Opera Books

Book SynopsisBest known for the challenging four-opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner (1813-83) was a conductor, librettist, theater director, and essayist, in addition to being the composer of some of the most enduring operatic works in history, such as the Flying Dutchman. This book explores key ideas in Wagner's life and works.Trade Review"A fine biography.... This is the most balanced account of Schumann's life and work for more than a generation, one that makes us want to relisten to Schumann's music, knowing better the man behind it." -Wall Street Journal, on Robert Schumann"

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Book SynopsisMaria Callas (1923–77) was the greatest opera diva of all time. Despite a career that remains unmatched by any prima donna, much of her life was overshadowed by her fiery relationship with Aristotle Onassis, who broke her heart when he left her for Jacqueline Kennedy, and her legendary tantrums on and off the stage.However, little is known about the woman behind the diva. She was a girl brought up between New York and Greece, who was forced to sing by her emotionally abusive mother and who left her family behind in Greece for an international career. Feted by royalty and Hollywood stars, she fought sexism to rise to the top, but there was one thing she wanted but could not have – a happy private life.In Cast a Diva, bestselling author Lyndsy Spence draws on previously unseen documents to reveal the raw, tragic story of a true icon.Trade Review"Lyndsy Spence presents an in-depth and sympathetic picture of the woman behind the legend."

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Book SynopsisDeath-Devoted Heart explodes the established interpretation of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, proving the drama to be more than just a sublimation of the composer's love for Wesendonck or a wistful romantic dream. Scruton boldly attests that Tristan and Isolde has profound religious meaning and remains as relevant today as it was to Wagner's contemporaries.Trade Reviewsuperb book....can still teach much even to those who think they long ago grasped the secret of this masterpiece. * Simon Heffer, Literary Review *(Roger Scruton's book is a deep and daunting) 'study of the most important single composition in Western music ... Scruton's examination is highly original and delves into aspects which have seldom been explored so rigorously' * Peter Porter, The Independent Books, *a very, very, scholarly work... * Tony Hall, Royal Opera House CEO in FT Magazine *superb analysis... * Michael Portillo, New Statesman *Table of Contents1. Wagner and Religion ; 2. The Story of Tristan ; 3. Wagner's Treatment of the Story ; 4. The Music of Tristan ; 5. The Philosophy of Love ; 6. Tragedy and Sacrifice ; 7. Love, Death, and Redemption ; EPILOGUE From Romance to Ritual ; APPENDIX Table of Motives ; NOTES ; SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ; INDEX

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Book SynopsisJulian Young presents Richard Wagner as an important philosopher of art and life, first as a utopian anarchist-communist and later as a Schopenhauerian pessimist. Understanding Wagnerâs philosophy is crucial to understanding his operas, as it is to understanding Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Heidegger. Trade ReviewKeenly attuned to Wagner’s intimations of impersonal immortality, Julian Young explains Wagner’s evolving views on the redemptive power of musical drama, an artistic salvation that remains possible even after the death of God. By critically examining Wagner’s philosophical transformation from a Feuerbachian anarcho-revolutionary to a Schopenhauerian world-renunciate, Young uncovers the enduring spiritual quest at the heart of Wagner’s work: Our deep and enduring philosophical need to learn how to die well. -- Iain Thomson, University of New MexicoIn deft, elegant prose, Young convincingly reconstructs two distinct Wagnerian philosophical positions, especially as concerns the relationship between art and society: an early revolutionary and a later Schopenhauerian position. In doing so, Young casts considerable light on the meanings of Wagner's musical dramas, and presents an array of fascinating positions on the proper relations between art and society for contemporary reflection. This is an important book for anyone interested in late-nineteenth-century philosophy of music and art. -- Sandra Shapshay, Indiana University, BloomingtonYoung here presents the results of extensive research into Wagner's philosophical writings. Perhaps the most surprising thing one learns is that Wagner had a relatively clear and coherent philosophy. In fact, Wagner’s philosophy evolved over time, and he always saw himself as more than a composer of operas. Early on, Wagner, influenced by Hegel, maintained that art and music could play a key role in changing the world for the better. Later, his philosophical intuitions and artistic aims would be molded by Schopenhauer’s pessimistic but redemptive views of music. Today, Wagner would be saddened, though perhaps not surprised, to find that most of his operas are heard only by the affluent—a situation that is the antithesis of what he was trying to do. Young’s straightforward writing style is more than welcome in explaining 19th-century German philosophical concepts, which can get very complex very fast. This book is beautifully written, clear, and concise. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsPart I: Early Wagner Chapter 1: The Way We are Now Chapter 2: The Greek Ideal Chapter 3: The Death of Art Chapter 4: The Artwork of the Future: Exploratory Questions Part II Later Wagner Chapter 5: Schopenhauer Chapter 6: Wagner’s Appropriation of Schopenhauer Chapter 7: Wagner’s Final Thoughts Epilogue: Wagner and Nietzsche

