Opera Books

Book SynopsisExamines the impact of contemporary ideas about the psyche and neglected yet crucial artistic influences on the psychological dimension of Wagner's operas, especially Die Feen, Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, and the Ring. Wagner's Visions studies crucial influences on Wagner's dramatic style during the years before and just after the failed Dresden revolutionary uprising of 1849. Offering a detailed examination of Die Feen, Wagner's least-known complete opera, together with analysis of Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, and the four Ring dramas, Katherine Syer explores the inner experiences of Wagner's protagonists. Sources ofparticular political significance include the fables of the eighteenth-century Venetian playwright Carlo Gozzi, the Iphigenia operas of Christoph Willibald Gluck, and the legacy of the martyr Theodor Körner, whose poetry became the lingua franca of the revolutionary movement to liberate and unify Germany. Syer's book offers fresh insights into the historical context that gave rise to Wagner's dramatic art, revealing how his distinct and powerful imagery is intimately bound up with the crises and instabilities of his era. Katherine R. Syer is associate professor of theatre and musicology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Trade ReviewAn insightful analysis of Wagner's operas, which displays a profound understanding of the deep structure of operas and is impressive in its ability to draw together a wide variety of different phenomena. Not least because of the extremely skillful handling of language that leads to vivid and concise descriptions of both artworks and their historical and cultural environments, it is an enjoyable read. * MUSIC & LETTERS *Seldom, if ever, has Wagner's music been written about in such a lyrically beautiful way, with such penetrating insights. * WAGNERSPECTRUM *Accomplished and absorbing. . . . One of the strongest recent contributions to Wagner studies. * MUSICAL TIMES *Just when you think that scholarship has covered every angle of Wagner's work, along comes an author with yet another way of looking at it. In this wide-ranging study . . . [a]n impressive aspect of Syer's analysis is the frequency and skill with which she peels off the textual layers of Wagner's creations -- the revised accounts, different prose sketches, libretto revisions, staging comments etc. [This, along with the emphasis on live performance,] ensures Wagner's Visions a place among the most significant Wagner books of the decade. * WAGNER JOURNAL *Well-written narrative. With her unique insight into the early works, Syer sheds new light on the complex psychological elements of their characters and the creative strategies that set the political tone for the later works. Recommended [for] upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *Syer's new study is a major contribution to the scholarship on the first half of Wagner's career; let us hope that a study of the second half is forthcoming. * WAGNER NOTES *[A]n outstanding book on Wagner's literary roots in fairy tale, German Hellenism, and German patriotic Romanticism. Syer also brings further illumination to the phenomenon of psychological drama in Wagner's stage works, showing how these three-pronged roots played a role in the formation of Wagner's dramatic -- even fantastical -- protopsychology. This excellent contribution places Syer firmly among the leading Wagner scholars of her generation. -- -- Bryan Gilliam, Duke UniversityTable of ContentsTo Be Born in Leipzig in 1813 Fairytale Madness: Wagner and Gozzi Senta the Somnambulist Opposing Worlds: Tannhäuser and Lohengrin Hunding's Horns, Wotan's Storms, Sieglinde's Nightmare Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the crossroads between autobiographical narratives and musical composition in Alban Berg's Lulu, unveiling aspects of encoded social customs, gender identity, and personal experiences within musical structures. Exploring the crossroads between autobiographical narrative and musical composition, this book examines Berg's transformation of Frank Wedekind's Erdgeist and Die Büchse der Pandora -- the plays used in the formationof the libretto for Lulu -- according to notions of gender identity, social customs, and the aesthetics of modernity in the Vienna of the 1920s and 1930s. While Berg modernized several aspects of the plays and incorporatedserial techniques of composition from Arnold Schoenberg, he never let go of the idealistic Wagnerian perspectives of his youth. In fact, he went as far as reconfiguring aspects of Richard Wagner's life as an ideal identity to beplayed out in the compositional process. In composing the opera, Berg also reflected on the most important cultural figures in fin-de-siècle Vienna that affected his worldview, including Karl Kraus, Emil Lucka, Otto Weininger, andothers. Combining analysis of Berg's correspondence, numerous sketches for Lulu, and the finished work with interpretive models drawn from cultural studies and philosophy, this book elucidates the ways in which Berg grappled at the end of his life with his self-image as an "incorrigible romantic," and explains aspects of his musical language that have been considered strange or anomalous in Berg scholarship. Silvio J. dos Santos isassistant professor of musicology at the University of Florida.Trade ReviewDr. dos Santos has not only contributed a uniquely compelling work to the existing body of literature on Berg's music, but he has also proved that fluency in multiple methodologies and fields of inquiry can give scholars access to analyses of unprecedented nuance and scope. Cultural historians will benefit from his work as much as theorists of early twelve-tone music. * GERMAN STUDIES REVIEW *Succeeds in demonstrating how very detailed and multifaceted the engagement is, in Berg's Lulu, with the presence of Wagner['s music] and with ideas related to that presence. We can hope that [Dos Santos's] monograph is the impetus for further new insights about Lulu and for Berg research generally. -- Kordula Knaus * DIE MUSIKFORSCHUNG *[Santos has] much to say about the dramatic representation of Lulu herself, and the role of a tonality-acknowledging 12-tone technique in that representation. Makes good use of the multiplicity of recent work on Berg's manuscripts and other archival materials to outline a response to Wagner, and to modern life, that was more psychological (not excluding a possible element of erotomania) than philosophical or spiritual. -- Arnold Whittall * MUSICAL TIMES *In Narratives of Identity in Alban Berg's 'Lulu,' Silvio dos Santos goes above and beyond prior Berg scholarship with inspired and admirably thorough research. This complex and significant volume, based on expert examination of Berg's score, is the most important study of Lulu's character to come across my path in many years. A compelling narrative, which promises to be of lasting importance to scholars, musicians, and the opera-loving public. -- Mark DeVoto, Tufts UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction Between Schoenberg and Wagner Berg as Wagner: In Pursuit of an Ideal Identity Refiguring Tristan The Bild Motif and Lulu's Idenity Marriage as Prostitution Masculine, Feminine, and "In-between": Geschwitz as neue Frau Conclusion: Berg's Wagnerism Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOffers fresh perspectives on the function of nationalist thought in the cosmopolitan opera world, with particular emphasis on the idea of "Russianness" in four nineteenth-century operas by Glinka, Serov, Tchaikovsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov. In the nineteenth century, Russian composers and critics were encouraged to cultivate a national style to distinguish their music from the dominant Italian, French, and German traditions. Not Russian Enough? explores this aspiration for a nationalist musical tradition as it was carried out in the cosmopolitan world of opera. Rutger Helmers analyzes the cultural context, music, and reception of four important operas: Glinka's A Life for the Tsar (1836), Serov's Judith (1863), Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orléans (1881), and Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsar's Bride (1899). He discusses such issues as the influence of Italian and French opera, the use of foreign subjects, the application of local color, and the adherence to the classics, and considers how these related to a sense of "Russianness." Besides yielding new insights for each of these works, this study offers a fresh perspective on the function of nationalist thought in the nineteenth-century Russian opera world.. Rutger Helmers is Assistant Professor in Historical Musicology at the University of Amsterdam and lectures in literary and cultural studies at Radboud University Nijmegen.Trade ReviewHelmers's book demonstrates--before our very eyes--how arbitrary a principle was the nationalistic desire to create, in the cultural realm, identification [with one's own nation] and differentiation [from other nations and peoples]...In [today's] times when nationalisms are flaring up, this book