The opera lover's companion / Charles Osborne.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Osborne, Charles, 1927-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Operas--Stories, plots, etc.

Operas.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, c2004.

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

This engaging guide to the 175 most popular operas will enhance the experience of every opera lover. Written by a well-known authority, the book consists of entries that set each opera within the context of its composer's career, outline the plot, discuss the music, and give relevant background information on the libretto, the staging, and the most famous and influential interpreters of the principal roles. In addition, the entries recount details of the first performance and subsequent performance history and provide guidance on the relative quality of available recordings.Aimed at opera lovers and committed newcomers rather than specialists, The Opera-Lover's Companion does not set out to cover every opera but only those most frequently encountered in opera houses or on recordings. Although the book is dominated by the five great opera composers-Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, and Strauss-fifty-eight other composers are also represented. It is always more pleasurable to go to the opera with a knowledgeable and experienced companion. If you can't, you'll want to take this book.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface

DANIEL-FRANÇOIS-ESPRIT AUBER

SAMUEL BARBER

BÉLA BARTÓK

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

VINCENZO BELLINI

ALBAN BERG

HECTOR BERLIOZ

GEORGES BIZET

ALEXANDR BORODIN

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

FERRUCCIO BUSONI

EMMANUEL CHABRIER

GUSTAVE CHARPENTIER

FRANCESCO CILEA

DOMENICO CIMAROSA

LUIGI DALLAPICCOLA

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

GAETANO DONIZETTI

ANTONIN DVOŘÁK

FRIEDRICH VON FLOTOW

JOHN GAY

GEORGE GERSHWIN

UMBERTO GIORDANO

MIKHAIL GLINKA

CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK

CHARLES FRANÇOIS GOUNOD

FROMENTAL HALÉVY

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

HANS WERNER HENZE

PAUL HINDEMITH

ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK

LEOŠ JANŠÁČEK

RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO

PIETRO MASCAGNI

GIAN CARLO MENOTTI

GIACOMO MEYERBEER

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI

DOUGLAS S.MOORE

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

MODEST MUSSORGSKY

JACQUES OFFENBACH

HANS PFITZNER

AMILCARE PONCHIELLI

FRANCIS POULENC

SERGEI PROKOFIEV

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9786611730932

9781281730930

1281730939

9780300130812

0300130813

OCLC:

923591572