Sunday, May 8, 2016

A Real Talent

Florence Foster Jenkins was a 20th-Century US socialite who styled herself as an operatic soprano and became a sensation. One of the most famous singers of her day, she was incredibly rich, a generous philanthropist, and garnered legions of fans including celebrities such as Noël Coward. Florence’s fame, however, rested not on her musical talent, but rather its opposite. Her astonishingly bad voice and abject inability – seemingly unbeknownst to her – to pitch correctly became the stuff of legend as she worked hard to lovingly massacre her way through gems by Mozart, Strauss and other leading composers.  Her concerts at Carnegie Hall regularly sold out.

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