is something very like necessary reading. -- Christoph Flamm * DIE MUSIKFORSCHUNG *Revealing and convincing. The book is most valuable for the individual insights Helmers brings to the four case studies. The main revelation of the book is that in terms of the concept of Russianness, flexibility in composition and ambiguity in interpretation were the norm during the period in question. Helmers has set an example and made an admirable contribution in his coverage of the reception of nineteenth-century Russian opera from a new perspective. Investigating often excluded connections with European traditions, this book serves as a valuable complement to existing accounts. * MUSIC & LETTERS *Helmers's lucid and lively style, as well as his sensitivity to musical and cultural identities, make [this] an obvious recommendation for any collection serving research in Western music. * MUSIC REFERENCE SERVICES QUARTERLY *Helmers provides many fascinating insights for anyone anxious to learn more about that works that make up this still-emerging repertoire. Written in a straightforward and accesible style, [it] will serve well not only the specialist scholar, but also the general reader who wishes to know more about nineteenth-century Russian opera. * FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE *Not Russian Enough? is certainly timely enough, and clever enough, and engaging enough. A fresh look at the origins and growth of Russian opera in the nineteenth century, it offers a sustained critique of entrenched misevaluations, as well as a de-ghettoized appreciation of the distinctive qualities of a repertory that has achieved unprecedented worldwide currency on the twenty-first-century operatic stage. -- -- Richard Taruskin, author of Defining Russia Musically and The Oxford History of Western MusicTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Part and the Whole A Life for the Tsar and Bel Canto Opera Subject Matter, Local Color, and National Style in Judith French Theatricality and Inadvertent Russianisms in The Maid of Orleans The Tsar's Bride and the Dilemma of History Conclusion Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWarren Roberts has discovered a Rossini that others have not seen, a composer who commented ironically and satirically on religion and politics in Post-Napoleonic Europe. This book examines Rossini within the context of his own time, one of Napoleonic domination of Italy, restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in Naples in 1815, and the 1830 Revolution in Paris. Using the techniques of the historian,and reading librettos as texts, the author analyzes the five operas treated in detail in the book (Il barbiere di Siviglia, Cenerentola, La gazza ladra, Matilde di Shabran, and Il viaggio a Reims) as responses, each in its own way, to the history that the composer experienced. Roberts shows that Rossini made probing commentaries on politics and religion in a time of reaction and revolution, and that the composer was well-informed on post-Napoleonic politics. Rossini's comic writing served very serious purposes, exposing the problems and complications of an age that he observed with striking clarity. Warren Roberts is Professor Emeritusof History at the University at Albany, SUNY, and has published extensively on eighteenth-century French culture.Trade ReviewAstounding...Unique in its historical approach, which, by confronting artistic creativity, contemporary historical developments, and socio-political contexts, provides a priceless key for anyone interested in analyzing the early-eighteenth-century milieu thanks to which Rossini became (as Stendhal put it) 'the Napoleon of a musical era. -- Federico Gon * AD PARNASSUM *Takes a unique approach to Gioachino Rossini and five of his operas. The author puts the operas in historical context and argues that they could have been written only in a post-revolutionary Napoleonic age. Roberts calls these works operas of the historical present. Rossini is responding to the sociological and ideological currents of the times. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. * CHOICE *Rossini and Post-Napoleonic Europe is a very original and enterprising project -- one, I think, which could only have been undertaken by a historian. It is a most valuable addition to the literature on Rossini. * Anthony Arblaster, author of Viva la Libertà! Politics in Opera *[A] magisterial contribution to our understanding of the complex relationship between cultural and political history. * JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN STUDIES *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Setting the Stage: Opera Buffa and Comedy of Manners in an Age of Democratic Revolution Rossini, Mozart, Paisiello, and the Barber of Seville Jane Austen, Goya, Rossini, and the Post-Napoleonic Age: La Cenerentola Rossini, Beethoven, and Rescue Opera: Fidelio and La gazza ladra Rossini, Ferretti, Matilde di Shabran, and the Revolution of 1820-21 Stendhal and Rossini in Paris: Il viaggio a Reims, Le Comte Ory, and the July Revolution Conclusion: Thinking about Rossini Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisExamines the remarkable career of leading soprano castrato Venanzio Rauzzini (1746-1810), the first castrato to make Britain his home. Venanzio Rauzzini (1746-1810), the celebrated Italian castrato, is best known for his performance in Mozart's Lucio Silla in 1772, with which Mozart was so pleased that he composed for the singer the famous motet Exsultate Jubilate. In 1774, Rauzzini moved to London where he performed three seasons of serious operas at the King's Theatre. From 1777 until his death in 1810, he was the director of the concert series in Bath, a series that matched the prestige of any that were given in London. In addition, he composed prolifically, writing music for eleven operas. This book is a study of Rauzzini's remarkable yet often overlooked career in Britain. Paul Rice chronicles Rauzzini's performances at the King's Theatre and examines his leadership of the Bath subscription concerts from 1780-1810, recovering much of the repertory. Rice shows in detail how Rauzzini responded musically to the social and political conditions of his adopted country, and analyzes the castrato's reception, as well as compositional choices, shedding new light on changing musical tastes in late eighteenth-century Britain. Paul F. Rice is Professor of Musicology at the School of Music, Memorial University of Newfoundland.Trade Review[Venanzio Rauzzini] was an intrepid survivor in a world that held Italians, and particularly Italian castrati, as highly suspect. Paul Rice has brought together a great deal of biographical detail about Rauzzini's life. He has made it possible for us easily to flesh-out the headline facts that are presented in the Grove and Oxford articles and the work of other authors. [Musical] extracts and analyses...give us an impression of Rauzzini's own evolving vocal abilities and those of his singers. The author seems to have left no stone unturned in seeking out his subject. -- Andrew Pink * BRIO *The scope of [Rauzzini's] influence enables Rice to...use Rauzzini's career as a focal point in a broader examination of social and cultural life in Brain, and specifically London and Bath. [Rice] attempts to glean information about the character of his sound, not only from contemporary descriptions but also from the music written for him by Mozart and Sacchini. Rice manages his materials admirably, and there is much here to interest scholars of eighteenth-century music, particularly those interested in concert culture and the practicalities of singers' lives. An engaging portrait of a man who left a considerable legacy across many areas of musical life. -- Chloe Valenti * AD PARNASSUM *Fascinating insights concerning Rauzzini's compositional techniques and the characteristics of the arias he wrote for himself. The musical analysis undertaken in the book, illustrated with a large number of music examples, reveals Rauzzini's accomplished compositional style for the different technical demands of domestic music-making. . . Broaden[s] the common picture of the virtuoso opera singer and demonstrate[s] his expertise in different fields and his acceptance at the heart of Britain's social and cultural life. -- Ingeborg Zechner * MUSIC & LETTERS *Rauzzini is unique among castratos for having spent more than half his life in England. Rice is the first to tackle in detail the whole of Rauzzini's professional life across the 36 years the singer spent in England. The programmes for these concerts give a fascinating picture of changing tastes. Rauzzini was a canny director, endeavouring to engage the best soloists. Rice provides a generous quantity of music examples that demonstrate Rauzzini's mastery of the galant style. A rich resource. -- Patricia Howard * MUSICAL TIMES *Table of ContentsPreface Rauzzini's European Career A Debut Season at the King's Theatre, 1774-75 Two Further Seasons at the King's Theatre, 1775-77 Concerts and Composing, 1774-81 A Continuing Relationship with the King's Theatre A Life in Bath The Bath Concerts Final Curtain Appendix A: Concert