The life and letters of South African pianist and opera coach Gordon Jephtas

Hilde Roos, Férroll-John Davids and Chris Walton (eds.). 2023. "Sorry. I am what I am." The life and letters of the South African pianist and opera coach Gordon Jephtas (1943-92). Basel: Basler-Afrika Bibliographien.

During his short life, South African pianist and repetiteur Gordon Jephtas worked with the most celebrated names in the opera world, from Renata Tebaldi to Plácido Domingo, Montserrat Caballé and Luciano Pavarotti. This book examines Jephtas's life and career through the letters he wrote home to May Abrahamse, a coloured singer with whom he had worked since his teens. They reveal in unique detail the life and achievements of a remarkable musician, but also the psychological damage wrought upon him by apartheid.

Available as an open access e-book.

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