Download or read book The New Penguin Opera Guide written by Amanda Holden and published by Penguin USA. This book was released on 2001 with total page 1142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides biographical sketches for nearly 850 composers along with articles on approximately 2,000 works.
Download or read book The Viking Opera Guide written by Amanda Holden and published by Viking Adult. This book was released on 1993 with total page 1338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book, which was published early this year and is available unbundled from the CD-ROM for $69.95, contains information on more than 800 composers and examines some 1,500 operas in detail. Each composer's musical career is outlined, with an assessment of his or her overall contribution to opera. Opera entries include cast lists and orchestral forces, a commentary on the background of the work, a synopsis of the plot, and a musical analysis identifying musical highlights and points of interest. Recording and edition information is included. For those who don't like to turn pages, prefer to read from the screen, or just like the click-click of the mouse, the CD-ROM provides computer access via Windows to the information and pictures (small black and whites) of the book. The CD-ROM holds some enhancements: notably, three hours of music excerpts (unheard by this reviewer who lacks the needed 16-bit sound card; some, according to the press release, are as long as three to five minutes). Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Download or read book Opera 101 written by Fred Plotkin and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2013-07-16 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Opera is the fastest growing of all the performing arts, attracting audiences of all ages who are enthralled by the gorgeous music, vivid drama, and magnificent production values. If you've decided that the time has finally come to learn about opera and discover for yourself what it is about opera that sends your normally reserved friends into states of ecstatic abandon, this is the book for you. Opera 101 is recognized as the standard text in English for anyone who wants to become an opera lover--a clear, friendly, and truly complete handbook to learning how to listen to opera, whether on the radio, on recordings, or live at the opera house. Fred Plotkin, an internationally respected writer and teacher about opera who for many years was performance manager of the Metropolitan Opera, introduces the reader (whatever his or her level of musical knowledge) to all the elements that make up opera, including: A brief, entertaining history of opera; An explanation of key operatic concepts, from vocal types to musical conventions; Hints on the best way to approach the first opera you attend and how to best understand what is happening both offstage and on; Lists of recommended books and recordings, and the most complete traveler's guide to opera houses around the world. The major part of Opera 101 is devoted to an almost minute-by-minute analysis of eleven key operas, ranging from Verdi's thunderous masterpiece Rigoletto and Puccini's electrifying Tosca through works by Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini, Offenbach, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner, to the psychological complexities of Richard Strauss's Elektra. Once you have completed Opera 101, you will be prepared to see and hear any opera you encounter, thanks to this book's unprecedentedly detailed and enjoyable method of revealing the riches of opera.
Download or read book The Good Opera Guide written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 902 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is an excerpt of what The Good Opera Guide has to say about Cilea & rsquo;s Adriana Lecouvreur : & ldquo;The one about the star of stage and screen whose rival sends her a bouquet of poison gas violets. She sniffs it: snuffs it. & rdquo; The Good Opera Guide is not only for regular operagoers but also for people who are new to the world of opera, or indeed people who want to bluff their way through a performance! It is written with humor and is entertaining as well as informative. Where else would you find a & ldquo;dagger count & rdquo; for La Gioconda, and have Hansel and Gretel categorized as a & ldquo;Gingerbread Opera & rdquo;? From Adriana Lecouvreur to Mozart & rsquo;s Die Zauberfl & ouml;te, for each opera, Sir Denis details the plot and cast of characters, awarding stars to parts that are & ldquo;worth looking out for, & rdquo; & ldquo;really good, & rdquo; or, occasionally, & ldquo;stunning. & rdquo; He goes on to tell the history of each opera and its early reception. Finally, each work is graded from alpha to gamma, and Sir Denis has no qualms about voicing his opinion. The guide also presents brief biographies of the great composers, conductors, and singers. A glossary of musical terms is included, as well as & ldquo;Operatica, & rdquo; or the essential elements of opera, from the proper place and style of the audience & rsquo;s applause (and boos) to the use of subtitles. & ldquo;The first guide to take the sensible decision of separating comments on the music (serious and helpful) from descriptions of the plot (invariably flippant and often funny). & rdquo; & mdash; The Sunday Telegraph Sir Denis Forman (1917 & ndash;2013) was for many years chairman and chief executive of Granada Television. He was also deputy chairman of the Royal Opera House for nine years. Other works include The Good Wagner Guide.
