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Opera a to Z

Author : Liddy Lindsay

Publisher :

Page : 60 pages

File Size : 17,40 MB

Release : 2013-03-01

Category : Juvenile Nonfiction

ISBN : 9780985424831

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Book Description

Opera A to Z: A Beginner's Guide to Opera is an overview of the most famous operas and opera characters of all time; one for each letter of the alphabet. The book was written with children ages eight to twelve in mind, but it is sure to delight young and old alike with its engaging summaries of twenty-six renowned operas. The book is based on a 27 x 40 watercolor that took author and illustrator Liddy Lindsay two years to complete and has become a bestseller as notecards and Gicle prints at The Met Opera Shop in New York.



Opera 101

Author : Fred Plotkin

Publisher : Hachette UK

Page : 512 pages

File Size : 37,83 MB

Release : 2013-07-16

Category : Music

ISBN : 1401306004

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Book Description

Opera is the fastest growing of all the performing arts, attracting audiences of all ages who are enthralled by the gorgeous music, vivid drama, and magnificent production values. If you've decided that the time has finally come to learn about opera and discover for yourself what it is about opera that sends your normally reserved friends into states of ecstatic abandon, this is the book for you. Opera 101 is recognized as the standard text in English for anyone who wants to become an opera lover--a clear, friendly, and truly complete handbook to learning how to listen to opera, whether on the radio, on recordings, or live at the opera house. Fred Plotkin, an internationally respected writer and teacher about opera who for many years was performance manager of the Metropolitan Opera, introduces the reader (whatever his or her level of musical knowledge) to all the elements that make up opera, including: A brief, entertaining history of opera; An explanation of key operatic concepts, from vocal types to musical conventions; Hints on the best way to approach the first opera you attend and how to best understand what is happening both offstage and on; Lists of recommended books and recordings, and the most complete traveler's guide to opera houses around the world. The major part of Opera 101 is devoted to an almost minute-by-minute analysis of eleven key operas, ranging from Verdi's thunderous masterpiece Rigoletto and Puccini's electrifying Tosca through works by Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini, Offenbach, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner, to the psychological complexities of Richard Strauss's Elektra. Once you have completed Opera 101, you will be prepared to see and hear any opera you encounter, thanks to this book's unprecedentedly detailed and enjoyable method of revealing the riches of opera.



A Beginner's Guide to Opera

Author : Jeremy Nicholas

Publisher : Gramercy

Page : 162 pages

File Size : 16,55 MB

Release : 1994

Category : Music

ISBN : 9780517103241

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Book Description

Let this book reveal this new world to you. Covers: which operas to try first, and which to tackle later; the stories of over 75 best-loved operas; all the famous highlights, and where to find them; recommended recordings and performers; the lives of the great opera composers, and a brief history of opera; and an A-Z of opera terms.--From publisher description.



The Opera Singer's Career Guide

Author : Pearl Yeadon McGinnis

Publisher : Scarecrow Press

Page : 351 pages

File Size : 48,74 MB

Release : 2010-08-12

Category : Music

ISBN : 0810869160

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Book Description

Any singer longing to have a career in opera, particularly in Europe, should be familiar with the European system of classifying voices know as Fach. The Opera Singer's Career Guide: Understanding the European Fach System presents valuable information to help readers learn, understand, and use the Fach system to their professional advantage. More than just soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, students and professionals alike should know the 25 different Fach categories fully defined here, along with the examples of roles, audition arias, and European opera houses and agents provided. Based on careful research and personal experience, singer and teacher Pearl Yeadon McGinnis describes the features, characteristics, and benefits of the Fach system, including voice categorization and classification and using Fach to train the young voice. She provides practical information on maintaining a career in opera, such as the different types, procedures, and pitfalls of opera auditions; types of opera contracts and contract negotiations; and the value of networking. She explains the different styles of European opera houses and gives an example of life in a state level German opera house, including the various performance spaces, the makeup and responsibilities of an ensemble, and the jobs and functions of opera house personnel. A glossary and several appendixes supply tools for auditioning, such as newly classified roles for Children, Lyric, and Beginner singers; roles for the established Fach categories; lists of opera agents and houses in the German speaking countries; and suggested audition arias by Fach. In addition, practical details are offered about establishing and maintaining residency in Europe, obtaining permission to live and work in Europe, and helpful hints about customs and travel.



Opera 101

Author : Fred Plotkin

Publisher : Hyperion

Page : 520 pages

File Size : 30,38 MB

Release : 1994-12

Category : Music

ISBN :

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Book Description

Written by an opera insider and featuring an introduction by Placido Domingo, here is a thorough, friendly, and truly complete guide to learning how to love and appreciate the opera. After a brief history of opera, the book includes a guide to operatic terms, a minute-by-minute listener's guide to 11 central works, a list of recommended books and recordings and much more.



