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$15.74
61. Pietro Mascagni and His Operas
62. Jesus Christ Superstar A Rock
$86.79
63. America's Musical Stage: Two Hundred
$121.85
64. Opera and Song Books Published
$97.95
65. Analyzing Wagner's Operas: Alfred
$30.00
66. Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci
67. Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande
 
$36.95
68. Gluck and His Operas: with an
$20.22
69. Opera in Context: Essays on Historical
$9.92
70. Tosca (Black Dog Opera Library)
$3.85
71. Learn to Play Opera Tunes (Learn
$9.99
72. Madama Butterfly (Black Dog Opera
73. TV and Studio Cast Musicals on
 
74. Ganzl's Book of the Musical Theatre
75. Weltbuhne Musik: Oper, Operette,
$79.17
76. Musical Theater Synopses
$98.95
77. Broadway, Movie, TV, and Studio
$16.07
78. Opera and the Morbidity of Music
 
$3.98
79. Modified Rapture: Comedy in W.S.
 
$100.00
80. The Book of 101 Opera Librettos:

61. Pietro Mascagni and His Operas
by Alan Mallach
Hardcover: 378 Pages (2002-05-16)
list price: US$40.00 -- used & new: US$15.74
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Asin: 1555535240
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) was a dazzling and influential figure in Italian opera during the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries.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, Mascagni went on to write fifteen more operas, including L'Amico Fritz, Guglielmo Ratcliff, Iris, Parisina, and Il Piccolo Marat.As composer, conductor, teacher, lecturer, and writer, Mascagni was also intensely engaged in every aspect of Italian musical culture for over fifty years.

This first in-depth and objective biography of Mascagni charts the course of his intriguing life and career.With privileged access to extensive primary sources, including Mascagni's 4,200 letters to Anna Lolli, his mistress for more than three decades, 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

5-0 out of 5 stars Superb book on this great musical figure
Pietro Mascagni burst onto the operatic stage with the perennially popular "Cavalleria Rusticana" - his first produced opera - in 1890. Although he went on to create many other operas he was destined never to repeat the success unlike his contemporary Puccini who produced a string of successful operas many of which have held the stage.

Mascagni's later operas are flawed works - poor libretti, lack of hit tunes - but they are not insignificant works. Mallach traces the life of Mascagni and provides details on all his musical works. Aside from composition Mascagni was also a conductor, music school director, and doting father. Mallach paints a picture of a man who saw himself as the defender of Italian opera.

This is an excellent book for those who are interested in the man who wrote "Cavalleria Rusticana" but also provides interesting details on the Italian opera scene in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

4-0 out of 5 stars Make Room for Mascagni in your operatic world!
Pietro Mascgni is a nineteenth century operatic composer whose works deserve recongnition!Mascagi was a composer whose strength was melody; whose oeuvre was extensive and whose career spanned over half a century.The talented son of humble folks he became famous when his first opera Cavalleria Rusticana made him rich and famous!Like Lord Byron he woke up to find himself famous! Mallach describes the salient plot lines and comments with his musical expertise on all of the many unknown Mascagni operas.Mascagni was much more than a one opera composer. His character was bipolar and he was complex.His affair with his only mistress as well as stormy times with friends and family are given attention.However, the real value of this book is in the details of the maestro's works.Opera fans will relish Mallach's years of research in this first English language biography.

5-0 out of 5 stars For anyone who has thrilled to a Pietro Mascagni opera
Exhaustively researched and adroitly written by pianist, composer, and independent scholar Alan Mallach, Pietro Mascagni And His Operas is the informative biography of talented Italian opera writer Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) whose great works include L'Amico Fritz, Guglielmo Ratcliff, Iris, Parisina, and many others. Written with privileged access to Mascagni's 4,200 letters to Anna Lolli, his mistress for more than thirty years, Pietro Mascagni and His Operas is an eye-opening portrait of a man's complex, talented life and his most remarkable music. Pietro Mascagni And His Operas is a welcome and very highly recommended addition to any Music History collection and "must" reading for anyone who has thrilled to a Pietro Mascagni opera. ... Read more