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Book SynopsisThe theory and practice of Italian musical compositionTrade ReviewDense and challenging in its detail and analysis, this work is an important addition to the growing corpus of Puccini studies. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Baragwanath's is a very full treatment of Italian teaching methods and curricula, now based not ony on traditional harmony but on other relevant strategies for learning to create what every Italian composer wanted to create: opera. The pedagogical traditions and the Puccini family's part in them are tracedbroadly The positivistic research is thorough and results in a reference-source useful to all further historians of 19th-century Italian opera. The topic is a big one, with many ramifications, and the book does provide a definitive service in explaining the prevailing Italian view that 'music should be pleasing, fulfilling or entertaining in a variety of contexts.' * Musical Times *[B]y offering another component to the analyst's tool kit, Baragwanath has comprehensively achievedwhat he set out to do: create a framework for further study. * Music and Letters *Nicholas Baragwanath has made a major contribution – one of the most major to date, in any language – not only to Puccini studies but also to the study of nineteenth-century Italian opera in general. * Nineteenth-Century Music Review *[Offers] us no less than a thorough reappraisal of how composition was learned by those who would actually become composers. * Journal of Music Theory *Table of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgementsA Note on Translation and Terminology1: Musical Traditions in Nineteenth-Century ItalyI. The Italian SchoolsII. An Introduction to the Primary SourcesIII. Puccini and the End of the Great Tradition2. Studies in Lucca and MilanI. Composition as CraftII. The Istituto musicale in LuccaIII. Scarpia and the Partimento CadenceIV. The Conservatorio di Milano3. Lessons in Dramatic Composition I: RhythmI. Rhythm without Measure, Accent without BeatII. Rules of Versification, Lippmann's Rhythmic-Musical Types, and Two Case-StudiesIII. Historical Survey of Writings on RitmoIV. Short Case-Studies from Bellini and Puccini4. Lessons in Dramatic Composition II: Harmony and CounterpointI. The Partimento TraditionII. Michele Puccini's Corso pratico di contrappunto (1846)III. The Bolognese Attachment, or "Little Keys for Winding Clocks"IV. Regular Motions and Melodic Composition5. Lessons in Dramatic Composition III: Affect, Imitation, and ConductI. Dominant Affects and their MovementsII. Physical and Sentimental ImitationIII. Form and ConductIV. Case-Studies from Verdi, Boito, and Puccini6. Vocalizzi, Solfeggi, and Real (or Ideal) CompositionI. Lessons in Singing and CounterpointII. Lessons in Singing and SolfeggioIII. From Solfeggio to Ideal Composition in Puccini (and Bellini)NotesBibliographyIndex of ConceptsIndex of Names and Works

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Book SynopsisMario Lanza: A Life in Pictures is a stunning collection of photographs and illustrations that captures the fabulous and tumultuous times of the greatest romantic tenor of the twentieth century. Compiled by acclaimed Lanza biographer Derek Mannering and drawing on exclusive photographs from the tenor''s closest friend, Terry Robinson, the book offers an unrivalled pictorial history of the tenor''s extraordinary life and career, from his childhood in Philadelphia, his first tentative steps towards a career in opera, the unexpected about-turn that led to his glory days in Hollywood, and on to his sudden and tragic death in Rome in 1959. Complementing the rare photographs is Derek Mannering''s authoritative and compelling narrative together with personal comments by Terry Robinson throughout. The book concludes with an afterword by Mario Lanza''s daughter, Ellisa Lanza Bregman. Few careers in show business have been as colourful or as controversial as Mario Lanza''s. Groomed for a profess

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Kreuzer considers operas, pre-operas, post-operas (films), and meta-operas (Ring cycle satires) while moving through past and present with ease. …Her approach is original. She pulls Wagner down from the heavens among the gods and makes him mortal—a flawed, infuriating and curious creature who worried about receipts while cursing at the riggers.” * Times Literary Supplement *“Kreuzer offers an innovative and staggeringly detailed examination of the intertwined developments of opera as an art form and the technical machines that brought it to life. Her investigation sheds light on how composers, from the nineteenth century onward, sought to incorporate old and emerging stage technologies into their operas in various ways to achieve ever-grander artistic ends, no one more so than Wagner.” * The Wagner Society *"Gundula Kreuzer has written an imaginative, highly original, and stunningly researched book. It is not just about Wagner, but is instead a minihistory of selected technologies employed by European theater going as far back as the baroque and right up to our own time, where Wagner serves as a fulcrum and point of constant reference." * German Studies Review *"Kreuzer’s study combines meticulous historical research and critical analysis, which makes for innovative, exciting work." * College Music Symposium *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface and Acknowledgments Abbreviations Note on Presentation Introduction: Opera, Staging, Technologies 1. Wagner’s Venusberg 2. Curtain 3. Gong 4. Steam Epilogue: Wagnerian Failure Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisExamines the pivotal role of dance in the Italian operas of Handel, perhaps the greatest opera composer between Monteverdi and Mozart. George Frideric Handel set himself apart from his contemporaries by employing choreographed instrumental music to complement and reinforce the emotional impact of his operas. Of his fifty-three operas, no fewer than fourteen -- including ten written for the London stage -- feature dances. Dance in Handel's London Operas explores the relationship between music, drama, and dance in these London works, dispelling the notion that dance was a largely peripheral element in Italian-language operas prior to those of Gluck. Taking a chronological approach, Sarah McCleave examines operas written throughout various periods in Handel's life, beginning with his early London operas,including his time at the Royal Music Academy and the "Sallé" operas of the 1730s, and concluding with his unstaged dramatic opera Alceste (1750). In considering the various influences on Handel (particularly the London stage), McCleave blends analysis of information from eighteenth-century treatises with that found in more modern studies, offering an informed and imaginative understanding of the role dance played in the work of this major figure --one who remained responsive throughout his career to the vital and innovative theatrical environment in which he worked. Sarah McCleave is a lecturer at The School of Creative Arts at Queen's University Belfast.Trade ReviewPlaces Handel's creative decisions in the wider context of European dance traditions and dance on the London stage, frequently referring to contemporary documents. Answers questions such as how the dissemination of French dances through choreographies or through chamber music might have been reflected in the dance types Handel used in his operas, hence addressing how far the types of dances he employed related to public taste. * EARLY MUSIC *Impeccably researched. An exemplary model of how to breathe new life into operas that have been studied as a [purely] vocal repertory. [McCleave's] findings will no doubt be of consequence for singers and opera directors looking to revive Handel's operas. Offers an extraordinary amount of useful information. A valuable resource for any dance, theater, or music historian of eighteenth-century England. * MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NOTES *The first full-length study of the subject, likely to transform the traditional view. Weaves a rich tapestry from relationships between Handel's output and the presence of dance in the contemporary theatrical scene. . . .The book explore[s] virtually every aspect of dance in Handel's operas. Packed with fresh information. The amount of fresh, detailed information greatly enhances our view of dance and spectacle [in this repertoire]. Anyone interested in Handel's dances -- not only scholars but also performers, conductors, and directors -- will find [this book] essential. An impressive and much-needed piece of scholarship, this book deserves a warm welcome. * JOURNAL OF MUSICOLOGICAL RESEARCH *A data-rich study dealing in uncertainties and ambiguities. . . . Instructive and often revelatory. * MUSICAL TIMES *Dance was a significant area of overlap between opera and other theatrical genres staged in London during the first half of the eighteenth century, and an integral part of the theatrical experience. In Dance in Handel's London Operas, Sarah McCleave shows Handel as the consummate theatrical professional, illuminating his work with and for dancers. --Kathryn Lowerre, author of Music and Musicians on the London Stage, 1695-1705 * . *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Genres of Opera, Styles of Dance Handel's Operas of the 1710s The Royal Academy Operas Handel and the London Theater, 1729-35 Theatrical Dance and Opera in London, 1735-55 The French Connection Pastoral versus Heroic: Handel's Operas with Dance Epilogue: Opera Dance in a Changing Marketplace Appendix 1: A Study of Handel's Compositional Process Appendix 2: Theater and Dance Chronology

