Opera: Composers, Works, Performers

By Andras Batta and András Batta

Book Overview

Opera is one of the most fascinating and lively art forms of our time. It appeals to all the senses and transcends barriers of language and culture. In doing so, it is neither antiquated nor elitist:... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3829035713
• ISBN13: 9783829035712
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Konemann
• Length: 923 Pages
• Weight: 8.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.8" x 1.8" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Splendid Opera guide for Opera lovers

This heavy book is a true enjoyment with it's numerously pictures and illustrations.

An absolute 'must' for professional, academic, and community library reference collections

Over the past four centuries of western musical development, the opera came to embody the most complex presentation by combining visual and auditory elements with storytelling to the point where, especially in the 19th century, it became the most popular public entertainment Europe had to offer it citizenry from commoners to the aristocracy. That popularity continued to hold sway during the 20th Century with radio and television broadening the audience beyond what opera halls could every hope to achieve. "Opera: Composers, Works, Performance" is a 928-page compendium showcasing 350 operatic works, 140 opera composers, and places them all within four hundred years of European cultural history reflecting the evolution and highlights of this distinctive musical form, forum and format. Impressively enhanced with the inclusion of a musical terms glossary, musical scores, a comprehensive index, and a profusion of period photographs and illustrations, "Opera: Composers, Works, Performance" is superbly organized and alphabetically arranged encyclopedia of detailed information that makes it ideal for opera buffs and musicologists. Simply stated, "Opera: Composers, Works, Performance" is an absolute 'must' for professional, academic, and community library reference collections.

Composers, performers, paintings, photos, and even muscial examples from hundreds of operas

If you love opera or even have any desire to learn about it, this big and beautiful book is a wonderful treat to wander through. You don't need to know anything at all about opera to find this book most enjoyable. As you read the articles and examine the pictures you will begin to see why grand opera is one of the greatest of the art forms. It involves music, drama (and comedy). Instrumental music and singing, dancing, costumes (fashion), painting for those glorious sets, stagecraft, and much more. Millions love opera, and while many of us live or used to live in areas without an opera company or we can't afford the tickets (opera is expensive to produce), this book can bring to life affordable audio recordings of the singing and music. The authors have provided us articles on 124 composers and 338 operas. The book is organized alphabetically by composer and then chronologically within the composer's life. The major composers have longer articles about their lives. The articles on the operas include not only the facts of the first performance, but also a brief synopsis of the story of the opera. The articles often provide information about major performances of the work. And the book is full or wonderful pictures of the composers, the operas in their various performances, set designs, the great stars over the centuries, an the opera houses. A few musical examples of great moments in the opera are often included. This book is wonderfully informative and very entertaining. Given how inexpensively this book can be purchased used, I don't see why anyone would want to be without it.

It is more than an operatic picture album

You might be impressed by the size and dimension of the book at your first glance when you opened the carton box. This big and thick book is full of colorful photographs, pictures and illustrations on opera that we have in music history, including composers' biographies and the synopsis of the opera in feature. That's not the end. There are some medium-length, reader-friendly articles on some interesting topics of opera, like how an opera come into shape, Haydn's opera at Esterhaza, Italian opera in England etc. An impressive volume for both amateur listeners and opera lovers.

A must have!

I saw this book on a shelf and WOW! It's the perfect Opera book for people who apreciate the art in the litriture of the Opera and the art in the orchestration of the scenery and costumes. An Opera lover guide to the galaxy! Enjoy.