62. Jesus Christ Superstar A Rock Opera Musical Excerpts, Complete Libretto (Piano/Vocals, Complete Libretto)
by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
Paperback: Pages (1970)

Asin: B001IE8GKI
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Beautiful sheet music book, 1970 release date. With complete vocals and piano. ... Read more


63. America's Musical Stage: Two Hundred Years of Musical Theatre (Contributions in Drama and Theatre Studies)
by Julian Mates
Hardcover: 252 Pages (1985-12-06)
list price: US$86.95 -- used & new: US$86.79
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Asin: 0313239487
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Mates shows the musical stage in all its guises--from burlesque to musical comedy to grand opera--from its beginnings in pre-Revolutionary America to the present day. He deals sensitively with the recurrent aesthetic question of popular versus highbrow art and also looks at critical reactions to popular theatrical forms of musical entertainment. He introduces the reader to various types of theatrical companies, the changing repertory, and the many kinds of musical performers who have animated the stage. Mates focuses on the creative relationships between the different forms of opera, the minstrel show and circus, melodrama and dance, burlesque, revue, vaudeville, and musical comedy. ... Read more


64. Opera and Song Books Published in England, 1703-1726: A Descriptive Bibliography
by David Hunter
Hardcover: 576 Pages (1999-01-14)
list price: US$168.00 -- used & new: US$121.85
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0948170107
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This volume is a detailed bibliographical description of 180 collections of opera and other secular songs, with a 36 page introduction and full indexes. Hunter lists the first lines of all the songs included in each volume and indexes them so as to allow identification and dating of single songs of the period. Nine other indexes cover composers, singers, literary or dramatic works, short titles, printers and publishers, engravers, passe-partout title-pages, single or double sided volumes, and libraries. ... Read more


65. Analyzing Wagner's Operas: Alfred Lorenz and German Nationalist Ideology (Eastman Studies in Music)
by Stephen McClatchie
Hardcover: 260 Pages (1998-11-25)
list price: US$110.00 -- used & new: US$97.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1580460232
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The work of the Wagnerian theorist and analyst Alfred Lorenz (1869-1939) has had a profound influence upon both Wagnerian scholarship and music analysis in the twentieth century, and yet it has never been properly evaluated. Analyzing Wagner's Operas outlines the origins and development of the expressive aesthetic in writings by Wagner and others, as well as in early-twentieth-century theories of musical form, and it considers Lorenz's work and contributions in this light. The book also hopes to show, to the extent possible, where Lorenz's work acted as a sort of "musical metaphor" for German nationalist ideology during the Nazi era. ... Read more


66. Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci (Black Dog Opera Library)
Hardcover: 144 Pages (1999-01-01)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$30.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1579120180
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
A marriage of music and the written word. Set includes the full opera on two compact discs, accompanied by the complete libretto in its original language and English translation. Full-color photographs illustrate the history of the opera--and an entertaining text offers insights into the musical heritage of the composers, the music, and the performance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars Another in a series
Being somewhat new to Opera, I have been a faithful student of this series of (Black Dog) books with CD. This particular book prepared me to see these two wonderful operas as well as to enjoy them afterwards at home.

Having the libretto is priceless and the CDs for both Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci are simply marvelous.

I felt I enjoyed the live performance I attended more after reading and listeming to this at home first, and now I have it forever to listen to again and again. Simply Wonderful!

5-0 out of 5 stars Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci - Black Dog Collection
Combining both words and music, this edition of EMI's Black Dog Opera Library is a beautiful addition to any music lover's collection. At first I was hesitant to buy the book, as I already have a different version of thecomplete operas with liner notes. I don't regret the purchase at all now.With 125+ pages of history, biographical information and completelibrettos, the book is a sure bet.

Included in this hardbound book areCDs of the complete operas of Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci. You canlisten to the beautiful and emotional voices of Franco Corelli and VictoriaDe Los Angeles as you read about two of the most influential and powerfuloperas of all time.

