How to Sing [meine Gesangskunst]

Lilli Lehmann was one of the first true superstars of opera, a dramatic soprano whose powerful, flexible voice and commanding stage presence made her a legend across late 19th-century Europe. In this treatise, drawn from decades of performing at the highest levels, she offers something rare: not abstract theory, but the embodied wisdom of a singer who actually possessed the instrument she describes. She critiques the industrialization of singing instruction, the rush toward quick results that produces shallow technique, and instead argues for patience, deep understanding, and the thorough mastery of fundamentals. The book covers everything from breathing and the physics of resonance to the execution of specific ornaments like the trill, plus the interpretive dimensions of language, emotional expression, and role characterization. Throughout, Lehmann balances the physiological realities of vocal production with the subjective sensations that guide a singer toward their best sound. Whether you are a developing vocalist, a teacher, or simply curious about what made the great singers of the past so extraordinary, this book offers a window into a vanished era of vocal artistry and the principles that undergirded it.