Programs, 1786-1810 Appendix B: Operatic Roles Performed by Venanzio Rauzzini Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHow do you create a style of opera that speaks to everyone, when no one agrees on what it should say -- or how? French and Italian varieties of opera have intermingled and informed one another from the genre's first decades onward. Yet we still have only a hazy view of why and how those intersections occurred and what they meant to a givenopera's creators and audiences. Margaret Butler's Musical Theater in Eighteenth-Century Parma: Entertainment, Sovereignty, Reform tackles these issues, examining performance, spectatorship, and politics in the Bourbon-controlled, northern Italian city of Parma in the mid-eighteenth century. Reconstructing the French context for Tommaso Traetta's Italian operas that consciously set out to fuse French and Italian elements, Butler explores Traetta's operas and recreations in Parma of operas and ballets by Jean-Philippe Rameau and other French composers. She shows that Parma's brand of entertainment is one in which Traetta's operas occupy points along a continuum representing a long and rich tradition of adaptation and generic play. Such a reading calls into question the very notion of operatic reform, showing the need for a more flexible conception of a volatile moment in opera's history. The book elucidates the complicated circumstances in which entertainments were created that spoke not only to Parma's multicultural audiences but also to an increasingly cosmopolitan Europe. MARGARET R. BUTLER is Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Trade ReviewBroad-reaching reflections . . . help us to reach a better understanding of opera reforms in eighteenth-century Europe. Butler shows, on the basis of primary evidence, the complex interplay of curiosity and animosity resulting from the French invasion. Intriguing conclusions on the practices of adaptation as a creative and innovative process. Refreshing. -- Pierpaolo Polzonetti * SECM NEWSLETTER *Musical Theater in Eighteenth-Century Parma brings a huge amount of new information and insight to the field. This book stands out most favorably in comparison to the recent literature because it treats all aspects involved in the phenomenon of musical theater: spoken theater and operatic theater are seen as points on a single continuum, embedded in the general currents of intellectual and economic politics in Parma, a small duchy with cosmopolitan ambitions. -- Lorenzo Bianconi, University of BolognaIn its assembly and analysis of a great range of sources, this case study contributes greatly to our understanding of mid-eighteenth-century opera, to French-Italian cultural relations, and to institutional histories of opera. A welcome balance of close analysis of those works which have survived and...sensitive elucidation of the cultural and political context. -- Mark Darlow * EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY STUDIES *Butler . . . possesses a profound knowledge of the northern Italian performance circuit in this period [and a] refreshing point of view. This volume demonstrates that [changes in operatic practices during the mid-1700s were] . . . a movement, an "esprit du temps," with different alternatives that emerge where there are large outlays of capital as well as a visionary individual able to control the theatrical production. An important contribution to the understanding of this complex period. * AD PARNASSUM *An indispensable study for anyone who hopes to glean a comprehensive understanding of eighteenth-century musical theater. Show[s] us salient aspects of the economics of theatrical productions and remind[s] us that there is a need for us as scholars to look beyond composer, librettist, and even performer in order to appreciate other members of the "production troupe" who had important roles but may not have been as visible to contemporary audiences-or to us, until now. * NOTES, Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association *Succeeds in bringing out the dynastic and international-political implications of [the subject], and, in great detail, takes account of a complex and multifaceted cultural complex, doing so in a style both fluent and engaging. -- Lorenzo Benedetti * AUREA PARMA *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Genre Problem: Reform as Continuum and Brand The Genesis of Parma's "Project" Behind the Scenes: Production and Management at the Teatro Ducale The French Entertainments: Creation, Publicity, Propaganda Moving On While Looking Back: Links, Traditions, and Traetta's First Parma Operas The End of the End of Reform: The Wedding, The French Ambassador's Opera, Traetta's Departure Conclusion: Reform Revisited Appendix 1: General Chronology Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA long-needed and up-to-date overview of the syntax and principles that make Verdi's operas so effective and so beloved today. Verdi's art emerged from a rich array of dramatic and musical practices operative in the Italy of his day. Drawing the reader into his creative world, this study (translated from the French original by the author himself) begins where Verdi began when it came time to set notes to paper: the libretto. Designed for the non-Italophone reader, Steven Huebner's Verdi and the Art of Italian Opera explains key principles of Italian poetry that shaped his music. From there, Huebner outlines the various musical textures available to the composer, including an exploration of the characteristics of recitative and aria. Working outward, subsequent chapters explore the syntax of Verdi's melodic writing and the larger-level forms that he used. A concluding chapter considers ways of conceiving musical unity in his operas.Table of ContentsList of Musical Examples List of Tables Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Versification and Prosody 2. Textures 3. Melody 4. Form 5. By Way of Conclusion: Unity and Analytical Paradigms Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis biography of Minna Planer, Richard Wagner's wife of 30 years, reveals her as a self-assured woman and artist who was vital to her husband's creative life. When Richard Wagner first met Minna Planer in 1834, he was an unknown conductor, she a popular actress. His hectic pursuit of her affections culminated in marriage in 1836. Minna endured poverty with him, nursed him through chronic illness, followed him across Europe as he fled from creditors and pursued his artistic goals, and sought to provide him with the stable domestic and erotic life that he craved. He played his works to her as he wrote them, up to Tannhäuser and Lohengrin, and set store by her opinions. But when he went on the run as a wanted revolutionary, Minna only reluctantly followed him into Swiss exile. Domestic peace tentatively prevailed, but was ultimately destroyed by Wagner's passion for Mathilde Wesendonck. In 1858, he and Minna separated, she returned home to Germany, and subsequent efforts at reconciliation proved ultimately impossible. They remained married, however, until Minna's death in 1866. Despite having been at Richard's side as he matured into the composer of the Ring and Tristan, Minna has been given short shrift by most Wagner commentators. In Eva Rieger's acclaimed biography, translated into English by Chris Walton, the author reveals Minna as a self-assured woman and artist who played a crucial role in the creative life of her husband.Trade ReviewFascinating, detailed, and absorbing. Chris Walton has done a superb job in creating the illusion that this volume was written in English. Detailed footnotes are included as well as a number of germane photographs. Marvelous to read and completely engrossing. * AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE *Through Rieger's vivid and sometimes humorous presentation of Richard and Minna's daily life together, we discover an attractive and also tragic figure, courageous, highly adaptable and generous to the point of offering her last piece of bread to a hungry friend, even when she didn't know what her own next meal would be. -- Anna Stoll Knecht * The Wagner Journal *Table of ContentsIllustrations Abbreviations Notes on this translation Introduction: "He could not breathe without her" Chapter 1. "I have become her despot": From Love to Marriage Chapter 2. "Deprived of incipient motherhood": Riga, London, Paris, 1836-1842 Chapter 3. "Home for me is you alone": Dresden 1842-1847 Chapter 4. "My knucklehead of a husband": Revolution and Its Aftermath, 1848-1850 Chapter 5. "This ridiculous, amorous intrigue": The Jessie Laussot Affair, 1850-1851 Chapter 6. "That good, foolish man...": Exile in Zurich, 1852-1854 Chapter 7. "I'm a poor, stupid woman to have let you go...": Zurich and London, 1854-1856 Chapter 8. "Alas, now all our happiness is gone...": The Wesendonck Scandal, 1857-1858 Chapter 9. The Bitter End: 1858-1859 Chapter 10. "In love and fidelity, your Emma": Emma Herwegh Chapter 11. "...neither wife, housekeeper, nor friend": Dresden, Paris, Biebrich, 1860-1862 Chapter 12. "That weak, blind man...": The end of a marriage, 1863-1866 References Index