If you are new to opera, I highly recommend thispackage as it will give you the chance to acquaint yourself with opera andlearn of the rich operatic history involved with these two classics.

Foropera lovers, you will appreciate this new approach to opera packaging--Ittakes liner notes to the next step and includes some of the best recordingsI have heard ever of these operas. Enjoy! ... Read more


67. Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande A Guide to the Opera with Musical Examples from the Score
by Lawrence Gilman
Kindle Edition: Pages (2009-10-04)
list price: US$1.99
Asin: B002RKSNB4
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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more


68. Gluck and His Operas: with an Account of Their Relation to Musical Art
by Hector Berlioz
 Hardcover: 167 Pages (1973-09-18)
list price: US$36.95 -- used & new: US$36.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0837169380
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69. Opera in Context: Essays on Historical Staging from the Late Renaissance to the Time of Puccini
by Mark A. Radice
Hardcover: 410 Pages (2003-03-01)
list price: US$44.95 -- used & new: US$20.22
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1574670328
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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These essays by respected scholars examine representative operatic productions from diverse national schools and periods, together forming a comprehensive history of the staging techniques of opera over the centuries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Recommended reading for students of operatic history
Superbly edited by Mark Radice, Opera In Context is an impressive compendium of essays by a variety of experts that examines representative operatic productions from diverse national schools and periods. These informative and original essays document the history of operatic staging using the words of the composers and their contemporaries as revealed in their diaries, letters, and writings. Other issues and topics covered include historical performance practice, elements of operatic stage craft, scenery, costumes, and lighting. Opera In Context is enthusiastically recommended reading for students of operatic history, as well as producers, directors, set designers, conductors, and performers. ... Read more


70. Tosca (Black Dog Opera Library)
Hardcover: 144 Pages (1998-01-11)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$9.92
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1579120482
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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The Black Dog Opera Library presents Giacomo Puccini's Tosca featuring such greats as Placido Domingo, Renata Scotto and Renato Capecchi. A marriage of music and the written word in the most complete and popularly priced package yet produced, each of these sets includes a complete opera on two Angel/EMI compact discs, accompanied by the complete libretto in its original language and English translation with annotated commentary. Full-color photographs illustrate the history of the operas, and an entertaining text discusses the musical heritage of the composers, the music and the performances.Amazon.com Review
Here is one of Puccini's greatest hits, in an affordableversion for complete orchestra.This story of love, art and death inRome during the Napoleonic wars is today considered a classic for sucharias as "Vissi d'arte" (I lived for art; I lived for love), but atits premiere in 1900 it was denounced as "a shabby little shocker,"for things like Baron Scarpia's lechery and Tosca's termination of himwith extreme prejudice.Be aware that Dover's scores are reprintsfrom other companies that are now out of copyright; that means thatthey're older versions, and lack such amenities as Englishtranslations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars Love the entire Black Dog Opera Library Series
Complete music on 2 cds, unabridged libretto, history of composer, the specific opera, historical performances...What else could you ask for for under $$$!AND you end up getting so much more out of the performance when you know the story to the music.You spend less time reading the sub-title screen and more time enjoying the performance.(Not to mention you can be a "smarty pants" and share the operas history with other patrons.)

I wish they had more than 14 operas in this collection.Also great for the opera collection is "The Book of 101 Opera Librettos" also by Black Dog.

Black Dog?Are you reading this?I want more

5-0 out of 5 stars If you like Tosca, you'll love this book
The score in this book is perfect, it's a copy of an Ricordi Edition, if you are a conductor you can use it, don't confuise with the comment of the hardcover edition, the hardcover dosn't have the full score of the opera only this book. it's a good edition, if you like this opera buy this book.

