# Favorite Books on Opera



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

I really enjoy reading about opera and opera people. I've enjoyed various books about the Met, and Marilyn Horne's and Sherrill Milnes' autobiographies, but I think the book I've enjoyed the most is the one by Volpe, The Toughest Show on Earth.

What's your favorite book on opera or opera people?


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

I think I've only read one - Laurie Rubin's *Do You Dream in Color?*

Since it's the only one I've read, it is, at one and the same time, my favorite and my least favorite. 

But, seriously, it was a very surprising book. The first half, especially - describing her blind childhood and how she got into opera singing was very enlightening.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Any book by the late J.B. Steane. His books are more about opera _singing_ (singers, recordings, etc.) than about opera, but they are considered the finest on that subject and include _The Grand Tradition_, _Voices, Singers, and Critics_, and the three-volume _Singers of the Century _series; he was also a columnist for _Gramophone_ magazine. I first discovered these books when I was in college and was immediately enthralled. I am a semi-professional writer, and since discovering him Steane has been my writing role-model. I would encourage everyone on this Forum to seek out his books.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Too many...

Just to start with, this is a wonderful book for lovers of 19th century Italian Opera:


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## Downbeat (Jul 10, 2013)

Kobbé's Opera Book. It's actually not all that interesting for the musician, but it's the best of a bad bunch as far as I am concerned. Perhaps I have bought the wrong books. Any recommendations for good readings on the MUSIC of Mozart and Wagner in operas? (not philosophy, synopsis or vague 'meanings', but the composer's most valuable asset...the MUSIC)


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I am currently reading this and enjoying it for a good overview. It is short on contemporary opera but I believe a new edition is coming out which will have a fuller review of it.










This is a good book on what it's like to be a singer










and for a rather more snarky "_English sense of humour_" view of what's it's like to be a jobbing tenor:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

But my favourite book on opera is _The Tristan Chord - Wagner and philosophy_ for the enlightening content and the wonderfully lucid writing:


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Jane Glover wrote a good one on Mozart's Women - by which she meant his operas.

There is good book I have which fairly traces the dysfunctional history of the Wagner Family.

There is also a book called ' great operatic disasters' Which tell of mishaps during the performances.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

DavidA said:


> There is good book I have which fairly traces the dysfunctional history of the Wagner Family.


Is this the one?


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

mamascarlatti said:


> Is this the one?


Yes! It is very well written and keeps a balanced approach to Wagner's anti-semitism. A good read but written just before Wolfgang handed the festival over.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Another good book - the Rough Guide to Opera. Really informative.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Charles Osborne's *The Complete Operas of Verdi*

Each chapter represents an opera and Osborne weaves the biographical elements within them. He writes unashamedly as an fan and Verdi lovers will enjoy that side of it.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Alexander said:


> Charles Osborne's *The Complete Operas of Verdi*
> 
> Each chapter represents an opera and Osborne weaves the biographical elements within them. He writes unashamedly as an fan and Verdi lovers will enjoy that side of it.


YES! I can second that one. I had a nasty moment a few months ago when mine disappeared from its space on the shelf - huge relief when I found it again.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

A Hero's Life - a biography of Jon Vickers. Interesting although writing about such a complex man must be difficult.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

DavidA said:


> Jane Glover wrote a good one on Mozart's Women - by which she meant his operas.
> 
> There is good book I have which fairly traces the dysfunctional history of the Wagner Family.


Is been a while since I read Mozart's Women, but as I recall it was more about Mozart's mother, sister, and wife. In any case, a good book.

I recently read the Wagner Clan. A great overview of the history of Bayreuth and who did what during the Nazi years. I don't think mine had the photo on Hitler on the cover. Just as well, since I did most of my reading on the train.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Vesteralen said:


> I think I've only read one - Laurie Rubin's *Do You Dream in Color?*
> 
> Since it's the only one I've read, it is, at one and the same time, my favorite and my least favorite.
> 
> But, seriously, it was a very surprising book. The first half, especially - describing her blind childhood and how she got into opera singing was very enlightening.