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Book SynopsisThis biography of Minna Planer, Richard Wagner's wife of 30 years, reveals her as a self-assured woman and artist who was vital to her husband's creative life. When Richard Wagner first met Minna Planer in 1834, he was an unknown conductor, she a popular actress. His hectic pursuit of her affections culminated in marriage in 1836. Minna endured poverty with him, nursed him through chronic illness, followed him across Europe as he fled from creditors and pursued his artistic goals, and sought to provide him with the stable domestic and erotic life that he craved. He played his works to her as he wrote them, up to Tannhäuser and Lohengrin, and set store by her opinions. But when he went on the run as a wanted revolutionary, Minna only reluctantly followed him into Swiss exile. Domestic peace tentatively prevailed, but was ultimately destroyed by Wagner's passion for Mathilde Wesendonck. In 1858, he and Minna separated, she returned home to Germany, and subsequent efforts at reconciliation proved ultimately impossible. They remained married, however, until Minna's death in 1866. Despite having been at Richard's side as he matured into the composer of the Ring and Tristan, Minna has been given short shrift by most Wagner commentators. In Eva Rieger's acclaimed biography, translated into English by Chris Walton, the author reveals Minna as a self-assured woman and artist who played a crucial role in the creative life of her husband.Trade ReviewFascinating, detailed, and absorbing. Chris Walton has done a superb job in creating the illusion that this volume was written in English. Detailed footnotes are included as well as a number of germane photographs. Marvelous to read and completely engrossing. * AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE *Through Rieger's vivid and sometimes humorous presentation of Richard and Minna's daily life together, we discover an attractive and also tragic figure, courageous, highly adaptable and generous to the point of offering her last piece of bread to a hungry friend, even when she didn't know what her own next meal would be. -- Anna Stoll Knecht * The Wagner Journal *Table of ContentsIllustrations Abbreviations Notes on this translation Introduction: "He could not breathe without her" Chapter 1. "I have become her despot": From Love to Marriage Chapter 2. "Deprived of incipient motherhood": Riga, London, Paris, 1836-1842 Chapter 3. "Home for me is you alone": Dresden 1842-1847 Chapter 4. "My knucklehead of a husband": Revolution and Its Aftermath, 1848-1850 Chapter 5. "This ridiculous, amorous intrigue": The Jessie Laussot Affair, 1850-1851 Chapter 6. "That good, foolish man...": Exile in Zurich, 1852-1854 Chapter 7. "I'm a poor, stupid woman to have let you go...": Zurich and London, 1854-1856 Chapter 8. "Alas, now all our happiness is gone...": The Wesendonck Scandal, 1857-1858 Chapter 9. The Bitter End: 1858-1859 Chapter 10. "In love and fidelity, your Emma": Emma Herwegh Chapter 11. "...neither wife, housekeeper, nor friend": Dresden, Paris, Biebrich, 1860-1862 Chapter 12. "That weak, blind man...": The end of a marriage, 1863-1866 References Index

