Download or read book Opera s Second Death written by Slavoj Zizek and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-18 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Opera's Second Death is a passionate exploration of opera - the genre, its masterpieces, and the nature of death. Using a dazzling array of tools, Slavoj Zizek and coauthor Mladen Dolar explore the strange compulsions that overpower characters in Mozart and Wagner, as well as our own desires to die and to go to the opera.
Download or read book A SECOND BOOK OF OPERAS written by HENRY EDWARD KREHBIEL and published by . This book was released on 1909 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Second Book of Operas written by Henry Edward Krehbiel and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2019-11-29 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A Second Book of Operas' by Henry Edward Krehbiel is a collection of essays on various operas, including biblical and historical stories retold in operatic form. The book covers composers such as Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, and Verdi, as well as lesser-known works by Rubinstein and Mehul. Krehbiel explores the stories, music, and cultural significance of these operas, including the controversies and scandals surrounding their production. The book also includes an analysis of the works of Mascagni, Puccini, Strauss, Humperdinck, and Giordano, among others, providing a comprehensive overview of opera in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Download or read book The Random House Book of Opera Stories written by and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Capture the excitement of a night at the opera with this stunning collection of eight favorite opera stories, each illustrated by a different artist.The Magic FluteAidaCarmenThe Cunning Little VixenTurandotCinderellaHansel & GretelThe Love for Three Oranges
Download or read book The Grove Book of Operas written by Stanley Sadie and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2006-11-06 with total page 788 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Grove Book of Operas is the ideal difference for the opera lover. First published in 1996 to great critical and popular success, it provides succinct yet insightful synopses of more than 250 operas. This second edition brings the book up to date with several recently composed operas, including John Adams's The Death of Klinghoffer, Poul Ruders's A Handmaid's Tale, and Mark Adamo's Little Women." "The second edition features a new, more readable design, and is illustrated in both colour and black and white. New images cover the history of opera from reproductions of the earliest libretti, to portraits of singers from the earliest days of photography, to productions staged in 2005. And in a new introductory essay, scholar and dramaturg David Levin surveys contemporary trends in opera performance, identifying their ancestors in early and mid-20th century performance and examining the current intellectual and cultural context in which they flourish." "In addition to a full synopsis of every plot, there is a cast list and information about the first production, as well as a discussion of the opera's history and its literary and social background. The index of first lines of arias will help you find your favourite, and the index of role names will come to your rescue when programme notes or reviews tell you that 'he sang Colline at the Met in 1992'."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Pietro Mascagni and His Operas written by Alan Mallach and published by UPNE. This book was released on 2002 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just twenty-six when the electrifying premiere of his Cavalleria Rusticana at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome catapulted the impoverished musician into sudden fame and fortune, Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) went on to write fifteen more operas, including L'Amico Fritz, Guglielmo Ratcliff, Iris, Parisina, and Il Piccolo Marat. With privileged access to extensive primary sources, including Mascagni's 4,200 letters to Anna Lolli, his mistress for more than three decades, author Alan Mallach provides a compelling portrait of a flamboyant, combative, and emotional man who was passionately devoted to the Italian opera tradition and committed to innovation in musical language and dramatic form. Deftly combining serious biography with critical commentary, Mallach begins with the captivating story of Mascagni's rags-to-riches adventure, from his birth in Livorno in Tuscany, to his musical studies first with Alfredo Soffredini and later at the Milan Conservatory, to his years as a vagabond musician, to the worldwide success of his breakthrough opera. He then traces Mascagni's private and professional life after Cavalleria, examining a prolific yet controversial career that was forever overshadowed by the work that unexpectedly thrust him into the limelight. Mallach provides a full analysis of Mascagni's oeuvre and discusses his complex relationships with such Italian cultural and political figures as Edoardo Sonzogno, Giacomo Puccini, Gabriele D'Annunzio, Luigi Illica, and Benito Mussolini. He also thoroughly chronicles Mascagni's bouts with manic depression, his marriage to Lina and devotion to their three children, his grueling schedule of concert and operatic tours, his patriotism and bitter opposition to Italy's involvement in both world wars, and his passionate love affair with Anna Lolli. This richly textured biography will appeal to fans of the still beloved and popular Cavalleria, and it will introduce opera enthusiasts to the power, intensity, and melodic beauty of the brilliant composer's many other significant works.
