Diva: Great Sopranos and Mezzos Discuss Their Art

Opera lovers will luxuriate in the company here of 26 divas, and no matter that Matheopoulos ( Divo ) proves to be a pedestrian interviewer who fails to elicit information from her subjects that hasn't already been written about endlessly. Still, readers will be disarmed to be reminded that for performers, as for those sitting in the opera house, singing is a transporting experience, a mystical act that, as Montserrat Caballe explains, fuses her with the music. And fans are likely to be bemused to learn that divas are as devoted to their voices as are opera lovers: ``I'm mad about my voice,'' exclaims Leontyne Price, while Grace Bumbry is so overcome by her beautiful sound that she wonders, ``How is it possible for that to come out of this throat?'' Among the divas interviewed are ``La Stupenda,'' Joan Sutherland, who recently retired after a 38-year career; Gwyneth Jones, who made her Covent Garden debut in 1963; Christa Ludwig, who has been performing for 45 years; as well as Hildegard Behrens, Renata Scotto, Kiri Te Kanawa and Agnes Baltsa. Photos. Performing Arts Book Club main selection. (Aug.)