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Book SynopsisThe Gilded Stage is a comprehensive tour of the world of opera. From its origins in the courts of northern Italy, to its internationally recognised position in modern culture, Snowman explores the social history of opera houses and impresarios, composers and patrons, artists and audiences. Even the most flamboyant composers could scarcely have imagined the global reach of opera in our own times. More opera is performed, financed, seen, heard, filmed and broadcast than ever before, and the world's leading performers are worshipped and paid like pop stars. Yet the art form is widely derided as 'elitist' and parts of the classical recording business appear close to bankruptcy. Pinpointing the scandals, forgotten history and key revolutions in the form with light erudition and a brilliant anecdotal eye, Daniel Snowman reveals that the world of opera has always known crisis and uncertainty - and the resulting struggles have often proved every bit as dramatic as those portrayed onstage.Trade Review'A mighty achievement, by far and away the best history of opera available.' Tim Blanning, Literary Review

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Book SynopsisThis book presents Edward W. Said’s insightful and elegant analyses of four major operas—originally delivered as the Empson Lectures at Cambridge University in 1997—showcasing the power of his critical acumen to unsettle canonical interpretations.Trade ReviewIndispensable for serious lovers of opera. The essays are complete and fresh and as meaningful today as a quarter century ago. * Library Journal (starred review) *These essays on major works in the opera repertoire are provocative and penetrating. They are eloquent testimony to Edward W. Said’s understanding of how music, both written and performed, intersects with politics, history, and literature. Said’s interpretive imagination and his conviction that music is a vital dimension of history and culture will captivate musicians, scholars, students, and all operagoers. -- Leon Botstein, conductor, editor of the Musical Quarterly, and president of Bard CollegeThe opposition between historical authority and its transgression was central to Edward Said’s thinking in later life. But his exploration of it in these four operas offers a strikingly new perspective on how contemporary audiences—and stagings—can interrogate the operatic works’ historical power structures in deeply resonant, present-day terms. -- Linda Hutcheon, coauthor of Opera: The Art of DyingThe trenchant literary and cultural critic Edward W. Said was also deeply devoted to the masterpieces of Western classical music. Said on Opera offers his thoughts on four major operas: by Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, and Wagner. These rich, challenging chapters will be debated for years to come. -- Ralph P. Locke, author of Music and the Exotic from the Renaissance to MozartTable of ContentsEdward Said's Inner Music, by Peter SellarsIntroduction1. Così fan tutte at the Limits2. Fidelio’s Difficulties with the Past3. Les Troyens and the Obligation to Empire4. Creation and Coherence in Die MeistersingerNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisIn this comprehensive study of Olivier Messiaen's magnum opus, Saint François d'Assise, Vincent Perez Benitez examines the opera from both theological and musical-analytical perspectives to ask how Messiaen expresses his Catholic theology through his work.Trade ReviewThis well-researched book is wonderfully written with great clarity and organization, and provides a remarkable and original perspective on the work of the great French composer. -- Christopher E. Mehrens * Music Reference Services Quarterly *This volume fulfills Benitez's 'hope that it will serve as an intellectual springboard into the mind of one of the most creative musicians of the twentieth century and Messiaen's self-described 'synthesis of all that he had done up to that point in his career as a composer', the opera Saint François d'Assise." -- Melissa Cummins - Sam Houston State University * MLA NOTES *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsNotes on the TextIntroduction: Setting the Stage for Messiaen's Compositional Summa1. Theology as Light in Saint François d'Assise2. A Theological Opera and Its Musical Themes3. Form as an Expression of the Beyond4. Chords and Colors: The Harmonic Vocabulary of Saint François d'Assise5. Analyzing the Musical Language of Saint François d'Assise6. Light, Freedom, and the Beauty of Creation: Birdsong in Saint François d'Assise7. Tonal-Dramatic Associations in Saint Francis's Spiritual Journey8. Saint Francis's Path toward the Numinous: A Tonal-Color NarrativeEpilogue: Saint François d'Assise as Religious Drama in a Contemporary WorldAppendix 1 GlossaryAppendix 2 Dramatic SynopsisNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA superb new translation of one of the greatest nineteenth century poems: the libretto to Wagner’s Ring Cycle, in a Penguin Classics hardcover designed by Coralie Bickford-SmithThe scale and grandeur of Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung has no precedent and no successor. It preoccupied Wagner for much of his adult life and revolutionized the nature of opera, the orchestra, the demands on singers and on the audience itself. The four operas—The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and Twilight of the Gods—are complete worlds, conjuring up extraordinary mythological landscapes through sound as much as staging. Wagner wrote the entire libretto before embarking on the music. Discarding the grand choruses and bravura duets central to most operas, he used the largest musical forces in the context often of only a handful of singers on stage. The words were essential: he was telling a story and making an argument in a way Trade ReviewNow comes the new translation by John Deathridge, doyen of English-speaking Wagner scholars, with a grasp of his life and writings that may never have been equalled. [...] In that noble enterprise he seems to me to be entirely successful. [...] 'Awesome' is a word I detest, but how else can one describe that? Beautifully presented and authoritative, which can only [...] cast light on this inexhaustible masterwork. -- Michael Tanner * Spectator *The Ring provides a meticulous study of the psychology of politics and power[...] Hugely illuminating [...] Deathridge's translation, flexibly and vividly conceived, shines a special light into the literary and psychological depths of the Ring. -- Benjamin Poore * Asymptote Journal *