Download or read book Performing Opera written by Michael Ewans and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-02-25 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Performing Opera: A Practical Guide for Singers and Directors Michael Ewans provides a detailed and practical workbook to performing many of the most commonly produced operas. Drawing on examples from twenty-four operas ranging in period from Gluck and Mozart to Britten and Tippett, it illustrates exactly how opera functions as dramatic form. Grounded in close analyses of performances of thirty scenes and five whole operas by first-rate singers and celebrated directors, Performing Opera provides readers with an appreciation of the unique challenges and skills required by performers and directors. It will assist them in their own performance and equip them with detailed knowledge of works most commonly featured in the repertoire. In the first part of the book the analysis progresses from scenes in which the singers are silent, via arias and monologues, duets and confrontations, up to ensembles. Wider issues are subsequently addressed: encounters with offstage events, encounters with the numinous, characterization, and the sense of inevitability in tragic opera.
Download or read book A Night at the Opera written by Sir Denis Forman and published by Modern Library. This book was released on 2011-10-05 with total page 980 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Delightful and anti-reverential”—Sunday Times (London) With an encyclopedic knowledge of opera and a delightful dash of irreverence, Sir Denis Forman throws open the world of opera—its structure, composers, conductors, and artists—in this hugely informative guide. A Night at the Opera dissects the eighty-three most popular operas recorded on compact disc, from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur to Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. For each opera, Sir Denis details the plot and cast of characters, awarding stars to parts that are “worth looking out for,” “really good,” or, occasionally, “stunning.” He goes on to tell the history of each opera and its early reception. Finally, each work is graded from alpha to gamma (although the Ring cycle gets an “X”), and Sir Denis has no qualms about voicing his opinion: the first act of Fidelio is “a bit of a mess,” while the last scene of Don Giovanni “towers above the comic finales of Figaro and Così and whether or not [it] is Mozart's greatest opera, it is certainly his most powerful finale.” The guide also presents brief biographies of the great composers, conductors, and singers. A glossary of musical terms is included, as well as Operatica, or the essential elements of opera, from the proper place and style of the audience's applause (and boos) to the use of subtitles. A Night at the Opera is for connoisseurs and neophytes alike. It will entertain and inform, delight and (perhaps) infuriate, providing a subject for lively debate and ready reference for years to come.
Download or read book The Opera Singer s Career Guide written by Pearl Yeadon McGinnis and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2010-08-12 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Any singer longing to have a career in opera, particularly in Europe, should be familiar with the European system of classifying voices know as Fach. The Opera Singer's Career Guide: Understanding the European Fach System presents valuable information to help readers learn, understand, and use the Fach system to their professional advantage. More than just soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, students and professionals alike should know the 25 different Fach categories fully defined here, along with the examples of roles, audition arias, and European opera houses and agents provided. Based on careful research and personal experience, singer and teacher Pearl Yeadon McGinnis describes the features, characteristics, and benefits of the Fach system, including voice categorization and classification and using Fach to train the young voice. She provides practical information on maintaining a career in opera, such as the different types, procedures, and pitfalls of opera auditions; types of opera contracts and contract negotiations; and the value of networking. She explains the different styles of European opera houses and gives an example of life in a state level German opera house, including the various performance spaces, the makeup and responsibilities of an ensemble, and the jobs and functions of opera house personnel. A glossary and several appendixes supply tools for auditioning, such as newly classified roles for Children, Lyric, and Beginner singers; roles for the established Fach categories; lists of opera agents and houses in the German speaking countries; and suggested audition arias by Fach. In addition, practical details are offered about establishing and maintaining residency in Europe, obtaining permission to live and work in Europe, and helpful hints about customs and travel.
Download or read book Phaidon Book of the Opera written by and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arranged chronologically with an index of operas and a separate index of composers, librettists and literary sources.