A History of Opera

Author : Carolyn Abbate

Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company

Page : 648 pages

File Size : 19,63 MB

Release : 2015-09-08

Category : Music

ISBN : 0393089533

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Book Description

“The best single volume ever written on the subject, such is its range, authority, and readability.”—Times Literary Supplement Why has opera transfixed and fascinated audiences for centuries? Carolyn Abbate and Roger Parker answer this question in their “effervescent, witty” (Die Welt, Germany) retelling of the history of opera, examining its development, the musical and dramatic means by which it communicates, and its role in society. Now with an expanded examination of opera as an institution in the twenty-first century, this “lucid and sweeping” (Boston Globe) narrative explores the tensions that have sustained opera over four hundred years: between words and music, character and singer, inattention and absorption. Abbate and Parker argue that, though the genre’s most popular and enduring works were almost all written in a distant European past, opera continues to change the viewer— physically, emotionally, intellectually—with its enduring power.



Singing, Acting, and Movement in Opera

Author : Mark Ross Clark

Publisher : Indiana University Press

Page : 172 pages

File Size : 45,6 MB

Release : 2009-04-09

Category : Music

ISBN : 0253109396

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Book Description

"... a remarkable collection of observations and reflections on past experiences by many excellent artists and teachers that will doubtless help... those interested in creating 'opera magic.'" -- Tito Capobianco Singing, Acting, and Movement in Opera is designed for use in opera and musical theater workshops and by beginning professional singers. Drawing on years of research, teaching, and performing, Mark Ross Clark provides an overview of dramatic methodology for the singing actor, encouraging the student's active participation through practical exercises and application to well-known works. The Singer-getics method emphasizes integration of the various dimensions of opera performance, creating synergies among vocal performance, character development, facial expression, and movement on the stage. The book presents important information about stagecraft, characterization, posture, historical styles, performance anxiety, aria, and scene analysis. Excerpts from interviews with performers, directors, conductors, coaches, composers, and teachers offer insights and advice, allowing the reader to "meet the artists." An appendix by postural alignment specialist Emily Bogard describes techniques of relaxation and self-awareness for the performer. This lively book will appeal to students, teachers, professionals, and general readers alike.



The Opera Companion

Author : George Whitney Martin

Publisher : Hal Leonard Corporation

Page : 724 pages

File Size : 40,90 MB

Release : 2008

Category : Music

ISBN : 9781574671681

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Book Description

Provides synopses of forty-seven operas, a history of the opera, and a glossary of operatic terms.



The Viking Opera Guide

Author : Amanda Holden

Publisher : Viking Adult

Page : 1338 pages

File Size : 49,52 MB

Release : 1993

Category : Music

ISBN :

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Book Description

The book, which was published early this year and is available unbundled from the CD-ROM for $69.95, contains information on more than 800 composers and examines some 1,500 operas in detail. Each composer's musical career is outlined, with an assessment of his or her overall contribution to opera. Opera entries include cast lists and orchestral forces, a commentary on the background of the work, a synopsis of the plot, and a musical analysis identifying musical highlights and points of interest. Recording and edition information is included. For those who don't like to turn pages, prefer to read from the screen, or just like the click-click of the mouse, the CD-ROM provides computer access via Windows to the information and pictures (small black and whites) of the book. The CD-ROM holds some enhancements: notably, three hours of music excerpts (unheard by this reviewer who lacks the needed 16-bit sound card; some, according to the press release, are as long as three to five minutes). Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR



Opera For Dummies

Author : David Pogue

Publisher : For Dummies

Page : 384 pages

File Size : 34,33 MB

Release : 1997-09-04

Category : Music

ISBN : 9780764550102

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Book Description

“Pogue is a wonderful teacher… He can teach anybody.” — Gay Talese, bestselling author of Honor Thy Father “Scott Speck is a great communicator of classical music…. Concert audiences and readers alike can’t help getting caught up in the joy of his subject.” — David Styers, American Symphony Orchestra League Opera is weird. Everybody wears makeup and sings all the time. Even when they’re singing your language, which is rare, you still can’t understand the words. Women play men, men play women, and 45-year-olds play teenagers. All the main characters seem to get killed off. And when somebody dies, he takes ten minutes to sing about it. Yet, for all its weirdness, an operatic experience is an experience in breathtaking beauty. When you hear a soprano float a soft high C, or a tenor singing a love song, or a full-throated chorus in the climax of a scene’s dramatic finale, you can’t help getting goosebumps. Want to experience all that beauty for yourself, but don’t know where to begin? Opera For Dummies is an excellent place to start. Written by an acclaimed conductor and a musical director, this friendly guide tells you what you need to know to: Understand opera from the Baroque and Roman periods through today Interpret characters, orchestra, chorus, and other players Understand what’s happening, both on stage and off Choose the best seats Identify famous operas Build a great collection of opera recordings Locate opera sites and chat groups online Whether you’re interested in attending a live opera, want to build a collection of recordings, or just want to be able to talk about opera intelligently, Opera For Dummies is for you. Among other things, you’ll explore: The words, the music, and the people who sing it The history of opera and the lives of the great composers Going to the opera — including tips for getting tickets, preparing for the opera, dressing for the opera, and more Musical and theatrical conventions used in opera In-depth synopses of the world’s most beloved operas On the bonus CD you’ll find: More than 60 minutes of music compiled especially for the book A multimedia piece for PC or MAC Wonder what it is about opera that can make a grown person cry like a baby? Find out in Opera For Dummies.