Download or read book Space Opera written by Catherynne M. Valente and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-04-10 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2019 HUGO AWARD FINALIST, BEST NOVEL The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets the joy and glamour of Eurovision in bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente's science fiction spectacle, where sentient races compete for glory in a galactic musical contest…and the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth. A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented—something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding. Once every cycle, the great galactic civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix—part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Species far and wide compete in feats of song, dance and/or whatever facsimile of these can be performed by various creatures who may or may not possess, in the traditional sense, feet, mouths, larynxes, or faces. And if a new species should wish to be counted among the high and the mighty, if a new planet has produced some savage group of animals, machines, or algae that claim to be, against all odds, sentient? Well, then they will have to compete. And if they fail? Sudden extermination for their entire species. This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny—they must sing. Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes have been chosen to represent their planet on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of Earth lies in their ability to rock.
Download or read book Ghost Dance written by Christine Pope and published by Dark Valentine Press. This book was released on 2020-10-18 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An angel has returned to Paris. But is it the Angel of Music…or Death? Two years have passed since Christine fled the opera house, put the memories and the horror behind her. And yet, in her dreams, she still hears his voice, feels his moth-light touch on her throat. The rumors involving the legendary Opera Ghost are merely newspaper sensationalism. The Opera Ghost is dead. His tragic life, his epic opera, his obsession with her voice…ended. But with a slow, heart-pounding dread, Christine lets a lie slip from her lips, and heads for Paris. Alone. Because she has to know if Erik is dead. Or if he’s alive…and wreaking his vengeance.
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 Opera and the Morbidity of Music written by Joseph Kerman and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2008-04-08 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The death of classical music, the distinguished critic and musicologist Joseph Kerman declares, is “a tired, vacuous concept that will not die.” In this wide-ranging collection of essays and reviews, Kerman examines the ongoing vitality of the classical music tradition, from the days of Guillaume Dufay, John Taverner, and William Byrd to contemporary operas by Philip Glass and John Adams. Here are enlightening investigations of the lives and works of the greatest composers: Bach and his Well-Tempered Clavier, Mozart’s and Beethoven’s piano concertos, Schubert’s songs, Wagner’s and Verdi’s operas. Kerman discusses The Magic Flute as well as productions of the Monteverdi operas in Brooklyn and the Ring in San Francisco and Bayreuth. He also includes remembrances of Maria Callas and Carlos Kleiber that make clear why they were such extraordinary musicians. Kerman argues that predictions—let alone assumptions—of the death of classical music are not a new development but part of a cultural transformation that has long been with us. Always alert to the significance of historical changes, from the invention of music notation to the advent of recording, he proposes that the place to look for renewal of the classical music tradition in America today is in opera—in a flood of new works, the rediscovery of long-forgotten ones, and innovative productions by companies large and small. Written for a general audience rather than for experts, Kerman’s essays invite readers to listen afresh and to engage with his insights into how music works. “His gift is so uncommon as to make one sad,” Alex Ross has said.
Download or read book Three Piggy Opera eBook written by Carol B. Kaplan-Lyss and published by Lorenz Educational Press. This book was released on 1987-09-01 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Applause! Applause! And wasn't it easy! Even non-musical teachers will love using this simple musical play. Children will bring stories to life through drama, music, art, language, and gross motor activities. Each book contains a CD (print books) or audio files (eBooks) and a resource guide loaded with songs, music, and step-by-step directions for classroom use or performance. The CD and audio files contain both songs with lyrics, and piano accompaniment only. This play is loaded with wonderful music and catchy lyrics that children will want to sing again and again!
Download or read book The Grove Book of Opera Singers written by Laura Williams Macy and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 649 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering over 1500 singers from the birth of opera to the present day, this marvelous volume will be an essential resource for all serious opera lovers and an indispensable companion to the enormously successful Grove Book of Operas. The most comprehensive guide to opera singers ever produced, this volume offers an alphabetically arranged collection of authoritative biographies that range from Marion Anderson (the first African American to perform at the Met) to Benedict Zak (the classical tenor and close friend and colleague of Mozart). Readers will find fascinating articles on such opera stars as Maria Callas and Enrico Caruso, Ezio Pinza and Fyodor Chaliapin, Lotte Lehmann and Jenny Lind, Lily Pons and Luciano Pavarotti. The profiles offer basic information such as birth date, vocal style, first debut, most memorable roles, and much more. But these articles often go well beyond basic biographical information to offer colorful portraits of the singer's personality and vocal style, plus astute evaluations of their place in operatic history and many other intriguing observations. Many entries also include suggestions for further reading, so that anyone interested in a particular performer can explore their life and career in more depth. In addition, there are indexes of singers by voice type and by opera role premiers. The articles are mostly drawn from the acclaimed Grove Music Online and have been fully revised, and the book is further supplemented by more than 40 specially commissioned articles on contemporary singers. A superb new guide from the first name in opera reference, The Grove Book of Opera Singers is a lively and authoritative work, beautifully illustrated with color and black-and-white pictures. It is an essential volume--and the perfect gift--for opera lovers everywhere.
