Opera For Dummies® - Softcover

Pogue, David; Speck, Scott

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0764550101 ISBN 13: 9780764550102

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 1997

Synopsis

“Pogue is a wonderful teacher… He can teachanybody.”
— Gay Talese, bestselling author of Honor Thy Father

“Scott Speck is a great communicator of classicalmusic…. Concert audiences and readers alike can’t helpgetting caught up in the joy of his subject.”
— David Styers, American Symphony Orchestra League

Opera is weird. Everybody wears makeup and sings all the time.Even when they’re singing your language, which is rare, youstill can’t understand the words. Women play men, men playwomen, and 45–year–olds play teenagers. All the main charactersseem to get killed off. And when somebody dies, he takes tenminutes to sing about it. Yet, for all its weirdness, an operaticexperience is an experience in breathtaking beauty. When you hear asoprano float a soft high C, or a tenor singing a love song, or afull–throated chorus in the climax of a scene’s dramaticfinale, you can’t help getting goosebumps.

Want to experience all that beauty for yourself, but don’tknow where to begin? Opera For Dummies is an excellent placeto start. Written by an acclaimed conductor and a musical director,this friendly guide tells you what you need to know to:

• Understand opera from the Baroque and Roman periods throughtoday
• Interpret characters, orchestra, chorus, and other players
• Understand what’s happening, both on stage and off
• Choose the best seats
• Identify famous operas
• Build a great collection of opera recordings
• Locate opera sites and chat groups online

Whether you’re interested in attending a live opera, wantto build a collection of recordings, or just want to be able totalk about opera intelligently, Opera For Dummies is foryou. Among other things, you’ll explore:

• The words, the music, and the people who sing it
• The history of opera and the lives of the great composers
• Going to the opera — including tips for getting tickets,preparing for the opera, dressing for the opera, and more
• Musical and theatrical conventions used in opera
• In–depth synopses of the world’s most beloved operas

On the bonus CD you’ll find:

• More than 60 minutes of music compiled especially for thebook
• A multimedia piece for PC or MAC

Wonder what it is about opera that can make a grown person crylike a baby? Find out in Opera For Dummies.

About this title

About the Author

David Pogue had a musical career on Broadway before he became oneof the nation’s top technology gurus.
Scott Speck has conducted orchestras around the world and iscoauthor of Ballet For Dummies. Together, they also wrote ClassicalMusic For Dummies.

Includes lively summaries of 74 popular operas

"Scott Speck is a great communicator of classical music."
David Styers, American Symphony Orchestra League

If you think opera is only for snobs, think again! This friendlyguide brings opera down to earth, demystifying opera–speak, walkingyou through opera’s greatest hits, and explaining what all thefuss is really about unforgettable tunes, racy plots,eye–popping spectacles, and fat ladies singing their heartsout.

Discover:

• Opera lingo explained in plain English
• Opera’s top sopranos and tenors
• The story of opera over the centuries
• Fascinating summaries of famous operas
• Tips on attending an opera

All this on the enhanced audio CD:

• 60 minutes of opera highlights, including excerpts from EMIRecordings of . . .
  Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Verdi’s A Masked Ball,Puccini’s La Bohème, Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde,and Bizet’s Carmen
• Interactive features, including a history of opera withpictures and an excerpt from a Verdi score that you can follow asthe music plays

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0764550101
• ISBN 13: 9780764550102
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384