Opera Coaching: Professional Techniques and Considerations.(Book review)

* Opera Coaching: Professional Techniques and Considerations, by Alan Montgomery. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group (270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016), 2006. 192pp. $22.95

An opera coach's job is certainly multi-faceted. The repertoire spans 400 years and many different styles and languages; the singers to be coached come in many different categories and temperaments; and the coach's duties are extremely varied. Alan Montgomery addresses all of this variety in his book, Opera Coaching: Professional Techniques and Considerations, and he does it in an informal, easy-to-read style. At times, it almost seems like a fireside chat--or better, a piano-side chat, as he opens for his readers the world of opera from a coach's viewpoint.

The intended audience for this book seems to be pianists who are considering becoming opera coaches, or who are already involved in working with singers in some capacity. However, since the work of a coach is so little understood by others and since Montgomery presents such a wealth of information about this profession, anyone interested in opera should find this a fascinating and informative read.

The book is divided into two major sections: "Techniques" and "Considerations." The first deals with basic techniques needed to coach soloists and ensembles and to accompany opera rehearsals. These include such things as knowing what to add or subtract from a piano/vocal score; learning the styles of recitatives; learning about vocal technique to be more helpful to the singers; and ...