1-0 out of 5 stars Awful
This is one of my favorite operas but unfortunately this recording stinks.Scarpia probably had a hand in the engineering.While the performance is of high quality the dynamics are very poor.Whoever mixed it was playing the magic flute or intoxicated with the elixir of love.The quiet passages are recorded at such low levels that I have to increase the volume to hear them, but only to find myself forced to rush over to lower the drastically over amplified loud passages.As I have a much better recording (Caballe-Carreras-Wixell on Phillips) I end up looking at this book and playing the other.This was most disappointing since I also have the companion La Boheme and Butterfly and those are excellent.Save your money on this one.....

5-0 out of 5 stars The perfect melding of music and drama.
It was once said that Puccini's "La Boheme" was all music and nodrama, while "Tosca" was all drama and no music. Yet, at least tomodern listeners, "Tosca," with its resonating themes, itsincredible orchestrations, and its compelling story line of love, lust,loyalty, and betrayal continues to fascinate. The full score will aid thediscerning listener in enjoying the scope of Puccini's genius as music anddrama come together in a breathtaking rush of melody, aria, and incrediblepathos. One of opera's most detestable, yet evilly engaging, villains,Baron Scarpia, stalks with regal ominousness. Floria Tosca sings one of themost poignant arias, "Visa d'arte. Visa amore." And as the plotthickens, the listener is carried to new heights of musical drama as thelovers plan their escape. But Scarpia's evil hand reaches from beyond theveil of death to thwart their flight to love and freedom. Puccini'sorchestrations, his soaring melodies, and his sense of place and time havethrilled audiences for generations. Enjoy it again with the full score, andyour favorite recording! ... Read more


71. Learn to Play Opera Tunes (Learn to Play Series)
by Caroline R. Hooper
Paperback: 48 Pages (1996-12)
list price: US$9.95 -- used & new: US$3.85
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0746024207
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This book contains 25 simple yet rewarding o pera pieces for young pianists to play. Detailed information about the pieces sets the music in context, while beautiful illustrations trace the history and development of opera. ' ... Read more


72. Madama Butterfly (Black Dog Opera Library)
Hardcover: 144 Pages (1999-01-01)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1579120199
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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A marriage of music and the written word. Set includes the full opera on two compact discs, accompanied by the complete libretto in its original language and English translation. Full-color photographs illustrate the history of the opera--and an entertaining text offers insights into the musical heritage of the composers, the music, and the performance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Recordings of BUTTERFLY
Renata Scotto, Carlo Bergonzi, and Rolando Panerai make a superb team, both in their singing and in their acting, for MADAMA BUTTERFLY.Another advantage of the recording (made in 1966) is the stereo sound, which allows all the details of Puccini's rich orchestration to be heard.Listening to this BUTTERFLY is almost as good as hearing a live performance of the opera.The accompanying book is very informative about Puccini, the opera itself, and the artists.It also has lush illustrations and includes a complete libretto in Italian and English.In short, this is another exceptional "Black Dog Opera Library" set.

5-0 out of 5 stars A Great Book + a Great Recording
This issue from the Black Dog series may be the most successful. The book comes with comments about Puccini's life and a background on the composition of "Butterfly" that is very readable and informative.The Italian/English libretto is nicely presented, with many descriptions ofparticular arias so that one can stop and pay closer attention to therecording at these points. Finally, the recording that comes with the bookis one of the best "Butterflys" around, featuring the imaginativeRenata Scotto and Carlo Bergonzi, one of the greatest post-war tenors. So,whether you are a newcomer to this opera and need a good introduction, orwhether you already own a version of "Butterfly" and want anothergreat one, this book is for you. ... Read more


73. TV and Studio Cast Musicals on Record: A Discography of Television Musicals and Studio Recordings of Stage and Film Musicals (Discographies)
Hardcover: 344 Pages (1990-08-21)
list price: US$95.00
Isbn: 0313273243
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This discography's 657 entries list some 6500 songs titles and contain significant recordings in 16 categories including all commercially recorded TV musicals, studio cast albums sung in English and performed in New York City, film scores, and more. All album cover information is provided along with date of first New York production, information on reissues, CD availability, major composer, lyricist, conductor, and singers. Chronologies treat TV, studio casts, and films. A performers' index and a technical index complete the volume. ... Read more