Surprising is more than I usually get from books - I'll take a look! Thanks.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Bellinilover said:


> Any book by the late J.B. Steane. His books are more about opera _singing_ (singers, recordings, etc.) than about opera, but they are considered the finest on that subject and include _The Grand Tradition_, _Voices, Singers, and Critics_, and the three-volume _Singers of the Century _series; he was also a columnist for _Gramophone_ magazine. I first discovered these books when I was in college and was immediately enthralled. I am a semi-professional writer, and since discovering him Steane has been my writing role-model. I would encourage everyone on this Forum to seek out his books.


High praise! I've requested one of The Grand Tradition from the library.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

schigolch said:


> Too many...
> 
> Just to start with, this is a wonderful book for lovers of 19th century Italian Opera:


Looks interesting! It's going on the list.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Downbeat said:


> Kobbé's Opera Book. It's actually not all that interesting for the musician, but it's the best of a bad bunch as far as I am concerned. Perhaps I have bought the wrong books. Any recommendations for good readings on the MUSIC of Mozart and Wagner in operas? (not philosophy, synopsis or vague 'meanings', but the composer's most valuable asset...the MUSIC)


Isn't Kobbe's book just a kind of list of operas and synopses of their plots? Or have I got it confused with something else?


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Recently finished this, fascinating stuff:









In addition being the true-life inspiration for _La Traviata_, this is an opera story in other ways as well and provides a great insight into 19th century Parisian night life. Du Plessis entertained guests at her very own box at the opera and was a regular with certain members of the opera crowd at the cafes and clubs along the Boulevard des Italiens in the opera district of Paris. Her early years amongst the rowdy students of the Latin Quarter are straight out of _Scènes de la vie de bohème_, in fact the book is referenced numerous times. And amongst her extensive library was a much perused copy of Manon Lescaut. So that's four operas it provides a deeper appreciation of right there.

One of her greatest admirers, and perhaps her greatest love, was Franz Liszt. During their brief affair, Liszt's daughter Cosima was growing up under the care of Liszt's mother in Paris. Though perhaps socially unlikely, it's conceivable DuPlessis could have crossed paths with the future Cosima Wagner at some point.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

mamascarlatti said:


> I am currently reading this and enjoying it for a good overview. It is short on contemporary opera but I believe a new edition is coming out which will have a fuller review of it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


From you I expected a fascinating list, and I'm not disappointed!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

DavidA said:


> Jane Glover wrote a good one on Mozart's Women - by which she meant his operas.
> 
> There is good book I have which fairly traces the dysfunctional history of the Wagner Family.
> 
> There is also a book called ' great operatic disasters' Which tell of mishaps during the performances.


Those all sound fun and interesting! Thanks.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Alexander said:


> Charles Osborne's *The Complete Operas of Verdi*
> 
> Each chapter represents an opera and Osborne weaves the biographical elements within them. He writes unashamedly as an fan and Verdi lovers will enjoy that side of it.


Not enough opera fans seem to be writing books, that's true! I've noticed before that the people that review operas in the paper never seem to really LOVE opera, for whatever reason. Sounds like a good choice.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

DavidA said:


> A Hero's Life - a biography of Jon Vickers. Interesting although writing about such a complex man must be difficult.


Thanks! I love the biographies!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Cavaradossi said:


> Recently finished this, fascinating stuff:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's an issue I've been wondering about for some time - in the books of Balzac the worlds of the opera and ballet are inextricably linked with the world of the courtesan. I wonder if the world has changed, or if it just gets less attention than it did, or if the definition of a courtesan has changed - Volpe and others seem to think that the world of opera and ballet is one in which partners seem to change hands much more frequently than in the general public. Seems to me that that would make a pretty good book, if you could find source material! But at any rate, I look forward to reading this one. Thanks.


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

I found this at a book sale recently:









It's both funny and informative. It goes through every opera and explains key scenes, background, etc. And did I say it was funny? Very funny.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Celloman said:


> I found this at a book sale recently:
> 
> View attachment 22120
> 
> ...


Thanks. It's going on the list!