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Book SynopsisIn 1759 the court of the Italian Duchy of Parma adopted the inspiration of cultural creators who recommended a reform of Italian opera along French lines. These writers favored combining Italian-style music with the wider range of musical genres and scenic variety of French opera. As the prize-winning music critic and commentator George W. Loomis shows in this groundbreaking volume, the young composer Tommaso Traetta was engaged to create new operas responding to these demands.As Loomis deftly demonstrates, Traetta’s operas were largely oriented toward the formal aria, a byproduct of making Italian music an essential component of this cross-cultural fusion. Nevertheless, they were strikingly innovative in their use of chorus, integrated dance, and accompanied recitative. Structurally, the operas reflect the French distinction between scenes of action and divertissements. After a brief flowering in the 1760s, the project was abandoned, primarily for lack of interest, but Traetta’s Parma operas deserve a previously unrecognized place in the history of Western music for their stimulation of opera seria in Italy and beyond. This included the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose genre-defining Idomeneo (1781) proved a turning point in the development of opera.

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Book SynopsisThis book takes advantage of new and often surprising biographical research on the Loder family as a whole and its four main figures, using them to illustrate aspects of music history in the 19th century. Musicians of Bath and Beyond: Edward Loder (1809-1865) and his Family illuminates three areas that have recently attracted much interest: the musical profession, music in the British provinces and colonies, and English Romantic opera. The Loder family was pre-eminent in Bath's musical world in the early nineteenth century. John David Loder (1788-1846) led the theatre orchestra there from 1807, and later the Philharmonic orchestra and Ancient Concerts in London; he also wrote the leading instruction manual on violin playing and taught violin at the Royal Academy of Music. His son Edward James (1809-65) was a brilliant but underrated composer of opera, songs, and piano music. George Loder (1816-68) was a well-known flautist and conductor who made a name in New York and eventually settled in Adelaide, where he conducted the Australian premieres of Les Huguenots, Faust, and other important operas. Kate Fanny Loder (1825-1904) became a successful pianist and teacher in early Victorian London, and she is only now getting her due as a composer. This book takes advantage of new and often surprising biographical research on the Loder family as a whole and its four main figures. It uses them to illustrate several aspects of music history: the position of professional musicians in Victorian society; music in the provinces, especiallyBath and Manchester; the Victorian opera libretto; orchestra direction; violin teaching; travelling musicians in the US and Australasia; opera singers and companies; and media responses to English opera. The concluding section isan intense analysis and reassessment of Edward Loder's music, with special emphasis on his greatest work, the opera Raymond and Agnes. NICHOLAS TEMPERLEY is Professor Emeritus of Musicology at the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a leading authority on Victorian music. CONTRIBUTORS: Stephen Banfield, David Chandler, Andrew Clarke, Liz Cooper, Therese Ellsworth, David J. Golby, Andrew Lamb, Valerie Langfield, Alison Mero, Paul Rodmell, Matthew Spring, Julja Szuster, Nicholas TemperleyTrade ReviewThe importance of this book is in drawing together and developing the stories of [the Loder family]...using their achievements as an analogue to explore Britain's musical culture during the 'long nineteenth century', especially that generated by British-born musicians and of 'English opera' in particular. * BRIO *Explore[s] nineteenth-century musical life in Britain and the challenges faced by musicians living and working at this time...expands the ongoing movement exploring Victorian audiences, experiences, and music...a welcome resource. * CONTEXT: JOURNAL OF MUSIC RESEARCH *[N]ot only informs us of the musical talents and efforts of the Loder family, but also of Temperley's life-long interest . . . and longstanding believe that Edward 'deserves a permanent place in British Musical life' . . . . Overall, the authors are successful in justifying this this point, and their assessment of his musical output is a sound balance of impartiality and commendation. . . . It seems at long last that Edward Loder and his family are finally starting to achieve the recognition they have long deserved. * NABMSA REVIEWS *This book is a major contribution to the history of British music. It is notoriously difficult to bring neglected composers to life but this study, produced to the highest standard, contains everything anyone would want to know about the Loder dynasty and deserves to succeed in raising its profile. -- Peter Dickinson * MUSICAL OPINIION *Musicians of Bath and Beyond is a well-conceived and executed edited collection of clearly focused chapters, arranged in a logical frame, extremely well written, and beautifully produced by The Boydell Press. The book contains sixty illustrations and musical examples, and the index is exemplary. -- MUSICOLOGY AUSTRALIATable of ContentsIntroduction - Nicholas Temperley Earning a Musical Living: The Loders' Career Choices - The Musical Life of Bath, 1800-1850 - Matthew Spring The Theatre Royal, Manchester, in Edward Loder's Time - Liz Cooper The Climate for Opera in London, 1834-1865 - Alison Mero Loder & Sons, Bath: A Band of Musicians - Andrew Clarke A Master Violinist and Teacher: John David Loder - David J. Golby Edward James Loder (1809-1865): A Life in Music - Andrew Lamb George Loder's Contribution to Musical Life in Colonial Australia - Julja Szuster 'A Magnificent Musician': The Career of Kate Fanny Loder (1825-1904) - Therese Ellsworth 'Three Fifths of him Genius and Two Fifths Sheer Fudge': Heights and Depths in Edward Loder's Work' - Nicholas Temperley 'Ah, trait'ress, me betraying': Edward Loder and his Librettos - David Chandler Edward Loder's Serious Operas - Paul Rodmell Raymond and Agnes: Orchestration and Dramatic Characterisation - Valerie Langfield Epilogue: The 1966 Revival of Raymond and Agnes - Nicholas Temperley Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisInsights into an opera stage director's work from an internationally acclaimed director and teacher. Opera is nowadays performed worldwide. But as an art form it is little understood by performers and audiences alike. The Crafty Art of Opera wants to change that. Here, Michael Hampe brings glimpses of the director's work to a wider audience, uncovering the many techniques and rules that should inform an opera's staging: the need for singers to know their orchestra, the importance of space around singers, the gestures of languages, what we all can learn from Mozart, and the primacy of sense over effect, to name but a few. He shows how stories, through music, become tangible and real. Packed with many anecdotes from the author's luminous career, this book is dedicatedto opera-lovers who want to understand 'how it is done'; to opera-makers who want to better understand their craft; and, last but not least, to those who loathe opera, in order to prove them wrong. Eminently readable, it brings both insight and wit from a life spent in opera as director and teacher. MICHAEL HAMPE is an internationally acclaimed opera stage director. The Crafty Art of Opera was published in German as Opernschule.Trade ReviewI can't imagine a better way to introduce budding singers to the dramatic part of music drama. -- Stephen Brown, * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Table of ContentsPreface What is opera? The heart The seven 'W's Sense and sensuality Bodies in space Movement Le physique du rôle Discomfort and inconvenience Bank robbers Pretend theatre The 'trizophrenic' upbeat The complete music-actor Mozart Recitative Being comic 'Too many notes...' Dramaturgy Breaking the rules The harmony of the spheres In place of an epilogue: my teachers Appendix 1: All the 'useful rules' in overview, for those who make opera Appendix 2: A masterclass in opera, for those who love it or hate it Index of names and works

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Book SynopsisBizet's Carmen Uncovered exposes the myths and stereotypes that so often surround this much loved opera by exploring its first staging, and the particularly Spanish contexts in which the opera was conceived, written, and staged. What were the forces that brought Carmen to the Operatic stage? There were certainly many: for example, the liberation of Spain from the Napoleonic rule in 1813; the subsequent emigration of Spanish artists and musicians to form an active community in Paris; the mid-century mushrooming of interest in visiting Spain facilitated by the establishment of railways. The first part of this book explores the reasons behind the French mania for Spain, and the second demonstrates how the travels and writings of Prosper Mérimée, particularly in his novella Carmen, but also in his earlier writings sent back to Paris from his first visit to Spain in the 1830s, were incorporated into the opera. What were the stories he incorporated into the fateful tale of the soldier who murders his gypsy lover? And how important was the Spanish background to this tragic tale? This book explores how the stereotypes of Andalusian-gypsy spectacle, banditry, and the fiestas of the bullfight contributed to the eventual success of Bizet's opera. How did Bizet and his librettists, Meilhac and Halévy -- and the scenographic team -- capture the spirit of Spain so strongly as to seduce opera-goers around the world? And how did it hybridise real Spanish music and French Opera with the essential 'moments' of Spanish life so important to Mérimée and his librettists? The original staging of the opera is used to examine both 'places' and characters, in particular of realities and mythologies about gypsies in the nineteenth century. It concludes with the first ways in which the opera reached the stage, both in terms of its scenography and how it was sung, played, and acted. Copiously illustrated with materials emanating from before the first production, the book reveals some of the realities of the Spain which went into this ground-breaking opera, to this day continually re-invented with new angles, new settings, and new interpretations.Trade Review[This] book is rigorous in its presentation of musical and textual sources (translations as well as original French and Spanish quotations are provided throughout), and the bibliography and index are thorough. is is an elegantly written and entertaining study, which makes a major contribution to our understanding of Carmen and of nineteenth-century French hispanomanie. Its central goal is to reconstruct Carmen's genesis; in doing so, Langham Smith provides a fascinating account of the mobility of cultural forms. -- Lucy O'Meara * Modern Language Review *It moves smoothly among music, literature, and the visual arts; it is erudite, engagingly written, helpfully broken down into small subsections, and richly illustrated. The book will appeal far beyond the theatre professions: in fact, it is accessible to any music lover, the only prerequisite being some familiarity with Carmen. * H-France Review *Authoritative and engaging book (which is richly illustrated, including 19 colour plates) Langham Smith puts Carmen back on the stage, to be viewed with fresh eyes and heard with open ears. * Opera *Table of ContentsVitoria and Waterloo: French Music and the Peninsula Wars Pictures and jottings: Carmen and the rise of Andalusian Tourism Spain on the Paris stage From Novella to Libretto Libretto into Opera The Forgotten Englishman Carmen's Places Carmen the Gypsy In the Pit, on the Stage

