The Opera Lover's Companion - Softcover

Osborne, Charles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300123736 ISBN 13: 9780300123739

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2007

Synopsis

Every opera lover enjoys a performance more when accompanied by a knowledgeable friend. In this indispensable guide, well-known opera critic Charles Osborne provides exactly that. Osborne fills in the details on 175 of the world's most frequently performed operas, including facts about the composer and the music, a plot outline, accounts of famous performers, and much more. "This book is exactly what the title claims: an opera lover's companion. Reading it is like going to the opera with a knowledgeable friend who tells you enough to make you want to see the piece but not so much you're drowned in superfluous detail."-Richard Fawkes, Opera Now "What this invaluable book contains is the ideal rundown on 175 operas from Auber's Fra Diavolo to Zimmerman's Die Soldaten, in each case putting the work in context within the composer's development, with a list of characters, a short synopsis and pointers towards the most imortant arias, duets and ensembles, all in a personal congenial tone, like unto an operatically wise and loving uncle."-Denby Richards, Musical Opinion "An erudite, instructive and unpretentious guide."-Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph "It's hard to imagine any other book on the subject more informative and helpful to the average enthusiast. . . . This book is one you'll cherish."-Books in Canada

About this title

Review:

"A loving and expert guide to the great operas in the repertoire, written from many years of experience. A must for all opera lovers young and old. I love it."--DAME JOAN SUTHERLAND
"An erudite, instructive and unpretentious guide."--Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph

Synopsis:

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0300123736
• ISBN 13: 9780300123739
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 640