Only for people interested in Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, but not really wanting to explore a lot about her music. The book is rather ligthweight.
This is a recent book by the veteran Italian Opera reviewer Alberto Mattioli, that's really interesting. The author has attended more than 1,200 opera performances in his professional life, and offers good insight into the art form, and its current vicissitudes in the country where Opera was created more than 400 years ago.
Unfortunately, it's still only in Italian, I think:
Well, not unfortunately for me, I do read Italian, and it's likely to be more beautiful in original language.I think I'll order it.
PS - Good, it is available on Amazon.com, with US delivery, shipped from Italy:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/880...F8&me=&seller=
PS - Done. I look forward to it. Loved the title: Anche stasera - come l'opera ti cambia la vita.
Last edited by Almaviva; May 9th, 2012 at 03:14 AM.
"J'ai dit qu'il ne suffisait pas d'entendre la musique, mais qu'il fallait encore la voir" (Stravinsky)
For non-Italian speakers, the title is: "This evening too: how Opera changes your life". I've just finished reading, after a friend gave me the book as a gift, just bought at La Scala store. Good stuff.
"This Evening too: How Opera Changes Your Life"... It sounds like a book I will want to buy but I don't know Italian!Originally Posted by Schigolch
Unfortunately, it's still only in Italian, I think:
I'm reading Vincent Sheean book on Verdi:
It's written in a way that makes it both fun and informative to read. But I have complain: author is a bit biased to dismiss bel canto (he writes about it's "rubbish ornamentation" tradition that Verdi had to renounce). He also claims that Verdi didn't have any admiration for Donizetti's music. I did read elsewhere that Donizetti and Mercadante were two major influences on Verdi so I'm a bit confused here.
Got this from my library:
http://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Spoiled-.../dp/083863978X
And ordered this:
http://www.amazon.com/Companion-Wagn.../dp/1571132376
I think the phrase should read "Sheean didn't have any admiration for Donizetti's music", instead of Verdi.
Funny and entertaining autobiography of one of the world's leading sopranos in the first half of the 20th century.
As Almaviva, not unfortunately for me, either. I wish The Grove was in Italian.This is a recent book by the veteran Italian Opera reviewer Alberto Mattioli, that's really interesting. The author has attended more than 1,200 opera performances in his professional life, and offers good insight into the art form, and its current vicissitudes in the country where Opera was created more than 400 years ago.
Unfortunately, it's still only in Italian, I think:
Mattioli's book is similar in his exposition to Grove? I want to say: Mattioli talk about plots of operas he has seen, or is a critic's approach to singers, stagings, etc?
It's just a recollection of Mattioli's passion for Opera. He writes about operas, singers, conductors, stage directors, ... even recalcitrant loggionisti.
Ok, thanks.
Those books are available in either Spanish or Catalan, and cover many years of history at Liceu. There is still one volume missing (1897-1947) that hopefully will be edited also in the coming years. A pair of great reference books giving the chronology and listing all the operas performed, by season, with full casts and all the dates that the piece was given, as well as the language of the performance.
Interesting book on how the stars, the impresario and even other composers were always changing the score, replacing one aria for another, ... it's centered on the Italian Belcanto Opera, mainly.
Just completed reading of this biography of Franco Alfano, as well as some information on his operas. There is a lovely foreword by Magda Olivero, but the most interesting thing by far is Alfano's own account, as per his standing correspondence, on the completion of Turandot.
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