74. Ganzl's Book of the Musical Theatre
by Kurt; Lamb, Andrew Ganzl
 Hardcover: 4 Pages (1989)

Isbn: 0028719417
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars The title is a little misleading but...
This was meant to be the musical theater equilivant of The Definitive Kobbe's Opera Book It also has operettas, light opera from France, England, Germany and other countries. Musical theater fans should stick to the last part of the British section which has some shows that made it across the Atlantic, although they weren't all successful (e.g. Singin' in the Rain, Canterbury Tales) Les Miserables and Irma La Douce are both in the French section although the Les Miz summary is based on the revised English one.
Many of the summaries were later updated for Ganzl's Book of the Broadway Musical which lists some new shows that have opened since this book was published (the later being Sunset Blvd.) Maybe Ganzl and his editors will update either book and include all the megahits from Broadway and the West End. ... Read more


75. Weltbuhne Musik: Oper, Operette, Musical (German Edition)
by Manfred Joh Bohlen
Paperback: 544 Pages (1991)

Isbn: 3625104555
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76. Musical Theater Synopses
by Jeanette Marie Drone
Hardcover: 448 Pages (1998-10)
list price: US$99.00 -- used & new: US$79.17
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0810834898
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Musical Theater Synopses: An Index is a supplement to Jeanette Marie Drone's successful earlier book, Index to Opera, Operetta and Musical Comedy Synopses in Collections and Periodicals (Scarecrow 1978). The supplement identifies the location of synopses of over 11,000 titles by more than 4,000 composers. The title change reflects the expanded coverage both of types of sources indexed and types of musical works included. In addition to operas, operettas, and musical comedies, the supplement indexes ballets, oratories, minstrel shows, and several non-Western forms, including Kabuki, Beijing opera, and Chinese plays. Sources indexed include collections of synopses, scores, including monumental sets, and Internet resources. The index is arranged in three sections: the first is a three-part coded list of 352 monographic sources, including scores and monumental sets, 62 periodicals and journals, and 14 Internet sources; the second is an index by title of musical theater works and cross-references arranged alphabetically, followed by codes for locations; and the third is an index arranged by composer. All works listed in the 1978 edition are included in the supplement and identified with a linking code to alert users to consult the original edition for the few works not found in sources indexed for the supplement or where additional sources are needed. ... Read more


77. Broadway, Movie, TV, and Studio Cast Musicals on Record: A Discography of Recordings, 1985-1995 (Discographies: Association for Recorded Sound Collections Discographic Reference)
by Richard Lynch
Hardcover: 272 Pages (1996-09-30)
list price: US$98.95 -- used & new: US$98.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0313298556
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Is there a recording of the songs from Smile? How many scores by Sondheim have been recorded in the past ten years? Answers to these and other such questions can be found in this unique volume. All shows are listed alphabetically, and essential information is included for each song, as well as other recordings of the same score and who recorded them. There are performer, composer, lyricist, and musical director indexes, making this a user-friendly reference. This volume, along with the author's previous discographies (Greenwood 1987, 1989, 1990), provides a definitive reference source for recorded musicals--from Broadway, Hollywood, television, or merely "hoping-to-be-produced"--up to 1995. The work is useful not only to scholars and students but also to the collector of musical show recordings. ... Read more


