Item Detail
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Christiansen, Rupert
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A pocket guide to opera
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Book
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London; New York, N.Y.
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2002
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Faber
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394 p. ; 18 cm.
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English
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0571209009; 9780571209002
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Operas--Stories, plots, etc.
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Operas
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ML 102 .O6 C4 2002
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Christiansen, Rupert. A Pocket Guide to Opera. London: Faber and Faber, 2002.
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Guide for the amateur opera attendee which outlines only skeletally the plot and major musical points of many well-known operas in a concise, friendly, and accessible way. Useful for anyone curious about the major events in a famous opera; not intended for serious research.
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Includes only the most common operas to be found on an opera company's season program. Coverage begins with a few Baroque and Classical operas, focuses chiefly on operas in the late Classical and Romantic periods, and ends with composers born around 1950. Operas in all the major European languages are considered, and English translation is provided for all foreign language titles.
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Entries are grouped by chapter according to country of origin (Germany, Italy, France, England, Slavic lands, and the U.S.), and each chapter begins with a brief explanation on the origins of opera in that country. Chapters on Baroque and Classical Opera and Operetta are also included. The work begins with an incredibly brief one-page glossary of terms, and ends with indices on Composer and Opera Title. Entries are arranged within chapters chronologically according to date of composition, and each opera listed provides brief information on the composer, plot, and performance guidelines. Tips on what to listen for in the music are also provided, but rarely does the prose for any section extend beyond three paragraphs. Entries close with a listing of one famous recording, typically noting the conductor and major soloists.
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Hall, George. Opera 53 (November 2002): 1402.
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BYU Mus Ref
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2917