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

guythegreg said:


> It's an issue I've been wondering about for some time - in the books of Balzac the worlds of the opera and ballet are inextricably linked with the world of the courtesan. I wonder if the world has changed, or if it just gets less attention than it did, or if the definition of a courtesan has changed - Volpe and others seem to think that the world of opera and ballet is one in which partners seem to change hands much more frequently than in the general public. Seems to me that that would make a pretty good book, if you could find source material! But at any rate, I look forward to reading this one. Thanks.


Actually, Balzac and, of course, Dumas _pere et fils_, are both referenced in the book as well.

After attending a performance at the Met several years ago, I encountered, and subsequently spent the remainder of the what turned out to be a uniquely memorable, kaliedioscopic NYC evening (amongst others and in a purely social capacity), with someone whom I can only describe as a modern day courtesan - a term I use with respect and admiration and in the classic sense. So yes, they are out there.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

I have Hugh Vickers' _Great Operatic Disasters_, and it's pretty funny. It's also a skinny little book, so it shouldn't cost a fortune if you decide you're interested. Of course, one of my favorites is _Meinen die wirklich mich?_ (Do they really mean me?), Thomas Voigt's biography of Jonas Kaufmann. Among my others are Helena Matheopoulos' _Divo_, in which a number of noted male singers discuss their roles (it was published in the mid-'80s, so it includes The Three Tenors before they became The Three Tenors, Sherrill Milnes, Sam Ramey, Renato Bruson, Carlo Bergonzi, etc.), and the 1984 _Jahrbuch_ (Yearbook) of the Bavarian State Opera, acquired on a visit to Germany.


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## msegers (Oct 17, 2008)

_Mawrdew Czgowchwz_ by James McCourt is a novel, a wild over-the-top novel floating away on a sea of language in a style you can take to the Firbank. The novel eases us back to the days of the old Met, of discovering new singers in scratchy radio transmissions (not pirated MP3s).

The original question was "What's your favorite book on opera or opera people?" Although this is fiction, it is certainly about "opera people" and their distinct subculture... and it is the funniest book I've ever read.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

A very nice companion for Puccini and "verismo" lovers:


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

MAuer said:


> I have Hugh Vickers' _Great Operatic Disasters_, and it's pretty funny. It's also a skinny little book, so it shouldn't cost a fortune if you decide you're interested. Of course, one of my favorites is _Meinen die wirklich mich?_ (Do they really mean me?), Thomas Voigt's biography of Jonas Kaufmann. Among my others are Helena Matheopoulos' _Divo_, in which a number of noted male singers discuss their roles (it was published in the mid-'80s, so it includes The Three Tenors before they became The Three Tenors, Sherrill Milnes, Sam Ramey, Renato Bruson, Carlo Bergonzi, etc.), and the 1984 _Jahrbuch_ (Yearbook) of the Bavarian State Opera, acquired on a visit to Germany.


Jeez, Kauffman is a little young for a biography, ain't he? Of course, if you're a big fan ... but those all sound like excellent choices, thanks!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

msegers said:


> View attachment 22124
> 
> 
> _Mawrdew Czgowchwz_ by James McCourt is a novel, a wild over-the-top novel floating away on a sea of language in a style you can take to the Firbank. The novel eases us back to the days of the old Met, of discovering new singers in scratchy radio transmissions (not pirated MP3s).
> ...


Wow! I can hardly wait for this one!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

schigolch said:


> A very nice companion for Puccini and "verismo" lovers:


I love the cover! (That's of course the soprano bending over Arturo Toscanini after accidentally knocking him from the podium, right?) Thanks.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

MAuer said:


> IAmong my others are Helena Matheopoulos' _Divo_, in which a number of noted male singers discuss their roles (it was published in the mid-'80s, so it includes The Three Tenors before they became The Three Tenors, Sherrill Milnes, Sam Ramey, Renato Bruson, Carlo Bergonzi, etc.).


I have this too. I used to read it obsessively in the 80s.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

What the Italian call 'soprano assoluto', or 'soprano sfogato', or 'soprano drammatico di coloratura', or ' soprano drammatico d'agilità' (too many names, I agree, and even some nuances can be found among them), is nothing else that a soprano able also to sing in the mezzo range, but with strong top notes, good coloratura and dramatic, incisive singing. And this particular vocality is normally associated to belcanto.

Sooner said than done, clear. Those are amazing talents for a single singer to possess all of them.

