Description
Book SynopsisNew in paperback! This book comes at a time when opera-lovers, singers, directors, and critics alike are taking a new look at the dramatic soprano heroines created by Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini, endeavoring to delve beyond inherited scholarly interpretation and gain a richer understanding of these compelling female characters. Artistically limited by the bel canto musical tradition popular at the time, Verdi launched a new style dramma per musica which also demanded a new soprano archetype. This book illustrates the musical evolution of the Verdi and Puccini soprano while illuminating the dramatic scope and power of these great heroines. Avoiding critical reductionism, Verdi and Puccini Heroines provides an unprecedented and probing discussion of how these great soprano roles were conceived and executed. Accordingly, the authors take a three-dimensional look at these heroines, examining seven operas: Il Trovatore, La Forza del Destino, Aida, La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly
Trade ReviewWell researched...offers new perspectives on these significant female characters and insight into the dramatic intent of Verdi and Puccini. * Journal of Singing *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 1. Il Trovatore Chapter 3 2. La Forza del Destino Chapter 4 3. Aida Chapter 5 4. La Boheme Chapter 6 5. Tosca Chapter 7 6. Madama Butterfly Chapter 8 7. Turandot Chapter 9 Appendix: Source Previews and Plot Synopses Chapter 10 Notes Chapter 11 Selected Bibliography Chapter 12 Index Chapter 13 About the Authors
