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THE THERAPIST PSYCHOLOGIST BOOK STORE
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Opera (Eyewitness Companions) By Alan RidingLeslie Dunton-Downer ( DK ADULT )
Release Date: 2006-10-30
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $25.00
Price: $16.50
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Product Description
Spanning 400 years of musical drama, from the late Renaissance and including such classical masters as Verdi, Puccini, and Bizet, this is the complete visual guidebook to the great operas, their composers and performance history. "Packed into every page of this book is the excitement of discovery, knowledge, taste and visual beauty. In some way, it all gives the reader the illusion of being at an actual performance." -- Placido Domingo "Opera is a beautiful guide for opera enthusiasts as well as the perfect welcome for converts to this ancient rite. It offers today's and tomorrow's audiences a delightful 'navigation system' along an avenue that leads from Monteverdi to Bob Wilson. -- Stephane Lissner, Director of the Teatro alla Scala "Richly illustrated and beautifully written, this book captures the art, lyricism, passion and excitement of opera through the ages. It is an ideal companion for opera newcomers and devotees alike." -- Daniel Barenboim "This guide is essential for serious opera buffs and newcomers alike. From basic explanations of the history of opera to details of classic scores - all told in a witty, conversational tone and accompanied by hundreds of full-color photos - Alan Riding and Leslie Dunton-Downer prove themselves, in this engaging account, to be eyewitness companions with clear vision." -- Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera "I am delighted to recommend this book to anyone who is, or thinks they may be, interested in opera. It is wonderfully illustrated and contains just the right amount of information on each composer and an insight into their operas. It's the kind of book to place on your coffee table to enjoy when you have a quiet moment. My guess is that your coffee consumption will increase!" -- Bryn Terfel
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 Opera (Eye Witness Companion) ( hlamen )
A Well written book. It had more prose about opera history and theory (well written) than I expected and shorter synopses (almost too brief) than I had hoped,
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Nice introduction to opera
It appears that I have become addicted to two book series--"The American Presidents" and "Eyewitness Companions." This work, "Opera," by Alan Ridings and Leslie Dunton-Downer, provides a solid introduction to the world of opera.
This volume begins by asking what an opera actually is. Simply put (Page 15): "Accompanied by an orchestra, with scenery, costumes, and light adding drama, singers tell a story." Not a bad definition! Further (Page 15), ". . .opera's special appeal lies in the voice, arguably the most affecting of all instruments."
The book progresses as follows: librettos and librettists, staging, opera houses and festivals. The great opera houses include La Scala in Italy, the Paris Opera in France [at Palais Garnier], Staatsoper Wien in Austria, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and so on. Then follows a discussion of the sometimes larger than life singers themselves. Here, one can always wonder why some singers were singled out for mention and others not, but that is something that comes with the territory of such books.
Then, perhaps the heart of the book. A brief discussion of well known operas organized both geographically and by time period (a bit awkward)takes up the largest amount of space in this book. Italian opera? "Il Trovatore," one of Verdi's best works, is summarized on pages 172 and 173. German opera? Richard Wagner's "Das Rheingold" is highlighted on pages 230 and 231. Not much detail nor much evaluation of the operas described, but there is a brief summary of many operas. This is, I think, an advantage to those who are on a learning curve with opera. Contemporary opera? John Adams' "Nixon in China" on pages 418 and 419.
So, there are some questions one can raise about the book (see above). Nonetheless, for those who want to begin learning more about opera, this is one solid starting point.
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 Beautiful book ( deadlymorrigan )
A great find!! The book is full of information and has great pictures. I truly love this book.
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Opera (eyewitness companion)
Excellent overview for new comers to opera or as a resource for those who have seen many operas.
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Magical duo,Riding&Dunton-Downer do it again ( elsadorfman )
Their guide to Shakespeare is amazing and so is their book on opera. I can hold my own in any conversation, as long as I have forty minutes advance warning so I can turn to the relevant chapter. It is all there. The explanations are clear and the insights original. The illustrations make it all make sense----even to the noviates like myself. The layout seems familiar.....but what is it like, besides the teams Shakespeare book. It doesnt intimidate. It is easy to plunge in. The perfect book for the expert and the name dropper or the person who wants to be prepared for every allusion. A great great gift. elsa dorfman
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Addiction