Download or read book The Metropolitan Opera Guide to Opera on Video written by Paul Gruber and published by W W Norton & Company Incorporated. This book was released on 1997 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the performances and production values of more than three hundred videos of more than one hundred fifty operas, and recommends the best overall video recording for each opera
Download or read book The Penguin Opera Guide written by Amanda Holden and published by Penguin (Non-Classics). This book was released on 1996 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Spanning four centuries of operatic history and drawing on the expertise of more than fifty international contributors, The Penguin Opera Guide is an essential reference for opera enthusiasts and beginners alike. Each of the more than 150 composer entries - from Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, and Verdi to the most acclaimed contemporary composers - presents an outline of the artist's musical career and an overall assessment of his or her contributions to opera. There are entries on more than 450 operas, providing a discussion of the work's background, details of the cast of characters, a plot synopsis, and a musical analysis that directs the listener to highlights and points of interest. Covering both major and little-known composers and tracking the evolution of the operatic form, The Penguin Opera Guide (drawn from the acclaimed Viking Opera Guide) is the perfect companion for those seeking information before attending an opera, a commentary on the music while listening at home, or guidance on operas to see or to purchase on record."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Download or read book Weep Shudder Die written by Robert Levine and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-06-21 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Icouldn't imagine a finer or livelier guide through the world of opera. . . . [Levine] distills a lifetime of passion and insight into this immenselyenjoyable survey, and with the right comic touch to make you wonder how operaever seemed intimidating." —Thomas May, author of Decoding Wagner Despitethe popular success of the Metropolitan Opera’s “Live in HD” series, opera’s grandworld of soaring sopranos and breathtaking baritones—of tragic Rigoletto, triumphal Sigmund, and desperate Orfeo, of faithful Figaro, heartbroken Pagliacci,and lusty Don Giovanni—remains wrapped in an aura of impenetrable esotericism.Piercing this veil of opera’s perceived inaccessibility, acclaimed classicalmusic critic Robert Levine extends a witty and insightfulinvitation to enjoy opera in Weep, Shudder, Die, offering a newgeneration of aficionados a priceless way to access to music’s greatest achievement.
Download or read book A Guide to Orchestral Music written by Ethan Mordden and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1986 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This authoritative guide gives the non-musician the fundamentals of orchestral music. It begins with a general introduction to the symphony and various musical styles and then describes, chronologically, over seven hundred pieces--from Vivaldi to twentieth-century composers. Mordden also includes a glossary of musical terms and other useful aids for the music lover.
Download or read book The Complete Gilbert Sullivan Opera Guide written by Alan Jefferson and published by Michael Joseph. This book was released on 1984 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides anecdotes and a synopsis of all 14 operas as well as the complete libretto of each opera.
Download or read book The Victrola Book of the Opera written by Samuel Holland Rous and published by . This book was released on 1919 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Metropolitan Opera Guide written by Mary Ellis Peltz and published by . This book was released on 1946 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Opera 101 written by Fred Plotkin and published by Hyperion. This book was released on 1994-12 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by an opera insider and featuring an introduction by Placido Domingo, here is a thorough, friendly, and truly complete guide to learning how to love and appreciate the opera. After a brief history of opera, the book includes a guide to operatic terms, a minute-by-minute listener's guide to 11 central works, a list of recommended books and recordings and much more.
Download or read book Salome written by Oscar Wilde and published by Broadview Press. This book was released on 2015-03-04 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Salome is Oscar Wilde’s most experimental—and controversial—play. In its own time, the play, written in French, was described by a reviewer as “an arrangement in blood and ferocity, morbid, bizarre, repulsive.” None, however, could deny the importance of Wilde’s creation. Contemporary audiences and reviewers variously regarded Salome as the symbol of a thrilling modernity, a challenge to patriarchy, a confession of desire, a sign of moral decay, a new form of art, and a revolt against the restraints of Victorian society. Less well known than Wilde’s beloved comedies, Salome is as enduringly modern and relevant. This edition uses the English translation done by Wilde’s lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, and overseen and corrected by Wilde himself. Appendices detail the play’s sources and provide extensive materials on its contemporary reception and dramatic productions.
