recalled her early career wanting to be a dancer and singer on Broadway. Being American trained, she was possibly the only opera singer who could cross over to ballads as well. She sang on the radio for years with Sinatra, Crosby, Como, often appearing as a regular. Her most successful roles at the Metropolitan Opera, which she still holds the record for thirty consecutive years, were Tosca, Fanciulla del West, Louise (whom she studied with the composer), Traviata, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly and many others. Unfortunately her studio recordings were limited, and CD editions now mainly consist of her operettas, with Gordon MacRae. To find her MET performances, you have to join an opera list. Famed tenor Franco Corelli said she was the most beautiful and talented singer he ever shared the stage with. "It was so easy to fall in love with her as Tosca, or Minnie. She just exuded this irresistable charm, and she was never temperamental" Corelli said in the intro to her book. She had two grand farewells, both Tosca, one in San Francisco in '70 with James Levine, conducting his first opera. The other in New York at the Met '75, in which a telegram from President Ford was read onstage, congratulating her. Many of her live, immortal recordings can be found at Amazon or Tower, but go to the United Kingdom sites, as Met recordings can not be sold in the US. Truly an opera legend, who would have appeared in more films, had she not had such a busy opera schedule.