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Book SynopsisWith a glimpse of the daily life of European art and artists during the fertile last decades of the nineteenth century, this book is suitable for anyone passionate about opera.Trade Review"Verdi, who had previously considered librettists good only for translating into verse dramatic outlines he had already created, learned to work with an equal; Boito was a superb poet, passionately devoted to the renewal of the musical theater, who had to be treated as a peer, not a subordinate. The letters, stuffed with fascinating detail, catch the two titans in the process of creating the revised Simon Boccanegra, then Otello and Falstaff; sections of text, structural and musical ideas, even production concepts fly back and forth between Milan and Sant'Agata.... A must-have for every music lover's shelf." (Kirkus) "Opera lovers will be pleased." (Publishers Weekly)

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Book SynopsisLush and lavish, Sing Me Forgotten hit all the right notes'Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and SorrowA deliciously magical feminist twist on the beloved classic The Phantom of the Opera'Kester Grant, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Court of MiraclesIsda does not exist. At least not beyond the opulent walls of the opera house.Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house''s owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales highand that she stay out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives.But Isda breaks Cyril''s cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she''s ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finTrade Review‘In a world where memories hold magic, music has the power to wield it. Lush and lavish, Sing Me Forgotten hit all the right notes. Olson handled Isda's descent into darkness with a deft hand. Fans of The Phantom of the Opera will cheer!’ Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows ‘Enchanting, lush, and decadent, Sing Me Forgotten had me absolutely spellbound. Olson's delivered a captivating debut that's sure to please fans of magic, romance, and ambitious heroines. This book had me up well into the night, desperate to know what would happen next.’ Adalyn Grace, New York Times bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth ‘A lush mysterious adventure. A girl with a terrible secret. A deliciously magical feminist twist on the beloved classic The Phantom of the Opera. Court of Miracles fans will adore this!’ Kester Grant, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Court of Miracles ‘Absorbing . . . a gender-swapped twist on The Phantom of the Opera . . . fast-paced, action packed’ School Library Journal

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Book SynopsisLUCIANO PAVAROTTI was born in Modena, Italy, in 1935. His operatic debut in 1961 made an immediate impression on the international operatic scene, and he went on to become possibly the most celebrated singer in the world. In September 2007 he died aged 71.WILLIAM WRIGHT is the author of several books which include biographies of Christina Onassis and Lillian Hellman, and he collaborated with Pavarotti on an earlier books, Pavarotti, My Life published in 1979.Trade ReviewA candid look at fifteen years of astounding talent and public adulation * Sunday Express *Will amuse and entertain the legions of Pavarotti's fervent admirers * Irish Independent *Wonderful, moving and revealing * Publishing News *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHer book contributes many inspiring ideas to the discussion of contemporary opera staging and the meaning-making process, especially if it is approached as a point of human experience, as an (performative) event ... Havelková also sums up crucial, insightful and (still) up to date approaches to opera, theatre, media, and technology in the context of culture ... Havelková's book is a significant contribution * %Sárka Havlíčková Kysová, Theatralia *Havelková fulfilled her aim not to map out an exemplary repertory of contemporary hypermadial opera, but rather to chart the theoretical terrain of opera as hypermedium. * %Sárka Havlíčková Kysová, Theatrialia *Starting from the premise that opera is always already a hypermediated art form, this is a very timely examination of the use of new media in operatic production to unsettle the established media hierarchies of opera. The investigation employs considerable theoretical sophistication to offer new ways of thinking critically and politically about the implications of new media for the forms of opera today, positing a 'politics of perception' beyond the more familiar politics of representation. * Nicholas Till, University of Sussex *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction: Theorizing Opera as Hypermedium Chapter One: Allegory and Excess: Reading Hypermedial Opera Chapter Two: Theatricality and Absorption: Listening for a Point of Experience Chapter Three: Liveness and Mediatization: (De)constructing Dichotomies Chapter Four: Synaesthesia or Anaesthesia? Towards a Politics of Hypermedial Opera Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOpera has long fascinated creative artists and audiences alike. It is often regarded as the pinnacle of high art, yet it is also shrouded in mystique. Understanding Italian Opera unravels its many layers by looking closely at five of the most enduring and emblematic Italian operas from Monteverdi to Puccini.Trade ReviewRequired reading. * C. A. Traupman-Carr, CHOICE *[Carter's] book provides a splendid corrective that makes it recommended reading for anyone seeking a more complete 'understanding' of one of the most successful genres in Western culture. * Kenneth Chalmers, Opera *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1: What is Opera? ; Some definitions ; In praise of librettists ; Italian versification ; Poetic structures and musical consequences ; Two examples from Mozart ; An "exotic and irrational entertainment"? ; 2: Giovanni Francesco Busenello and Claudio Monteverdi, ; L'incoronazione di Poppea (Venice, 1643) ; Monteverdi in Venice ; The first operas ; "But here the matter is represented differently" ; "Speaking" and "singing" ; Seductive Poppea ; Seneca's death ; Ottavia in exile ; Ecstasies of love ; 3: Nicola Francesco Haym and George Frideric Handel, ; Giulio Cesare in Egitto (London, 1724) ; Arcadian reforms ; Adapting Bussani ; Recitatives and arias ; Some alternatives ; "Fly, my heart, to the sweet enchantment" ; Taming Cleopatra ; Cesare returns ; All's well... ; 4: Lorenzo da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, ; Le nozze di Figaro (Vienna, 1786) ; ... these Italian gentlemen are very civil to your face ; Translating Beaumarchais ; Aria forms ; A duet, a trio, and a sextet ; Finales ; Readings and messages ; 5: Francesco Maria Piave and Giuseppe Verdi, ; Rigoletto (Venice, 1851) ; "Le Roi s'amuse" ; Cantabiles and cabalettas ; Duets ; Arias and monologues ; A quartet ... a storm ... and a death ; 6: Giuseppe Giacosa, Luigi Illica, and Giacomo Puccini, ; La Boheme (Turin, 1896) ; Bohemian rhapsodies ; A publisher, two librettists, and a rival ; A missing act ; Verse and music ; Formless forms? ; Operatic realisms ; Mimi dies ; 7: Afterthoughts