Download or read book Complete Opera Book written by George Henry Hubert Lascelles Harewood, Earl of and published by London : Putnam. This book was released on 1956 with total page 1262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Russian Opera and the Symbolist Movement written by Simon Morrison and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2002-08-05 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An aesthetic, historical, and theoretical study of four scores, Russian Opera and the Symbolist Movement is a groundbreaking and imaginative treatment of the important yet neglected topic of Russian opera in the Silver Age. Spanning the gap between the supernatural Russian music of the nineteenth century and the compositions of Prokofiev and Stravinsky, this exceptionally insightful and well-researched book explores how Russian symbolist poets interpreted opera and prompted operatic innovation. Simon Morrison shows how these works, though stylistically and technically different, reveal the extent to which the operatic representation of the miraculous can be translated into its enactment. Morrison treats these largely unstudied pieces by canonical composers: Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades, Rimsky-Korsakov's Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya, Scriabin's unfinished Mysterium, and Prokofiev's Fiery Angel. The chapters, revisionist studies of these composers and scores, address separate aspects of Symbolist poetics, discussing such topics as literary and musical decadence, pagan-Christian syncretism, theurgy, and life creation, or the portrayal of art in life. The appendix offers the first complete English-language translation of Scriabin's libretto for the Preparatory Act. Providing valuable insight into both the Symbolist enterprise and Russian musicology, this book casts new light on opera's evolving, ambiguous place in fin de siècle culture.
Download or read book Sing Me a Story written by Jane Rosenberg and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 1996-01 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated retelling of the plots of fifteen well-known operas.
Download or read book Understanding the Women of Mozart s Operas written by Kristi Brown-Montesano and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is The Marriage of Figaro just about Figaro? Is Don Giovanni’s story the only one—or even the most interesting one—in the opera that bears his name? For generations of critics, historians, and directors, it’s Mozart’s men who have mattered most. Too often, the female characters have been understood from the male protagonist’s point of view or simply reduced on stage (and in print) to paper cutouts from the age of the powdered wig and the tightly cinched corset. It’s time to give Mozart’s women—and Mozart’s multi-dimensional portrayals of feminine character—their due. In this lively book, Kristi Brown-Montesano offers a detailed exploration of the female roles in Mozart’s four most frequently performed operas, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, and Die Zauberflöte. Each chapter takes a close look at the music, libretto text, literary sources, and historical factors that give shape to a character, re-evaluating common assumptions and proposing fresh interpretations. Brown-Montesano views each character as the subject of a story, not merely the object of a hero’s narrative or the stock figure of convention. From amiable Zerlina, to the awesome Queen of the Night, to calculating Despina, all of Mozart’s women have something unique to say. These readings also tackle provocative social, political, and cultural issues, which are used in the operas to define positive and negative images of femininity: revenge, power, seduction, resistance, autonomy, sacrifice, faithfulness, class, maternity, and sisterhood. Keenly aware of the historical gap between the origins of these works and contemporary culture, Brown-Montesano discusses how attitudes about such concepts—past and current—influence our appreciation of these fascinating representations of women.
Download or read book The Operas of Charles Gounod written by Steven Huebner and published by Oxford [England] : Clarendon Press ; Toronto : Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1990 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gounod was the leading opera composer in France in the mid-nineteenth century, and his best-known operas, including Faust and Romeo and Juliette, date from that time. Despite the overwhelming success of Faust and Gounod's immense influence on all French composers of the later nineteenth century, he has been virtually ignored by scholars until now. Huebner here charts the composer's career and deals with each of the major operas, discussing not only the music but also the critical reception and source material. He considers aspects of the composer's musical style and outlines his influence on subsequent generations of composers.
