Verdi: The Operas and Choral Works (Unlocking the Masters Series) - Softcover

Victor Lederer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1574674404 ISBN 13: 9781574674408

Publisher: Amadeus (UK), 2014

Synopsis

Giuseppe Verdis career forms one of the loveliest arcs in musical history. The passion of his works resonates universally, while the sophistication of his middle and late operas satisfies demanding ears and tastes. In Verdi: The Operas and Choral Works, Victor Lederer surveys every one of the masters 28 operas and his greatest choral pieces, showing Verdis growth as a musical dramatist – he would revolutionize the hidebound conventions of 19th-century Italian opera – and his single-minded pursuit of dramatic truth.

After describing the chaotic milieu in which Verdi learned his craft, the book provides act-by-act analyses of the early masterpieces Nabucco, Ernani, and Macbeth. The neglected operas from the composers self-described “years in the galleys” are covered together. Lederer then takes readers through the magnificent sequence of Verdi operas from Luisa Miller onward, including the fine but underrated Stiffelio. Each of the late operas – Don Carlo, Aida, and Otello and Falstaff, the twin Shakespearean masterworks that crown Verdis oeuvre – is discussed at length in its own chapter. Lederer also examines Verdis monumental Requiem along with the choral Quattro pezzi sacri, Verdis sublime final achievement. The book comes with a Naxos CD of musical selections representing highlights from throughout Verdis long, remarkable career.

About this title

About the Author

Victor Lederer is a writer on music and urban history. He is the author of nine volumes of the Unlocking the Masters series, including Verdi: the Operas and Choral Works, Ravel: A Listener’s Guide, and Beethoven’s Piano Music. He lives and works in New York City.

Edition details

• Publisher: Amadeus (UK)
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1574674404
• ISBN 13: 9781574674408
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256