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Book SynopsisIn Charles Munch, D. Kern Holoman provides the first full biography of this giant of twentieth-century music, tracing his dramatic survival in occupied Paris, his triumphant arrival at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and his later years, when he was a leading cultural figure in the United States, a man known and admired by Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy.Trade ReviewA fascinating read. Holoman's passion for and knowledge of his subject is quite compelling. In contemporary discussions of the great conductors of that era, Munch tends to be relatively overlooked. Holoman makes a persuasive historical case for Munch's importance, both to musical life in France and to the evolution of the Boston Symphony. Along the way, he also provides a detailed look at what life was like for conductors (and orchestras) in the middle part of the twentieth century. * Aaron Sherber, Music Director and Conductor, Martha Graham Dance Company *A joy to read: well-conceived, well-executed, well-written. Holoman's combination of musical and literary skill brings twentieth-century culture to life throughout, on both sides of the Atlantic. 'Ah, qu'il était beau!' and he still is, in Holoman's vivid biography. * Thomas Kelly, Harvard University *Charles Munch * the musical icon. When you played a concert with Charles Munch or attended one of his performances as a listener, it was not just a concert. It was an event. He never used the same palette twice. As a player, you had to give 110% of yourself, or be left out of the music. This book is an excellent portrayal of this musical phenomenon!Vic Firth *The qualities that marked D. Kern Holoman's biography of Berlioz and his epic The Société des Concerts du Conservatoire * the grand sweep combined with the minute attention to detail, the narrative flair, the breadth of human sympathy, the evocation of the musician's existence, which, as himself a conductor and organiser of concerts, he understands so wellshine out in this new book. Charles Munch's life, spanning three continents and two world wars, raises fascinating issuespersonal, social, political, as well as musical. Reading it, we learn both about the teeming, intricate world of mid-twentieth-century music and about the struggles and achievements of one of its best-loved and most committed practitioners. Holoman has a remarkable story to tell and he tells it superbly.David Cairns *Among its other virtues, D. Kern Holoman's warmly sympathetic new biography sheds necessary light on an already forgotten chapter from the history of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Few readers of this book will be prepared to discover what was expected of a Boston Symphony music director as of 1949, when Charles Munch took over from Serge Koussevitzky * Munch was to stay put in Boston; guest conductors were a rarity. And there was new music on virtually every subscription concert. A lot has changed since then.Joseph Horowitz, author of Classical Music in America: A History *A book such as this has been needed for quite a while...Very strongly recommended: it is a masterly study. * Musical Opinion *Beautifully written and arranged in every respect...Accessible to a wide audience...Recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1 Strasbourg, Paris, Leipzig : September 1891 - October 1932 ; 2 Paris : November 1932 - May 1938 ; 3 The Societe des Concerts : June 1938 - May 1945 ; 4 Leaving France : June 1945 - September 1949 ; 5 Winning Boston : October 1949 - June 1951 ; 6 Boston after Koussevitzky : July 1951 - July 1956 ; 7 The Iron Curtain and Beyond : August 1956 - August 1958 ; 8 Shifting Perspectives in Boston : September 1958 - April 1962 ; 9 Paris, Again : May 1962 - August 1966 ; 10 The Orchestre de Paris : September 1966 - November 1968 ; 11 An Eternal Smile ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn this third edition of the classic Verdi, renowned authority Julian Budden offers a comprehensive overview of Verdi the man and the artist, tracing his ascent from humble beginnings to the status of a cultural patriarch of the new Italy.Table of ContentsIllustrations ; Key to Sigla ; PART I THE LIFE ; 1. Early Life at Busseto ; 2. Success and Failure in Milan ; 3. The Journeyman ; 4. Florence, London and Paris ; 5. Return to Busseto ; 6. Viva V.E.R.D.I. ; 7. The New Order ; 8. The Dark Decade ; 9. Indian Summer ; 10. The Last Years ; 11. Verdi as Man and Artist ; PART II THE MUSIC ; 12. The Background ; 13. From Oberto to Ernani ; Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio, Un giorno di regno, Nabucco, I Lombardi alla prima crociata, Ernani ; 14. The Prison Years ; I due Foscari, Giovanna d'Arco, Alzira, Attila, Macbeth, I masnadieri, Jerusalem, Il corsaro, La battaglia di Legnano, Luisa Miller ; 15. The High Noon ; Stiffelio, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata ; 16. Towards Grand Opera ; Les vepres siciliennes, Simon Boccanegra, Aroldo, Un ballo in maschera, La forza del destino, Don Carlos, Aida ; 17. The Final Masterpieces ; Otello, Falstaff ; 18. Miscellaneous Operatic Compositions ; 19. Chamber Compositions ; 20. Choral and Religious Works ; Appendices ; A. Calendar ; B. List of Works ; C. Personalia ; D. Select Bibliography ; E. Glossary of Nineteenth-Century Operatic Terms ; Index

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Book SynopsisOpera Choruses is a collection of 35 classic opera choruses, skilfully arranged as separate concert works, all with excellent English singing translations and practical keyboard reductions. The accompanying orchestral material for all titles in the collection is available on hire. Some items from this volume are available separately as leaflets in the Oxford Choral Classics Octavo series.Table of ContentsPrisoners' Chorus (Fidelio) ; Roman Carnival (Benvenuto Cellini) ; Habanera and March of the Toreadors (Carmen) ; Polovtsian Dances (Prince Igor) ; Chorus of Wedding Guests (Lucia di Lammermoor) ; Soldiers' Chorus (Faust) ; Chorus of Enchanted Islanders (Alcina) ; Bell Chorus (Pagliacci) ; Easter Hymn (Cavalleria Rusticana) ; Priests' Chorus (Die Zauberflote) ; Voyagers' Chorus (Idomeneo) ; Coronation Scene (Boris Godunov) ; Humming Chorus (Madama Butterfly) ; Dido's Lament and Final Chorus (Dido and Aeneas) ; Procession of the Nobles (Mlada) ; Prayer (Moise) ; Villagers' Chorus (Guillaume Tell) ; Waltz Scene and Chorus of Peasant Girls (Eugene Onegin) ; Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Nabucco) ; Anvil Chorus (Il Trovatore) ; Triumphal Scene (Aida) ; Rataplan (La Forza del Destino) ; Brindisi (La Traviata) ; Chorus of Scottish Refugees (Macbeth) ; Soldiers' Chorus (Il Trovatore) ; Witches' Chorus (Macbeth) ; Bridal Chorus (Lohengrin) ; Pilgrims' Chorus (Tannhauser) ; Procession and Chorale (Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg) ; Sailors' Chorus and Spinning Chorus (Der Fliegende Hollander) ; Huntsmen's Chorus (Der Freischutz)