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Book SynopsisExplores the political meanings that Italian opera - its composers, agents and institutions - had for audiences in eighteenth-century Britain. The reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714) was pivotal for both politics and opera in Britain. In this study, Thomas McGeary brings together a wide range of sources to show how the worlds of politics and opera were entwined. The associations that Italian singing and singers acquired by the 1690s were used in partisan Whig-Tory writings. Rather than a foreign invasion, McGeary shows how the introduction of Italian-style opera was a native product that grew out of plans for a new theatre in the Haymarket. A crucial event for opera was Handel's arrival in London in 1710. While the criticism of opera by Whig writers such as Richard Steele and Joseph Addison is well known, McGeary uncovers how the early promotion and sponsorship of opera was, in fact, largely a Whig enterprise and cultural program. Indeed, major political figures (mostly Whigs) participated in the support and patronage of opera. Opera and Politics in Queen Anne's Britain will be required reading for opera scholars and cultural and political historians of eighteenth-century Britain, as well those interested in the vibrant literature culture of the period.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Opera in the English Manner 2 The Infiltration of Italian Music and Singing 3 Italian and English Singing and Partisan Politics 4 The Haymarket Theatre: A Whig Project 5 Whigs and Opera in the Italian Manner 6 1710: The Year of Great Change in Politics and Opera 7 Whigs Confront Opera: Britain at a Machiavellian Moment 8 Addison: Opera and the Politics of Politeness 9 The Whig Campaign for English Opera; Handel Celebrates the Peace Epilogue Appendix 1: Operatic Works Produced (or Known) in London, ca. 1660-1704 Appendix 2: Principal Independent Theatrical Masques Produced in London, 1676-1705 Appendix 3: Opera Performances by Season in London, 1705-1714 Appendix 4: Aria Types in All-sung Operas Produced in London, 1705-1714. Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe first volume of this monumental study of Handel's operatic works, covering the first seventeen operas. This first of the classic two-volume survey of Handel's operas was first published in 1987 and reissued in a revised paperback edition in 1995. Now it is brought back into print in a year which has seen numerous productions and recordings of the operas and which marks the 250th anniversary of Handel's death. Their revival in the modern theatre - not a single opera was staged or performed anywhere between 1754 and 1920 - has been among the most remarkable phenomena in the history of the art, and is due in no small measure to the painstaking research of Dean and Knapp in volume one, and Dean himself in volume two, published by Boydell in 2006. This first volume devotes a chapter to each of Handel's first seventeen operas, offering a full synopsis and study of the libretto, extensive discussions of the music, a performance history, and a comparison of the different versions of the opera. In addition there are several general chapters on the historical and stylistic context of Handel's operatic career to 1726, and a number of Appendices including a list of performances during Handel's life and the location of librettos, Handel's borrowings, Handel's singers, and modern stage productions up to the end of 1993. WINTON DEAN is a distinguished Handelian scholar and writer on opera. He is a former vice-president of the Georg-Friedrich-Handel Gesellschaft in Halle and a founding Council Member of the Handel Institute in London. JOHN MERRILL KNAPP died in 1993. He was Emeritus Professor of Music, Princeton University and the editor of two volumes of the German edition of Handel's complete works, and author of The Joy of Opera.Trade ReviewOne of the great monuments of musical scholarship of our day - a mine of information lucidly delved, sharply stimulating...a pleasure to read for its crisply expressed, infinitely discerning and above all loving responses to the works themselves. * FINANCIAL TIMES *This volume is a monument to the source-critical method. It is a rigorous investigation of the bewilderingly abundant musical and literary sources of each opera, and its most lasting influence will be on future editions of Handel's music. * EARLY MUSIC *This is a volume that every listener to or viewer of Handel's operas will want to purchase, and examine at length...Top marks for this reissue. * FANFARE *

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Book SynopsisIndispensable reading for historians and musicologists as well as those interested in Wagner's philosophy and the aesthetics of music. Despite the enormous and accelerating worldwide interest in Wagner leading to the bicentenary of his birth in 2013, his prose writings have received scant scholarly attention. Wagner's book-length essay on Beethoven, written to celebrate the centenary of Beethoven's birth in 1870, is really about Wagner himself rather than Beethoven. It is generally regarded as the principal aesthetic statement of the composer's later years, representing a reassessment ofthe ideas of the earlier Zurich writings, especially Oper und Drama, in the light of the experience gained through the composition of Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the greater part of DerRing des Nibelungen. It contains Wagner's most complete exegesis of his understanding of Schopenhauer's philosophy and its perceived influence on the compositional practice of his later works. The essay also influenced the young Nietzsche. It is an essential text in the teaching of not only Wagnerian thought but also late nineteenth-century musical aesthetics in general. Until now the English reader with no access to the German original has been obliged to work from two Victorian translations. This brand new edition gives the German original and the newly translated English text on facing pages. It comes along with a substantial introduction placing the essay not onlywithin the wider historical and intellectual context of Wagner's later thought but also in the political context of the establishment of the German Empire in the 1870s. The translation is annotated throughout with a full bibliography. Richard Wagner's Beethoven will be indispensable reading for historians and musicologists as well as those interested in Wagner's philosophy and the aesthetics of music. ROGER ALLEN is Fellow and Tutor in Music at St Peter's College, Oxford.Trade ReviewThis new translation will make it easier for those interested in Wagner to comprehend the musician's elusive philosophy on music, and will place this, the best-known of the composer's writings on Beethoven, in historical context. * FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE *This is a publication built to last. * THE WAGNER JOURNAL *Table of ContentsIntroduction Richard Wagner's Beethoven [German text and English translation] Appendix: 'Beethoven u[nd] d[ie] deutsche Nation [German Text] Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisOffers histories of music drama beginning with Wagner's Parsifal and then looking at works by Arnold Schoenberg, Richard Strauss, Luigi Dallapiccola, Luigi Nono and Hans Werner Henze. This book is both a telling of operatic histories 'after' Richard Wagner, and a philosophical reflection upon the writing of those histories. Historical musicology reckons with intellectual and cultural history, and vice versa. The 'after' of the title denotes chronology, but also harmony and antagonism within a Wagnerian tradition. Parsifal, in which Wagner attempted to go beyond his achievement in the Ring, to write 'after' himself,is followed by two apparent antipodes: the strenuously modernist Arnold Schoenberg and the æstheticist Richard Strauss. Discussion of Strauss's Capriccio, partly in the light of Schoenberg's Moses und Aron, reveals amore 'political' work than either first acquaintance or the composer's 'intention' might suggest. Then come three composers from subsequent generations: Luigi Dallapiccola, Luigi Nono, and Hans Werner Henze. Geographical context is extended to take in Wagner's Italian successors; the problem of political emancipation in and through music drama takes another turn here, confronting challenges and opportunities in more avowedly 'politically engaged' art. A final section explores the world of staging opera, of so-called Regietheater, as initiated by Wagner himself. Stefan Herheim's celebrated Bayreuth production of Parsifal, and various performances of Lohengrin are discussed, before looking back to Mozart (Don Giovanni) and forward to Alban Berg's Lulu and Nono's Al gran sole carico d'amore. Throughout, the book invites us to consider how we might perceive the æsthetic and political integrity of the operatic work 'after Wagner'. After Wagner will be invaluable to anyone interested in twentieth-century music drama and its intersection with politics and cultural history. It will also appeal to those interested in Richard Wagner's cultural impact on succeeding generations of composers. MARK BERRY is Senior Lecturer in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London.Trade ReviewBerry presents a wide range of sometimes unconventional interpretations of the works in question..[the book] can be recommended to anyone looking for new ideas about the influence of Wagner on later music dramas. * WAGNERSPECTRUM *Not only a history of opera after Wagner, but an attempt to make a case for Wagner in twenty-first-century composition and performance. * TEMPO *An enticing project and a worthwhile read. * BBC RADIO 3, MUSIC MATTERS *Compelling. * GRAMOPHONE *Table of ContentsIntroduction: 'After Wagner' Wagner 'After Wagner': Parsifal Arnold Schoenberg's 'Biblical Way': Towards Moses und Aron Richard Strauss: Paths to [and from] Capriccio Luigi Dallapiccola, Il Prigioniero: Imprisonment, Liberty, and the Word Luigi Nono, Intolleranza 1960 Hans Werner Henze: The Path to [and from] Natascha Ungeheuer Stefan Herheim's Parsifal Staging Lohengrin, or not From Wagner to Nono Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book by an experienced conductor to explore the orchestras contribution to Mozarts greatest operatic works: Idomeneo, Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, Die Schauspieldirektor, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, La clemenza di Tito, and Die Zauberflote. It is written for the concert and opera going public who are interested in enlarging their knowledge and appreciation of these masterpieces, but also contains many practical suggestions for aspiring conductors.Trade Review"There is plenty that the professional musician can learn from Myer Fredman and many an interesting fact or comment which can be appreciated by layman and professional alike. It is a pleasure to welcome this excellent addition to the literature about these towering masterpieces." From the Foreword by Sir Charles Mackerras"Fredman's hands-on experience conducting the Mozart operas is reflected in many a passing titbit of professional wisdom or practical advice." Opera Quarterly

