With the fine job that
Beverly Sills has done navigating the treacherous waters of Fine Arts administration and as a gracious host on American public television, it is easy to forget that
Sills was once the most popular operatic soprano in the United States. This is partly complicated in that, to date, "Bubbles" (as she is affectionately nicknamed) has not been particularly well served on CD. In recent years, that has begun to change, but mostly through the return of complete opera sets in which she sang. For those who mainly have a general interest in
Sills' singing and personality, precious little has been made available. The Art of Beverly Sills comes through Deutsche Grammophon, but the recordings used are drawn from material made by the long-defunct ABC Records concern in the late '60s and early '70s. This was
Sills' prime period; she never sounded better on record than for ABC. The repertoire here features light opera, such as is expected from "Bubbles," but there is also more serious fare, such as excerpts from Mignon, I Puritani, Die tote Stadt, and a
Richard Strauss Lied. No matter what the assignment is,
Sills is exceptional in all of it. Of particular interest is an aria taken from a 1959 MGM recording of Douglas Moore's opera The Ballad of Baby Doe. Fans of
Sills will surely want this, and for those who know her only from her work on public TV, they may be delighted to learn what a fine singer she was from this collection. In any event, The Art of Beverly Sills is certainly most welcome, as
Sills was one great opera singer whose career many can remember on a first-hand basis.