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Book SynopsisA collection of tales, both funny and informative, all connected with the subject of operas, opera-going and composers of opera.Trade Review`Students of historical perspective in vocal and instrumental stylistics will find much to enrich their musical awareness.' Music Journal`a highly recommended purchase' Music Journal`admirably informative book' Music Journal`there are some gems...The perfect thing if you are convalescing from an overdose of bel canto - or can belto.' Brian Fallon, Irish Times`Here are the best anecdotes, told with wit, charm and occasionally pathos, which will entertain many readers other than opera lovers.' Day by Day`This book is an absolute enjoyment for music lovers and a charming romp into operatic fact and fiction.' Basil Leverton, Cape Argus`This is a delightful book for dipping into...an excellent book for post-prandial good humour.' Opera Now

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Book SynopsisFew musical works loom as large in Western culture as Richard Wagner's four-part "Ring of the Nibelung". This work looks at this greatest of Wagner's achievements, focusing on its far-reaching and subtle exploration of problems of meanings and endings in this life and world.Trade Review"In Finding an Ending Kitcher and Schacht break free from the contemporary clichés of producers determined to show Wotan as nothing more than a capitalist crook, and of commentators more interested in Wagner's political and ideological opinions than in his surpassing artistic achievement. It is the latter that they are exclusively concerned with, and they argue their case with style and passion. The result is the most rewarding new account of the Ring that I have read in many years, and it will surely take its place as one of the classics of Wagner criticism." --Michael Tanner, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, and author of Wagner"Eloquent...there is none of the extreme tone which so dominates both anti-Wagner tirades and expressions of Wagner idolatry. Instead, the mood introduced at the outset and maintained throughout is dignified and circumspect.... An analytic gem...[Kitcher and Schacht's] definitions and explanations [are] crystal clear.... Their discussion on the Ring teems with intimate references to musical movements, some of them truly moving.... This book will surely satisfy Wagner aficionados as much as it will make those who are new to the Ring feel welcome."--Nicholas Vazsonyi, Wagner Notes"This book examines the richness and complexity of Der Ring des Nibelungen. I particularly enjoyed the careful analysis of each of the important characters in their society, their psychological undercurrents, and their reactions to others. Philip Kitcher and Richard Schacht demonstrate how these mythological gods and heroes are ultimately recognizable as purely human." --Jane Eaglen"Each chapter contains thought-provoking discussions that will intellectually engage readers, even those who are unmoved, or perhaps repelled, by Wagner's music and ideas.... This book plunges more deeply into the intricacies of character development in the Ring itself, touching more lightly upon the details of philosophical inquiry. Recommended for all collections."--Library Journal"Determined like no other composer to 'fathom the depths of philosophy,' Wagner wrote operas exploring the elemental passions and conflicts of the human condition. Kitcher and Schacht, distinguished philosophers in their own right, present a profound analysis of the guiding ideas of the Ring which enables us to grasp as never before the power of Wagner's most ambitious work." --Charles E. Larmore, University of Chicago Law School"A strikingly successful reading of Wagner's music drama as a philosophical meditation on the meaning of human existence and freedom." --Paul Boghossian, New York University

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Book SynopsisGiuseppe Verdi is the famous Italian composer of opera. While he was sometimes criticized for writing music considered too "simple," his works have endured, and are still performed throughout the world. This volume is a guide to the Verdi's life and operas, containing "New Grove" articles, a section on modern Verdi productions, and more.

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Book SynopsisInventing the Business of Opera explores public opera in its infancy, bringing to life the men and women who successfully established the new genre on the stages of Venice during the seventeenth century. All of the components necessary to opera production are highlighted, from the financial backing, to the libretto and the score, to the singers, dancers, the scenery, and the costumes.Trade Reviewthe many insights afforded to specialists are well balanced by a comprehensive and accessible narrative that can act as an introduction to the business of opera in early modern Europe. * Vassilis Vavoulis, Music and Letters *a trove of information about the intricacy of financial arrangements as well as about the whims of audiences in seventeenth -century Venice. * Herbert Lindenberger,The Opera QuarterlyHerbert Lindenberger, The Opera Quarterly *Table of ContentsPART 1: THE BUSINESS OF OPERA; PART 2: THE MUSICAL PRODUCTION; PART 3: THE PHYSICAL PRODUCTION; PART 4: CONSUMERS AND PATRONS; APPENDICES; GLOSSARY