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Book SynopsisThis book is about the drama that takes place within the world of opera and provides an insight into how opera has evolved and functions. The Creators describes some of the ways that composers use the language of music, and liaise with their librettists. The Re-Creators explains the functions of conductors, producers, designers, repetiteurs, the chorus and orchestra, singers, the Fach system (by which voice types are categorised), understudies, and the prompter. Information is provided on Training, the Audition Process, Competitions, the Rehearsal Schedule, Opera Administration and the Audience (including its effect on the performers), as well as on the claque system, types of applause, and music critics (and their effect on the artist). Opera companies (festival, seasonal and touring), television opera and video performances are all fully explored. A final Overview explains how opera has adapted to changing social conditions from Monteverdi to the present day, and points to what the future might hold. An Interlude includes a number of humorous incidents and cautionary tales, and a comprehensive Glossary unravels the jargon of the most frequently used operatic terms.Trade Review"This fascinating book is for those who love opera, those who know nothing about opera and especially for those who know what they like but don't know why. Every piece of information you could conceivably want to know about the "exotic and irrational entertainment" is to be found between these covers. Myer Fredman has passed a lifetime of experience in the opera house and writes with understanding and humour to produce a valuable insight into an extraordinary world. Whether you think you know it all or if you know nothing, read on to discover a myriad of fascinating insights into this curious genre of entertainment." -- From the Foreword by Dame Joan Sutherland and Maestro Richard Bonynge."Fredman brings 40-plus years of experience as an international conductor to this text. Rather than focusing on individual operatic plots, Fredman describes the drama that has taken place in the world of opera itself over the past 400 years. His insights into the backstage, preparation, sets, costumes, producers, conductors, singers - and their foibles - are intended to give members of the opera-going public - from the novice to the seasoned aficionado - a greater sense of the complexity of staging an opera, and an enhanced appreciation of the art fom." -- Book NewsTable of ContentsContents: Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction; The Dove is Born (1647-1683); The Dove Turns Bellicose (1683-1684); The Dove Flies Abroad (1683-1688); The Dove Returns to France (1689-1693); The Lion and the Dove; The Hawk and the Dove; The International Dove (1693-1696); The Mystical Dove; The Sacrificial Dove (1697-1698); Epilogue: Reconsidering the Revocation; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book is about the drama that takes place within the world of opera and provides an insight into how opera has evolved and functions. The Creators describes some of the ways that composers use the language of music, and liaise with their librettists. The Re-Creators explains the functions of conductors, producers, designers, repetiteurs, the chorus and orchestra, singers, the Fach system (by which voice types are categorised), understudies, and the prompter. Information is provided on Training, the Audition Process, Competitions, the Rehearsal Schedule, Opera Administration and the Audience (including its effect on the performers), as well as on the claque system, types of applause, and music critics (and their effect on the artist). Opera companies (festival, seasonal and touring), television opera and video performances are all fully explored. A final Overview explains how opera has adapted to changing social conditions from Monteverdi to the present day, and points to what the future might hold. An Interlude includes a number of humorous incidents and cautionary tales, and a comprehensive Glossary unravels the jargon of the most frequently used operatic terms.Trade Review"This fascinating book is for those who love opera, those who know nothing about opera and especially for those who know what they like but don't know why. Every piece of information you could conceivably want to know about the "exotic and irrational entertainment" is to be found between these covers. Myer Fredman has passed a lifetime of experience in the opera house and writes with understanding and humour to produce a valuable insight into an extraordinary world. Whether you think you know it all or if you know nothing, read on to discover a myriad of fascinating insights into this curious genre of entertainment." -- From the Foreword by Dame Joan Sutherland and Maestro Richard Bonynge."Fredman brings 40-plus years of experience as an international conductor to this text. Rather than focusing on individual operatic plots, Fredman describes the drama that has taken place in the world of opera itself over the past 400 years. His insights into the backstage, preparation, sets, costumes, producers, conductors, singers - and their foibles - are intended to give members of the opera-going public - from the novice to the seasoned aficionado - a greater sense of the complexity of staging an opera, and an enhanced appreciation of the art fom." -- Book NewsTable of ContentsContents: Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction; The Dove is Born (1647-1683); The Dove Turns Bellicose (1683-1684); The Dove Flies Abroad (1683-1688); The Dove Returns to France (1689-1693); The Lion and the Dove; The Hawk and the Dove; The International Dove (1693-1696); The Mystical Dove; The Sacrificial Dove (1697-1698); Epilogue: Reconsidering the Revocation; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisWHAT MAKES AN OPERA SINGER? And where in the making of a performance is the identity of the singer themselves? Linda Kitchen goes behind the scenes with prominent voices who have valuable insight about the world of opera, discussing what it means to be a performer, how they got into the profession and how who they are affects how they perform. Illustrated with photos of the artists in places that lend meaning to their lives by renowned photographer Nobby Clark.Trade ReviewAn intriguing and richly-detailed insight into the minds, routines, concerns and joys of being an opera singer. A must-read for all performers." - Martin Duncan, Opera and Theatre Director "Linda Kitchen has done a great job curating a fascinating insight into the professional lives of some of our best-loved singers and sure to be of interest to a next generation of young artists." - Lynne Dawson, Head of the School of Vocal Studies and Opera, Royal Northern College of Music.

