Franco Alfano: Transcending Turandot - Softcover

Dryden, Konrad

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0810869772 ISBN 13: 9780810869776

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 2009

Synopsis

This is the first fully documented biography of the Italian composer Franco Alfano (1875-1954), who is most-known for completing Giacomo Puccini's Turandot after Puccini's death. The book includes 24 previously unpublished photos, an appendix listing the composer's opus, plot synopses of his operas, a foreword by Magda Olivero, and an index of names.

About this title

Review:

Dryden chronicles the composer's vain attempts to recapture the attention of his publisher, Emil Hertzka of Universal Edition, as well as his unsavory attempts to curry favor with Mussolini. Dryden's chief achievement lies in his advocacy of a neglected compose, one who "arguably represents the best of Italy's post-Puccini contemporaries."--Opera News

Recommended.--CHOICE

The book is a good case for Alfano's music and gives a detailed discussion of his operas....Dryden retain his objectivity in his descriptions of the composer and his work and that makes the book enjoyable to read.--Opera Nederland

For anyone interested in the Italian music scene of the 20th century, Dryden's...excellent title will likely become the definitive word on the subject for the foreseeable future, as there has been precious little available in English about Alfano.--Library Journal

About the Author:

Konrad Dryden is professor of music and German at the University of Maryland University College-Europe and the author of Leoncavallo: Life and Works (Scarecrow Press, 2007).

About this edition

• Publisher: Scarecrow Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0810869772
• ISBN 13: 9780810869776
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 238