78. Opera and the Morbidity of Music (New York Review Books Collections)
by Joseph Kerman
Hardcover: 384 Pages (2008-04-08)
list price: US$27.95 -- used & new: US$16.07
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1590172655
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent reviews and essays about Music.-
Yesterday I received this book from Amazon, and already today I have finished reading it, it so fascinated me.-I am sure that I will read it again, more leisurely, many times.-In the first place it is necessary to state that of the 30 essays the first 27 are all book reviews i.e. commentaries on several books -- but all these reviews are so enormously perceptive and add so many facts and so many insights to our knowledge that they make reading these mere book reviews certainly very rewarding and instructive and tell us much about the erudition and intelligence of Joseph Kerman.-They contain not only a wide range of unknown or little-known facts but also illuminating comments.-The four book reviews about Mozart, the four about Beethoven, the one about Berlioz, the two about Verdi and especially the three about Wagner are truly remarkable.-Only the last three essays (The Art of the Program Note,Maria Callas,Carlos Kleiber) are not book reviews but independent chapters written by the author himself,and all three of them are,again,not only astonishingly well informed, containing a wealth of new facts, but also superbly argumented, convincing, witty, original and inspiring.-Highly recommended for every music lover, but also for the general public.-

4-0 out of 5 stars Classical Music is still alive!
In spite of the title of this retrospective collection of essays, Opera and the Morbidity of Music by Joseph Kerman, the author presents a forceful and eloquent argument that opera and classical music in general is neither morbid nor moribund. He is successful through nuanced and informed writing and the use of a structure in which a group of musical themes is highlighted much like those of a Bach fugue. Kerman quotes Charles Rosen, " It is never the theme that is the central interest but the way the theme is embedded in the polyphonic structure" (p. 81). Thus the essays take on this aspect of music and in doing so become more than their individual essayistic parts. There is an ebb and flow to the collection that charmed this reader with references to musical memories and suggestions for future listening and reading. The breadth of the essays spans centuries of music and multiplicities of musical form while frequently narrowing the focus to specific composers. Over the course of thirty essays covering both the familiar (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner) and the unfamiliar (Byrd, Monteverdi and program notes), the life of music is reviewed from baroque to the present. The whole is lively and intelligent, both informative and accessible for the general reader.

5-0 out of 5 stars Another Great Book from Joseph K
I had read many of these essays before, but reading the whole thing last week blew me away.Kerman makes me open up my ears to music and open up my mind to thinking about music and its relationship with society.I found the essays on Wagner and Beethoven particularly revelatory. ... Read more


79. Modified Rapture: Comedy in W.S. Gilbert's Savoy Operas (Victorian Literature and Culture Series)
by Alan Fischler
 Hardcover: 160 Pages (1991-10)
list price: US$30.00 -- used & new: US$3.98
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0813913349
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80. The Book of 101 Opera Librettos: Complete Original Language Texts with English Translations
 Hardcover: 1474 Pages (1996-01-10)
list price: US$29.95 -- used & new: US$100.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1884822797
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The Book of 101 Opera Librettos presents the completetexts of the world's best-loved operas both in the original languageand in English. One comprehensive volume offers the unabridged lyricsand complete librettos of the most-performed operas as well as severallesser known works. This 1,482-page collection includes a shortsynopsis of each opera and detailed indexing of titles, librettists,and authors. Amazon.com Review
You're never going to haul this book to the opera house, it is true, but,on the other hand, you'll probably never again have to fret over where to finda libretto for most standard repertory operas. This massive,1,474-page (plus endpapers) volume, which could readily double as a doorstop or a booster seat at the theater, contains all the words, in their original languages (for the most part) and inEnglish, of 101 out-of-copyright operas. The selections run the gamut fromLudwig vanBeethoven's Fidelio through Carl Maria von Weber's Euryanthe,with scores of stories in between. In addition to the word-for-word libretti,a brief précis of each plot is also provided.

There are some puzzling omissions--Mozart's Così fantutte and Abduction from the Seraglio--and puzzling inclusionsas well: Paderewski's Manru and Horatio Parker's Mona are notconsidered standard operas by any authority that readily springs to mind.Borodin's Prince Igor is, incomprehensibly, given in Italian andEnglish (the Russian people improbably sing, "Ad Igor, signor nostro,vittoria"), as are Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov and Tchaikovsky's EvgenyOnegin. There are also some annoyinglittle errors that could have been avoided with more careful proofreading ("MadamButterfly"?), and the paper used is disappointingly cheap. Still, with thesecaveats in mind, The Book of 101 Opera Librettos is a very useful book for the money,a one-stop shop for many of the operas you're likely to encounter. Just besure to read the libretto before you leave for the opera house. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

4-0 out of 5 stars 101 opera librettos
The book is in excellent condition.....Most of the operas I am interested in 'are in the book,which by the way,weighs a ton...