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Book SynopsisWhat makes an opera singer?And where in the making of a performance is the identity of the singer themselves?Linda Kitchen goes behind the scenes with prominent voices who have valuable insight about the world of opera, discussing what it means to be a performer, how they got into the profession and how who they are affects how they perform.Illustrated with photos of the artists in places that lend meaning to their lives by renowned photographer Nobby Clark.Trade ReviewAn intriguing and richly-detailed insight into the minds, routines, concerns and joys of being an opera singer. A must-read for all performers." —Martin Duncan, Opera and Theatre Director"Linda Kitchen has done a great job curating a fascinating insight into the professional lives of some of our best-loved singers and sure to be of interest to a next generation of young artists." —Lynne Dawson, Head of the School of Vocal Studies and Opera, Royal Northern College of Music.Table of Contents Biographies - La favorite, Donizetti Prologue - Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs, Nyman Act One ‘Shoving us from the jetty’ Scene One - Family background Scene Two - School days Scene Three - Defining moment Scene Four - Singing study Scene Five - Preparing Act Two ‘Carry on – it’s going very well’ Scene One - The unfolding Scene Two - Learning the score Scene Three - Warming up Scene Four - The feeling of singing Act Three ‘No good playing Mime as if you’re Brad Pitt’ Scene One - Character, text, drama Scene Two - Body work Scene Three - The essence Scene Four - Problems Scene Five - Humour Intermission - by Thomas Allen Act Four ‘Goodies and Baddies’ Scene One - People around you Scene Two - Composers Scene Three - Conductors Scene Four - Directors Scene Five - Designers Scene Six - Agents Scene Seven - Reviewing reviewers Act Five ‘Bowls of sushi on a conveyor belt’ Scene One - Changing paths Scene Two - Legacy Scene Three - Family Scene Four - Life beyond the job Scene Five - The future Scene Six - Advice Epilogue - Hänsel und Gretel, Humperdinck

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive and captivating book follows the evolution of Milan's Ricordi archive, from its founding in 1808 by publisher Giovanni Ricordi to its present-day holdings of thousands of scores, letters, libretti, sketches of opera scenery and costume design, photographs, and Art Nouveau and Art Deco posters. In addition, the original manuscripts of nearly all of the operas written by Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Paganini are preserved inside its hallowed vaults. The book contains an overview of the archive's entire collection whilst also examining rare autographs, the often-unacknowledged significance of the libretto, and the phenomenon of Italian opera and its important contributions to the world of music and culture. Revealing fascinating stories of uncovered secrets and biographical insights into the composers this book is a treasure trove of musical ephemera which pays tribute to the glorious, dynamic, and colorful history of making, presenting, promoting, and preserving music for the ages.

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Book SynopsisThis book is by far the best study of Huangmei Opera as social and cultural history of twentieth-century China. A regional opera of the countryside of the Anqing area, Huangmei Opera became popular all over China along with the great success of the play and the movie Married to a Heavenly Immortal in the 1950s.Through the case of Married to a Heavenly Immortal, Idema illustrates the complicated process of rewriting and revising the play/movie in the context of a rapidly changing cultural and ideological climate during the Communist theater reform movement. As a result, the traditional theme of filial piety was turned into class struggle and the pursuit of free love. The book is enriched by a full translation of a traditional version of the play and a revised one in the 1950s, as well as selected articles by script-writers, directors, performers, and critics. These primary sources allow readers to access inside views of the contemporaries and their political and artistic concerns.This book contributes substantially to the current scholarship on traditional Chinese opera, especially studies on Chinese theater and operatic movies in the early years of the People’s Republic of China.

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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 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 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 SynopsisGyÃrgy Ligetiâs Le Grand Macabre (1974â77, revised 1996) has consolidated its position as one of the major operatic works of the twentieth century. Few operas composed since the 1970s have received such numerous productions, bringing the eclectic score to a global audience. Famously dubbed by Ligeti as an âanti-anti-operaâ, the piece is a highly ambiguous, apocalyptic fable about the human condition, fear of death and the final judgement. As the first book in English solely dedicated to discussion of this work, GyÃrgy Ligetiâs Le Grand Macabre: Postmodernism, Musico-Dramatic Form and the Grotesque offers new perspectives on the operaâs musico-dramatic identity in the context of musical postmodernism. Peter Edwards draws on a range of modernist and postmodernist theories to explore the collision of past styles and genre models in the opera, its expressive states and its engagement with the grotesque. This is ably supported by musical analysis and extensive study of Ligetiâs sketch materials held at the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel. Edwardsâs analyses culminate in a new approach to examining the operaâs rich multiplicities, the composition of the musical material and the nature of Ligetiâs relationship with the musical past. This is a key reference work in the fields of musical modernism and postmodernism, opera studies and the music of Ligeti. Trade Review"Readers seeking a wide-ranging introduction emphasising the opera’s music and dramatic character will find much useful information here" - Arnold Whittall, The Musical TimesTable of ContentsContents: List of Plates List of Tables List of Musical Examples Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction 1 An Anti-Anti-Opera 2 A Conception of Musico-Dramatic Form 3 Arias, ‘Leit-Characteristics’ and Expressive States 4 Allusion and Transformation 5 Stylistic Dissonance and the Collage 6 Resisting Closure: The Passacaglia Finale 7 From Electronic Music to Music Theatre 8 A Musical Grotesque Select Bibliography Index

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe Beginner's Guide to Opera Stage Management is the first book to cover theatrical stage management practices specifically for opera productions, providing an invaluable step-by-step guide.Beginning with a brief history of opera and detailing its difference from musical theatre, the book covers stage management best practices through prep, rehearsals, tech, performance, and wrap up. From the moment a manager accepts a contract, right through to archiving paperwork, this essential toolkit covers each step of a stage manager's journey. Working with a score, reading music, working with singers, conductors, and musicians, basic duties of a stage manager versus an assistant stage manager, and other tasks specific to opera are also included in this comprehensive guide. This book is full of tips and tricks, as well as the good, bad, and ugly stories from opera stage managers, sharing both their experiences and mistakes.This is the perfect how-to book for the profesTable of Contents1. Opera Background 2. Document Design 3. Prep Week 4. Rehearsal 5. Rehearsal Paperwork 6. Tech Week 7. Performance 8. Archive

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Book SynopsisThe Beginner's Guide to Opera Stage Management is the first book to cover theatrical stage management practices specifically for opera productions, providing an invaluable step-by-step guide.Beginning with a brief history of opera and detailing its difference from musical theatre, the book covers stage management best practices through prep, rehearsals, tech, performance, and wrap up. From the moment a manager accepts a contract, right through to archiving paperwork, this essential toolkit covers each step of a stage manager's journey. Working with a score, reading music, working with singers, conductors, and musicians, basic duties of a stage manager versus an assistant stage manager, and other tasks specific to opera are also included in this comprehensive guide. This book is full of tips and tricks, as well as the good, bad, and ugly stories from opera stage managers, sharing both their experiences and mistakes.This is the perfect how-to book for the profesTable of Contents1. Opera Background 2. Document Design 3. Prep Week 4. Rehearsal 5. Rehearsal Paperwork 6. Tech Week 7. Performance 8. Archive

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