There are several roles that are ideally better served by this kind of singer. The more usually mentioned, though by no means all of them, are Medée (Cherubini), Armida (Rossini), Norma, Anna Bolena, Lady Macbeth, Abigaille, Gemma di Vergy, Reiza (Oberon), Elisabetta (Roberto Devereux),... This is a book about this specific vocality, and quite interesting stuff, even if one doesn't necessarily agree with everything being said in the book, starting with the "assoluta" in the title, while in Italian the right term is 'il soprano assoluto'.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Huh! Looks like the sort of thing that should be accompanied by a CD full of examples - although I'm sure there's plenty on youtube, so if he mentions someone in particular in a particular performance you might be able to get it that way - talking about singing is like dancing about opera, right? Not very effective. But it looks like a heck of an effort. Thanks.


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## Zingo (Feb 17, 2010)

If one is interested in Wagner, I can suggest Bryan Magee's two books, Aspects of Wagner and Wagner and Philosophy. The first one is quite short and is the book I'd recommend first to anyone interested in the composer. Osborne's The operas of Wagner is good too, perhaps partly because he isn't a fan - his writing on Parsifal is pretty scathing, but I happen to share most of his views.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Zingo said:


> If one is interested in Wagner, I can suggest Bryan Magee's two books, Aspects of Wagner and Wagner and Philosophy. The first one is quite short and is the book I'd recommend first to anyone interested in the composer. Osborne's The operas of Wagner is good too, perhaps partly because he isn't a fan - his writing on Parsifal is pretty scathing, but I happen to share most of his views.


Not much of a Wagner fan yet, but I do work at it from time to time. I love Parsifal! Thanks for the recommendations.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Zingo said:


> If one is interested in Wagner, I can suggest Bryan Magee's two books, Aspects of Wagner and *Wagner and Philosophy.* The first one is quite short and is the book I'd recommend first to anyone interested in the composer. Osborne's The operas of Wagner is good too, perhaps partly because he isn't a fan - his writing on Parsifal is pretty scathi.


Yes this the the one I mentioned above, also called _the Tristan chord_. Aspects of Wagner is very interesting too.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Personal favourite, not sure if it's been mentioned as I haven't read the thread.









Nearly 1000 pages long in the English translation which I have, it includes a huge array of operas (synopses, roles, about the opera), chapters on opera related topics (including articles on the history of opera, themes explored in opera, articles on important opera composers), a dictionary of opera terms, notated musical excerpts, photos and posters from famous productions, a chronological list of the operas in the book based on first performance and also says which theatre each opera was first performed in.In short, it a very big and very comprehensive book but very easy to navigate and understand.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

schigolch said:


> Too many...
> 
> Just to start with, this is a wonderful book for lovers of 19th century Italian Opera:


Very cool! I got it from the library and enjoyed the first couple of chapters so much that I've ordered it from the Book Depository.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

This is a very useful tool, and a nice companion to explore Opera:


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## Oreb (Aug 8, 2013)

In terms of Wagner, by far the best general introduction to him that I have ever read is a little book called 'Wagner: A Case History' by Martin van Amerongen.

It's packed with insight and common-sense (not always present in Wagnerian literature, I've found) an it's written in an approachable but opinionated style.

If someone were to ask me what they should read as a way of learning about the man and his works I'd recommend this as a starting point without hesitation.

Unfortunately out of print, but you can easily pick up a copy on the net from Abesbooks or ebay.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Oreb said:


> In terms of Wagner, by far the best general introduction to him that I have ever read is a little book called 'Wagner: A Case History' by Martin van Amerongen.
> 
> It's packed with insight and common-sense (not always present in Wagnerian literature, I've found) an it's written in an approachable but opinionated style.
> 
> ...


Huh! Interesting. Any time someone tells me a book has common sense my little ears perk right up. I'll see if I can get it through the library. Thanks!


