Books on Classical Music & Opera |
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To purchase any book in this section click on the title.
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Nicolai GeddaMy Life & Art As told to AINO SELLERMARK GEDDA |
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Lily PonsA Centennial Portrait Edited by James A. Drake and Kristan Beall Ludecke Foreword by Beverley Sills |
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Mario LanzaTenor In Exile Roland L Bessette |
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Opera In ContextEssays on Historical Staging from the Late Renaissance to the Times of Puccini
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Until quite recently, most composers of opera wrote their works with specific circumstances in mind, with direct knowledge of the singers, dancers and musicians who would perform them, as well as of the characteristics and features of the theatres in which they would be staged. These essays by respected scholars examine representative operatic productions from diverse national schools and periods - from Purcell to Mozart, Verdi, Wagner and Puccini. Historical performance practice and other musical matters are considered as well as the elements of stagecraft including scenery, costumes and lighting 410 pp, 14 tables 75 b/w photos - hardcover |
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A Pianist's LandscapeCarol Montparker |
These perceptive essays explore the author's life as a pianist - practising, performing, teaching and writing - but they reflect the experience of any artist. With humour and warmth, the essays tell of quiet domestic delights, the frustrations of performing on poor instruments in cold halls, the satisfactions of sharing one's understanding of a favourite piece with an eager student, and unforgettable encounters with great pianists such as Rubenstein, Gould, Arrau and Cherkassky. |
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How To Be Tremendously Tuned In To OperaEdited by E.O. Parrott Foreword by Jeremy Isaacs |
Whether you are an opera buff or one of the incognoscenti, this delightful collection of parodies, satires and pastiches will inform and enlighten you about all aspects of the art form. Learn, for example, to deduce the plot of Turandot from the curtain call; read what the Italian police had to say about Tosca and discover Jane Austen's view of Il Seraglio. Here is a poem that John Betjeman may have written about a visit to Glyndebourne, several new libretti for Gilbert and Sullivan and a song against operas as G.K. Chesterton might have composed it. If you would like to become familiar with a large number of operas without the customary exertion or cost, this sparkling and witty anthology is just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, this book is now out of print although you may be able to find it in the "out-of-print" section of on-line bookstores |
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The Musical From the Inside OutStephen Citron |
Part anecdote, part text book, part practical advice from those who have been there, THE MUSICAL is required reading for professional or amateur involved in the creation of a musical. It will also fascinate the aficionado who would enjoy being witness to the unbelievable drama that producing a musical for Broadway or the West End implies. In THE MUSICAL from the Inside Out, Stephen Citron examines the musical from the creator's point of view, from basic training through to finding and securing material, writing the libretto, adding the songs, auditioning, work-shopping, rehearsals, previews and the excitement of the first night, to reveal the secrets of success as well as the attendant pitfalls of failure. Including hitherto unpublished interviews with well known directors, producers, lyricists, composers, librettists, stage managers, scenic artists and comments from musical luminaries such as Stephen Sondheim, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Jerry Herman, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Hal Prince and Jerome Robbins, THE MUSICAL answers at the same time all the questions anyone may have about one of the major theatrical forms of the twentieth century. |
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Gerard HoffnungbyAnnetta HoffnungForeword by Peter Ustinov
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Gerard Hoffnung, creator of the inspired lunacy of the Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festivals, witty cartoonist of the foibles of musicians and cats, inimitable raconteur, and passionate devotee of the tuba, died at the tragically young age of 34. This book is a tribute to his life and art, written by his widow, Annetta. A delightful sketch of Hoffnung's life from his boyhood in Nazi Germany through his school days in England to his working career, the book is illustrated with his own drawings and other memorabilia, making it a wonderful introduction to this light-hearted genius. "Written with heartwarming simplicity . . . the Hoffnung biography reveals . . . a man who was just as lovable, eccentric, and joyous as his drawings and concerts had led us to believe." Symphony Magazine 0-931340-73-X, 176 pages, 38 color illustrations, 101 b/w illustrations, 52 b/w photos, 7 x 10", paperback © 1994 |
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Musical Prodigies: Perilous Journeys, Remarkable Livesby Claude Kennesonwith a foreword by Van Cliburn |
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