1-0 out of 5 stars Borders on misrepresentation
As both an opera singer and avid fan, I bought this book in hopes of having a handy translation for all operas I might be interested in, and a way to follow the Met afternoon broadcasts. The first time I turned to use it, I found out I'd been had! First, the IT DOES NOT ALWAYS INCLUDE THE ORIGINAL TEXTS, which is indicated prominently on the cover. For many operas not written in Italian, they provide Italian librettos (e.g. Eugene Onegin and La Fille du Regiment). So you cannot follow an actual opera with this text in some cases. (I did not check every one, but note that they do have some German libretti, so the libretti are not all in Italian.)

Second, as noted by the voice teacher reviewer, these translations are not accurate, and sometimes laughably (and sadly) wrong. Finally, both the inclusions and exclusions are jarring - L'Africana (Meyerbeer) and Euryanthe (Weber) IN vs. Cosi Fan Tutte (Mozart) and Turandot (Puccini) OUT? So you don't always find the quite popular opera you are looking for in the book. A big waste of $$ and space - the size of a small ottoman. My guess is that this was patched together from sources that were not protected by copyright, or something of the sort, because who would want to copyright these translations?

4-0 out of 5 stars A collection of reprinted turn-of-the-century librettos
The pros and cons of this book are both the natural result of what it really is: a collection of reprinted, out-of-copyright libretti from the 1900s and 1910s.These are the libretti you would have seen for sale if you'd attended the Met a hundred years or so ago, newly typeset but otherwise unchanged.

This is good in that it lets us get 100 libretti cheap; there's no way the publishers would have been able to afford new translations of everything.

On the other hand, this means that the selection is a bit odd.In general, only librettos from 1921 and before are going to be out of copyright, which explains why operas (like "Turandot") composed after that date can't be included.This also explains why operas such as "Cosi fan tutte", which was rarely if ever performed in most American opera houses, are absent--Cosi didn't really enter the American repertory until the 1950s Met production.

In addition, the book can only present the versions of the operas as they were performed at American houses at that time.This means that the book omits materially traditionally cut by whatever house they got the libretto from (most likely the Met).If that house performed a Russian opera in Italian translation, you'll get an Italian and English libretto in this book as well.And the English translations themselves are generally fairly archaic and flowery, as was the style in American opera houses at the time.

So if your needs are the same as an early 20th century opera attendee--getting a general idea of the story or a more-or-less accurate copy of the original-language libretto--then this is a good value.I find it a very useful resource just because it is so comprehensive.But if you're looking for a deep understanding of an individual libretto, or a quality modern English translation, you'll need to look elsewhere.

2-0 out of 5 stars Borderline garbage
Not only does this have "puzzling omissions" (6 Massenet operas -- no Manon!), but it lacks at least one important opera libretto (Verdi's Falstaff) that, according to the cover of the book, is supposed to be included! The libretti that are included have many cuts and errors, and the translations are poor compared to what you get in an average CD insert. It's like they compiled the cheapest, laziest translations available and passed the savings on to you. This would get my lowest rating, except that the price is right and there is obscure stuff in here that may otherwise be hard to find.

5-0 out of 5 stars MONEY SAVER!!!!!
I like to read the librettos of the operas I am going to see each season before actually going to the performance.This book is a steal at the $price tag I paid.(Using rapid mathematics, that comes to This book is put out by Black Dog Publishers.I own every one of the Black Dog Opera Library issues (all 14 is it?)They are wonderful at giving you the libretto, the COMPLETE music on 2 cds, the history, the previous performers, etc.I wish they had more available.However, this book fills in nicely within my opera collection.

This book is an excellent value with great content. ... Read more


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