Showing titles in Opera

Richard Wagner’s “total work of art,” the monumental, gripping, and fathomlessly deep story of the ring of the Nibelung, is here translated and narrated in a completely new fashion: breathless and distilled, it becomes the most exciting suspense novel of the opera world. The author follows the creator, dividing the spectacle into its four parts, “Rhinegold,” “The Valkyrie,” “Siegfried,” and finally, “Twilight of the Gods.” He leads his readers through the scenic festival that takes roughly thirteen hours when staged. They say money corrupts, or money is the root of all...

A car mechanic turned internationally acclaimed opera star, Alfie Boe has taken Broadway by storm, conquered the West End and has won the hearts of the nation. The first official bad boy of opera, this is the story of his life - the ups and the downs, from finding fame to losing his father - and...

This is the story of the 36-year-old business relationship between Luciano Pavarotti and his manager, Herbert Breslin, during which Breslin guided what he calls, justifiably, “the greatest career in classical music”. During that career, Breslin moved Pavarotti out of the opera house and onto the concert (and the world) stage and into the arms of a huge mass public.

Così Fan Tutte contains some of Mozart’s most sublime music. On one level, the opera is purely a social anecdote about young people falling in and out of love; but Mozart was a supreme sensualist and a great humanist, and invested the tale with all his understanding of humanity and young love. In this title, David Timson refutes the charge that Mozart squandered his genius on a work full of trivial nonsense and proves this "miraculous yet problematic" opera to be a great work of theatre. To listen to this thought-provoking examination of the characters and the music is both thoroughly enriching and great fun.

Frederick is freed of his indentures to the ferociously temperate Pirates of Penzance. What will he do with his newfound freedom?

Immerse yourself in more than 400 years of the world's most celebrated operas and discover the fascinating stories behind them. Explore the lives of singers such as Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, and Jonas Kaufmann. Meet composers like Mozart, Wagner, and Britten, and the librettists with whom...

Giovanni Tempesta always dreamed of becoming an opera tenor and one day singing from the stage of the La Scala Opera House in his hometown of Milan, Italy. But with no real training, his dream has little chance for fulfillment. One day, he meets and immediately falls in love with Isabella Monterone, a dark-haired beauty, whose father, a very rich and powerful Milanese Judge, refuses to allow his daughter to date a penniless musician.

Aria by Aria is an illuminating journey through the history and evolution of the operatic voice, tracing the monumental changes in vocal technique, style, and artistic expression from the early days of opera to the modern era. Spanning centuries of operatic history, this compelling book delves deep into the legendary voices that shaped opera as we know it today, and the fascinating transformations that have defined each musical period. From the Baroque period, when singers like Farinelli and Senesino reigned supreme, to the Golden Age of Bel Canto with icons such as Maria Malibran and ...

In How to Get High: The Key to Escaping Vocal Prison and Making Singing High Notes Easy Again, Joshua Dennis goes through his tried and true method of vocal production that he learned from Master Teacher W. Stephen Smith. Mixed with his own methodology, Joshua not only tackles basic vocal principals, this book also tackles his struggles with the music industry and mental and physical help for singers.

The Castrati: Their Lives, Their Music, Their Legacy in Opera’s Golden Age (Rediscovering Classical Music) For over two centuries, they were the superstars of the opera world—revered, envied, and worshipped like demigods. With voices that defied nature, soaring effortlessly from haunting whispers to dazzling virtuosity, the castrati became the most celebrated and controversial figures in music history. Yet today, their names are barely remembered, their once-glorious voices lost to time. In The Castrati, renowned performer and music historian RIchard Fleischman pulls back the curtain on...

Gesprochenes Drama sowie die komplette Opernaufnahme in einem Hörbuch! Zunächst das gesprochene Drama, dann Drama und Oper, Akt für Akt nacheinander im Wechsel, dann die komplette Oper als durchgehender Musikgenuss, eingespielt von Bayreuth-Legende Joseph Keilberth und dem Bayreuther Festival-Orchester!! Der vierte Teil des wohl berühmtesten Opern-Zyklus aller Zeiten: Durch Intrigen wird Siegfried dazu verleitet, Brünnhilde zu vergessen und Gutrune, Gunthers Schwester, zu erobern. Gunther hilft er, Brünnhilde zu besiegen. Siegfried fällt - die Rheinnixen erhalten den Ring zurück.

