Florence Foster Jenkins - Softcover

Martin, Nicholas; Rees, Jasper

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1509824685 ISBN 13: 9781509824687

Verlag: Pan, 2016

Inhaltsangabe

People may say that I couldn't sing. But no one can say that I didn't sing.'

Despite lacking pitch, rhythm or tone, Florence Foster Jenkins became one of America's best-known sopranos, celebrated for her unique recordings and her sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall.

Born in 1868 to wealthy Pennsylvanian parents, Florence was a talented young pianist but her life was thrown into turmoil when she eloped with Frank Jenkins, a man twice her age. The marriage proved a disaster and, in order to survive, Florence was forced to abandon her dreams of a musical career and teach the piano. Then her father died in 1909 and, newly installed in New York, she used a considerable inheritance to fund her passion. She set up a prestigious amateur music club and began staging operas. Aided by her English common-law husband, St Clair Bayfield, she worked tirelessly to support the city's musical life. Many young singers owed their start to Florence, but she too yearned to perform and began giving regular recitals that quickly attracted a cult following. And yet nothing could prepare the world for the astonishing climax of her career when, at the age of seventy-six, she performed at the most hallowed concert hall in America.

In Florence Foster Jenkins, Jasper Rees tells her extraordinary story, which inspired the film starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, and directed by Stephen Frears. This remarkable book also includes Nicholas Martin's funny, moving and inspirational screenplay.

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Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Nicholas Martin has worked as a croupier, a labourer, a bouncer and a barman. In his early twenties he worked at sea as a deck hand and later as a yacht captain. He then worked as a journalist, contributing to The Sunday Times, the Guardian and various magazines, before graduating from the National Film and Television School as a screenwriter. He wrote extensively for TV before writing Florence Foster Jenkins for Pathe. He lives in London.

Jasper Rees is an arts journalist and author who has contributed regularly to many British publications. His books include I Found My Horn: One Man's Struggle with the Orchestra's Most Difficult Instrument (published as A Devil to Play in the US), Bred of Heaven: One Man's Quest to Reclaim His Welsh Roots and the biography of Florence Foster Jenkins which coincided with the release of the feature film starring Meryl Streep. He lives in London.

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Despite having no pitch, no rhythm and no tone, Florence Foster Jenkins became one of America's best-known sopranos, giving a sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall.

Born in Pennsylvania in 1868, Florence Foster adored music and as a girl was a talented pianist, but her wealthy father refused to allow her to study in Europe. In retaliation she eloped with Dr Frank Jenkins, but the marriage soon foundered, not least because the eighteen-year-old bride contracted syphilis on their wedding night. Moving to New York, Florence became a piano teacher, but after her father's death in 1909 she inherited a considerable sum, and it was then that she vowed to become a great soprano and began to take singing lessons. That same year she met the man who would become first her manager and then her common-law husband, St Clair Bayfield. Over forty years later, after a lifetime supporting New York's classical musical societies - and even founding her own - Florence's greatest dream was finally realized. At the age of seventy-six, she gave a recital - by public demand - at Carnegie Hall.

Her extraordinary story is now a film, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, and directed by Stephen Frears.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Pan
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2016
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1509824685
• ISBN 13: 9781509824687
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 337
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Macmillan Publishers International Limited; generalproductsafety@macmillan.com; ; (1st Floor, The Liffey Trust Centre, 117-126 Sheriff Street Upper, Dublin 1; Dublin; Irland