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Table of ContentsPREFACE; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Book SynopsisFrench Musical Life is a study of French musical centralization and its discontents during the period leading up to and beyond the "provincial awakening" of the Belle Époque.Trade ReviewAll France is not Paris. Katharine Ellis trains her keen researcher's eye on concerts, opera, conservatories, and other aspects of music-making in Lyon and other French centers during the years from Berlioz to Les Six. Compendious, exquisitely precise, written with total clarity—and instantly indispensable. * Ralph P. Locke, Emeritus Professor of Musicology, Eastman School of Music/University of Rochester, author of Musical Exoticism: Images and Reflections *Katharine Ellis's latest book, French Musical Life: Local Dynamics in the Century to World War II, is a significant achievement. It is the first in-depth study of French music in relation to decentralization and cultural regionalism. The scale of the study, covering the complex musical dialogues between Paris and the regions and within the provinces themselves from the 1830s to the 1930s, will set a new standard for future scholarship within French cultural history. Beautifully written and argued with consummate subtlety and sophistication, Ellis brings to life musical institutions and music making from across France in ways that challenge and entice the reader. * Barbara L. Kelly, Director of Research and Professor of Musicology, Royal Northern College of Music *The book offers a timely lesson in archive theory and provides a template for scholars interested in the power of local archives to undo previous under standings of music and politics. * Fanny Gribenski, New York University *Table of ContentsIntroduction -Centralization and its discontents -Decentralization, deconcentration, regionalism -Politics, then and now -A Study in four Parts -Approaches Part I Education Introduction Chapter 1: The National Conservatoire System -Class and access: working-class men -Class and status: young bourgeoises -Power, hard and soft -Directorial discretion: curricula -The 1930s: towards reform Chapter 2: Educational Independence -Pedagogical Difference c.1900 -The Schola's ghostly presences I: Montpellier -The Schola's ghostly presences II: Séverac's vision, Le Havre and Nancy -Strasbourg -Bordeaux -Composition: the final frontier Part II Concert Rites Introduction Chapter 3: Choral Voices -Orphéons: uniformity and regional identity -Cathedral maîtrises -Mixed choirs: Poitou-Charentes and Strasbourg -Belle Époque ambition: Bordes, Witkowski and Lyon Chapter 4: Instrumental Music and Urban Gravitas -Private, public, "populaire" -The Symphony orchestra as musical hub -Amateur to professional -Provincial programming: orchestral, chamber and specialist ensembles -Local vs. (inter)national Part III Stage Musics Introduction Chapter 5: Opera Against the Odds -The 1864 liberté des théâtres -Municipal perspectives -Industry perspectives Chapter 6: Operatic Competition -The Café-Concert -Operetta -Touring: individual and collective -Technology Chapter 7: Opera Inside and Out -Wagner's "tour de France" -Couleur locale in Paris and at home -Open-air opera Part IV Folk, Region, Nation Introduction Chapter 8: Folk Musics -The French folk-music problem -Politics of collection, transcription, and classification -Soundscapes of popular Catholicism -Folk music, the peasant, and the bourgeoisie -Display, domestication, tourism -Coda Chapter 9: Composition -A View from 1937 -Provincial career paths -Rethinking the Schola's regionalism -The Allure of the Russian Five -Back to opera: regionalism and nation -Mode, multi-regionalism, and patrimoine Conclusions -"Decentralization" through the lens of Lyon -Musical localism -Repositioning the rural Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFew people these days would question Mozart''s rating as the most popular of all classical composers. Yet there exists no substantial, up-to-date English-language study of the man and his works. In this new study of Mozart''s early years, Stanley Sadie aims to fill this gap in the form of a traditional biography on a straightforward chronological basis. The volume covers the period up to 1781, the year of Idomeneo and Mozart''s settling in Vienna. Individual works are discussed in sequence and related to the events of his life. Stanley Sadie draws substantially on the family correspondence, quoting the letters and discussing what they tell us about Mozart and his world and his relationships with his family and his professional colleagues. Also included is a discussion of all aspects of Mozart''s life and his music, relating them to the environment in which he worked, social, economic and cultural as well as musical. Much new material connected with Mozart has come to light in recent yeTrade ReviewMozart: The Early Years is a work of consolidation and synthesis...supported by a good index and a fine introduction by Neal Zaslaw, the volume will serve as the standard reference on its subject for many years to come. * David Black, Music and Letters Journal *...this monumental, engrossing study is founded on meticulous use of the most recent, abundant research ... this fascinating, scholarly yet readable book discusses every aspect of the young composer's life and works in their cultural, economic, musical, and social contexts ... It is a definitive work about Mozart's life until he became established in Vienna. * Stefano Gera, Day by Day *Highly detailed, eminently level-headed, blessedly non-academic in tone, scrupulously thorough and objective, absolutely up-to-date musicologically... There is no fuller, richer or more reliably accurate account of Mozart's early life, nor any that brings his life and times more vividly into focus. * Piano Magazine *...the most up-to-date, exhaustive and sanely reliable biographical and musical study now available in the English language, a superb achievement that will surely stand the test of time. * Brian Robins, Goldberg *Mozartians will respond to this book with the awe it rightfully deserves... the ideal response to this book would be to rush out and buy 50 CDs and to read and listen simultaneously. * Jane Stevenson, The Observer *Stanley Sadie brings us closer to the composer's skin; Mozart: The Early Years 1756-1781 is the most balanced guide to Mozart's youth ever published in English. * Andrew Clark, Financial Times *A lasting monument to scholarship. * Lucasta Miller, The Guardian *A musicological landmark... Sadie has a real flair for elucidation, wears his massive learning lightly, and writes in a style that is unfailingly easy-going and personable. * The Scotsman *magisterially detailed book... Sadie's vast book will be essential to serious Mozartians, especially his superb evaluation of the early works. * Richard Morrison, The Times *This book is meticulous, solid and useful. * Rupert Christiansen, Sunday Telegraph *A new narrative biography for our time. * Nicholas Kenyon, TLS *Had he lived to complete it, Stanley Sadie's would probably have been the most exhaustive, and certainly the most level-headed, Mozart biography in English. * Misha Donat, BBC Music Magazine *An imbeccably balanced account. * Richard Morrison, The Times *Table of Contents1. Salzburg and the Mozart Family ; 2. Childhood and First Travels ; 3. The Road to Paris ; 4. Playing for the King and Queen of England ; 5. The Homeward Journey ; 6. The Eleven-Year-Old in Salzburg ; 7. Disappointment in Vienna ; 8. Salzburg, 1769 ; 9. Italy without Nannerl ; 10. Mitridate at Milan ; 11. Success in Milan ; 12. Working for the Prince-Archbishop ; 13. Vain Hopes in Vienna ; 14. A Stable Period at the Salzburg Court ; 15. Operas, Sonatas, Serenades, Concertos ; 16. Frustration ; 17. Mannheim ; 18. 'Off with you to Paris!' ; 19. Salzburg Concertmaster-Organist ; 20. Idomeneo at Munich ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisOne of Broadway's foremost music directors emerges from the orchestra pit to tell how the music is put into a musical show. Part descriptive account, part instruction manual, this book offers a unique and invaluable look behind the scenes, from the point of view of the musical chief of staff, the music director.Trade ReviewIf you're interested in the world of musical theater I know you'll enjoy and learn from Joe Church's Music Direction For The Stage: A View From the Podium. * Alan Menken *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The View From The Podium ; Part I: The Music Director: A Job Description ; Chapter 1: Music Direction Yesterday And Today ; Chapter 2: Musical Stage Production ; Chapter 3: Job Opportunities For Music Directors ; Part II: Personnel ; Chapter 4: The Production Team ; Chapter 5: The Creative Team ; Chapter 6: The Music Team ; Chapter 7: The Performers ; Part III: Preproduction ; Chapter 8: Mounting A Production ; Chapter 9: The Music: Assessment And Analysis ; Chapter 10: Arranging For Music Directors ; Part IV: Rehearsals 1: Singers And The Stage ; Chapter 11: Overview Of Rehearsal Process ; Chapter 12: Individual Vocal Rehearsals ; Chapter 13: Ensemble Vocal Rehearsals ; Chapter 14: Rehearsals With Directors And Choreographers ; Chapter 15: Adapting Music To The Production ; Part V: Rehearsals 2: Musicians, Technicians, And The Venue ; Chapter 16: Orchestras And Orchestrations ; Chapter 17: Instrumental Conducting For The Stage ; Chapter 18: From The Studio To The Stage ; Part VI: Performance ; Chapter 19: Conducting In Performance ; Chapter 20: Maintaining A Production And Preserving A Show ; Chapter 21: Working As A Music Director ; Appendix A: Putting It Together ; Appendix B: Bibliography, Suggested Reading, And List Of Musical ; Works Cited