The Forgotten Operas of Black Composers unveils a rich, overlooked chapter of musical history, spotlighting the operatic works of Black composers from the 19th century to the present day. From Harry Lawrence Freeman’s grand Wagnerian visions to Anthony Davis’s Pulitzer-winning dramas, these composers have crafted operas of immense depth, innovation, and cultural significance—yet their contributions remain largely absent from the mainstream operatic canon. Through vivid profiles, historical context, and musical analysis, this book celebrates the resilience and brilliance of artists ...

New opera enthusiasts and seasoned aficionados alike will delight in Dale Harris' witty and insightful analyses of La Traviata, Carmen, The Magic Flute, and La Boheme. The notable music critic, whose lectures at the Metropolitan used to be sell-out events, examines these operas in terms of libretto, plot, music, performance history, and cultural background, amply illustrated with musical examples.

Die Semperoper als Schauplatz von politischen Wirren, dramatischen Schicksalen und gefährlichen Leidenschaften. Dresden, 1869: Die gefeierte Violinistin Elise Jacobi hat ihre Liebe zur Musik an die Kinder weitergegeben. Ihre Tochter Netty probt an der Semperoper als Primaballerina für die Rolle ihres Lebens, Sohn Julius ist ein begabter Pianist und verliebt sich in die unabhängige Bankierstochter Rahel Cohn. Eine neue Generation wächst heran, die den Mut hat, nach der Freiheit zu greifen und neue Wege zu gehen.

Rigoletto gilt als das erste Meisterwerk von Giuseppe Verdi und begründet seinen Weltruhm. Bereits bei der Uraufführung, im Jahr 1851 am Teatro La Fenice in Venedig, feierte sie einen überwältigenden Erfolg und wurde in den folgenden Jahren in ganz Europa aufgeführt. Das Libretto stammt von Francesco Maria Piave und beruht auf dem Melodrama Le roi s’amuse von Victor Hugo. Die Oper steht bis heute im Programm zahlreicher Opernhäuser und ist nach wie vor eine der meistgespielten italienischen Opern.

A sweeping journey through four centuries of passion, politics, and performance. From the candlelit salons of Renaissance Florence to the digital stages of the twenty-first century, Voices of Time tells the epic story of opera—an art form that has captivated audiences with its fusion of music, drama, and spectacle. Blending vivid storytelling with cultural insight, M.Y. Sard traces opera’s evolution across continents and centuries. Discover the birth of monody, the rise of the castrato, the genius of Mozart and Verdi, the radical vision of Wagner, and the boundary-breaking experiments ...

Silenced on Stage The Censorship and Banning of Opera, Vaudeville, and Broadway Musicals from Shakespeare to Hamilton From the raucous riots over Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring to the fierce backlash against The Book of Mormon, Silenced on Stage takes you on a whirlwind journey through the fascinating history of censorship in theatre and music. In this compelling exploration, Richard Fleischman dives deep into the clashes between powerful authorities and the bold artists who have pushed boundaries and challenged the status quo. Whether it’s religious protests against rock operas, political...

Con uno stile raffinato e trascinante, Vittorio Sermonti "spiega al popolo" quattordici opere di Verdi, "il più spudorato genio della musica per teatro", dal Nabucco all'Otello, passando per l'Aida, il Rigoletto, il Trovatore e la Traviata. Ci fa riscoprire i celebri melodrammi attraverso il racconto della trama e persino della musica, l'analisi dei personaggi, riferimenti alla vita e alle lettere di Verdi, accenni alle vicende del libretto, notizie sparse sulle prime esecuzioni, annotazioni storiche sull'Italia del Risorgimento e dell'Unità.

A revelatory history of the operatic masterpiece that both made and destroyed Rouben Mamoulian, its director and unsung hero. "Bring my goat!" Porgy exclaims in the final scene of Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess. Bess, whom he loves, has left for New York City, and he’s determined to find her. When his request is met with astonishment - New York is a great distance from South Carolina’s Catfish Row - Porgy remains undaunted.

Russell 'The Voice' Watson is a star with a real story to tell. While most stars of today find success early, Russell was still working in a Salford factory at the age of 30. He spent the evenings singing in working men's clubs for extra cash to keep the bailiffs from his family's door. The...