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Book SynopsisThough some dismiss opera as old-fashioned, it shows no sign of disappearing from the world's stage. So why do audiences continue to flock to it? This title proposes ways of thinking about our relationship to art. It shows how, far from merely enhancing aspects of everyday life, art allows us to transcend it.Trade Review"Opera inspires passionate responses among audiences. This engaging, subtle book explains how one society shapes those passions. For Benzecry, operagoing in turn illuminates experiences of national honor, of belonging to a city, and of local loyalty to others. Wit and pleasure are not usually found in works of sociology, but they overflow these pages." (Richard Sennett, New York University)"

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Book SynopsisThough some dismiss opera as old-fashioned, it shows no sign of disappearing from the world's stage. So why do audiences continue to flock to it? This title discovers the fanatics who haunt the legendary Colon Opera House in Buenos Aires, a key site for opera's globalization. It proposes ways of thinking about our relationship to art.Trade Review"Opera inspires passionate responses among audiences. This engaging, subtle book explains how one society shapes those passions. For Benzecry, operagoing in turn illuminates experiences of national honor, of belonging to a city, and of local loyalty to others. Wit and pleasure are not usually found in works of sociology, but they overflow these pages." (Richard Sennett, New York University)"

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Book SynopsisOffers a study of Verdi's operas in Florence in 1859, in the middle of the composer's career. This title features a systematic examination of Verdi's operas, it covered the twenty works produced between 1842 and 1857 - from Nabucco and Macbeth to Il trovatore, La traviata, and Aroldo.Trade Review"Abramo Basevi's The Operas of Giuseppe Verdi represents an extraordinary testimony to a new and important way of writing music criticism in mid-nineteenth-century Italy, and Basevi's terminology and expressions have served as the foundations for influential analytical methods. This translation is polished, elegant, and eminently accessible to a modern reader." -Francesco Izzo, University of Southampton Abramo Basevi (1818-85) was a composer, music promoter, scholar, and critic who played a major role in the cultural life of nineteenth-century Florence. He published extensively on music and philosophy and founded the periodical L'armonia, in which his study of Verdi's operas first appeared. Edward Schneider studied music at Oxford and has translated several books on music and cooking. Stefano Castelvecchi is a lecturer in music at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge. He is the editor of critical editions of works by Rossini and Verdi and the author of Sentimental Opera: Questions of Genre in the Age of Bourgeois Drama."

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Book SynopsisArtists today are at a crossroads. With funding for the arts and humanities endowments perpetually under attack, and school districts all over the United States scrapping their art curricula altogether, the place of the arts in our civic future is uncertain to say the least. At the same time, faced with the problems of the modern worldfrom water shortages and grave health concerns to global climate change and the now constant threat of terrorismone might question the urgency of this waning support for the arts. In the politically fraught world we live in, is the felt experience even something worth fighting for? In this soul-searching collection of vignettes, Patrick Summers gives us an adamant, impassioned affirmative. Art, he argues, nurtures freedom of thought, and is more necessary now than ever before. As artistic director of the Houston Grand Opera, Summers is well positioned to take stock of the limitations of the professional arts worlda world where the conversation revolves

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Book SynopsisDuring the middle phase of his career, Guiseppe Verdi adopted new compositional procedures to create some of his best-known works. Focusing on the operas he composed during this period, this volume explores Verdi's work from three interlinked perspectives.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: Toward an Understanding of Verdi's Middle Period Martin Chusid 1: New Sources for Stiffelio: A Preliminary Report Philip Gossett 2: Compositional Techniques in Stiffelio: Reading the Autograph Sources Kathleen Kuzmick Hansell 3: "A Monk and At Least Some New Things": Verdi, Cammarano, and L'assedio di Firenze Carlo Matteo Mossa 4: "Insolite forme," or Basevi's Garden Path Roger Parker 5: Ottocento Opera as Cultural Drama: Generic Mixtures in Il trovatore James Hepokoski 6: "Something's Been Done to Make Room for Choruses": Choral Conception and Choral Construction in Luisa Miller Markus Engelhardt 7: A New Source for El trovador and Its Implications for the Tonal Organization of Il trovatore Martin Chusid 8: "Proud, Indomitable, Irascible": Allegories of Nation in Attila and Les Vepres siciliennes Mary Ann Smart 9: Masking Music: A Reconsideration of Light and Shade in Un ballo in maschera Elizabeth Hudson 10: "La dama velata": Act II of Un ballo in maschera Harold Powers 11: Meter, Character, and Tinta in Verdi's Operas David Rosen 12: Aspects of Tempo in Verdi's Early and Middle-Period Italian Operas Roberta Montemorra Marvin 13: The Violin Director and Verdi's Middle-Period Operas Linda B. Fairtile List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisDuring the middle phase of his career, Guiseppe Verdi adopted new compositional procedures to create some of his best-known works. Focusing on the operas he composed during this period, this volume explores Verdi's work from three interlinked perspectives.

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