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

William Berger also wrote a book on Wagner's operas, "Wagner Without Fear". A combination of history, humor, and tips for attending opera, it is one of the more entertaining pieces of creative non-fiction I've read


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## Xavier (Jun 7, 2012)

One of my favorites:

The Ultimate Art: Essays Around and About Opera by David Littlejohn

http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/data/13030/cv/ft887008cv/figures/ft887008cv_cover.jpg


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## Oreb (Aug 8, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> Huh! Interesting. Any time someone tells me a book has common sense my little ears perk right up. I'll see if I can get it through the library. Thanks!


 Let me know what you think


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Cosmos said:


> William Berger also wrote a book on Wagner's operas, "Wagner Without Fear". A combination of history, humor, and tips for attending opera, it is one of the more entertaining pieces of creative non-fiction I've read


Wow - creative non-fiction, eh? Irresistible! Thanks.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Xavier said:


> One of my favorites:
> 
> The Ultimate Art: Essays Around and About Opera by David Littlejohn
> 
> http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/data/13030/cv/ft887008cv/figures/ft887008cv_cover.jpg


It's going on the list. Thanks!


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

A nice review of Italian Opera after WW2.


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

The Owen M Lee books on opera are well worth a read as is the Peter Bassett book on Wagners Ring cycle -but difficult to find these days.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Yashin said:


> The Owen M Lee books on opera are well worth a read as is the Peter Bassett book on Wagners Ring cycle -but difficult to find these days.


Yes, I have and highly recommend Father Lee's book _First Intermissions_.

And I very much enjoyed _American Opera Singers and Their Recordings_ by Clyde T. McCants.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Yashin said:


> The Owen M Lee books on opera are well worth a read as is the Peter Bassett book on Wagners Ring cycle -but difficult to find these days.


I looked on Amazon - it's M. Owen Lee - but they do look interesting. Thanks! As far as the ring cycle goes, I experience a vague revulsion every time someone suggests anything to do with it, so I try to stay away from anything connected with it. Sorry. I've attempted the Ring more than once and I can't get past the first few scenes of Das Rheingold.


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

Apologies for the slight name error. I know some people do not like his books but i recently purchased the Robert Donnington book -Wagners Ring and its symbols. I am finding it quite useful as i watch.

I live in Asia so getting to a Ring cycle live is difficult therefore i find myself buying DVDs and i think i now have 8 or 9 Ring cycles on DVD. Some are more difficult than others and i agree ....sometimes the Rheinmaidens in Das Rheingold can cause me to switch off....and the Norns in Gotterdammerung also have the same effect. Its amazing what a bad wig can do!


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## katdad (Jan 1, 2009)

mama, as someone who's professionally trained for an operatic baritone and who's sung in quite a few operas plus chorales, etc, I can attest that Renee Fleming's book "The Inner Voice" is superbly accurate as to the way a singer creates the tones, rehearses, and so on. I'd highly recommend it for singers. It's also a delightful modern look at opera today from someone who's generally regarded as a darn nice person. (for a soprano, ha ha)


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## Oreb (Aug 8, 2013)

Yashin said:


> Apologies for the slight name error. I know some people do not like his books but i recently purchased the Robert Donnington book -Wagners Ring and its symbols. I am finding it quite useful as i watch.


 I also enjoyed this one, although I have a feeling I was missing out on large chunks of his argument because I can't read music!

But I know quite a bit about Jung and found the analysis fascinating.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Nice book, that can be a good start point to explore great singers from the past.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

DavidA said:


> Jane Glover wrote a good one on Mozart's Women - by which she meant his operas.


I've nearly finished this and I really enjoyed it - thanks for the suggestion! There is a lot of general biographical information and musical discussion as well as covering the women in his life.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

I'm really enjoying the one by Martin van Amerongen - the first fifty pages at least are just full of dry irony, which I love. Pretty hilarious!


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Covent-Gard...725423&sr=1-1&keywords=covent+garden+lebrecht

Covent Garden: The Untold Story - Dispatches from the English Culture War, 1945-2000.

This is an amazing story. From nothing to top 5 world international house and then to the brink of oblivion.
It includes many anecdotes of the wonderful history of the original Covent Garden Company and beyond.

highly reccomended.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

msegers said:


> View attachment 22124
> 
> 
> _Mawrdew Czgowchwz_ by James McCourt is a novel, a wild over-the-top novel floating away on a sea of language in a style you can take to the Firbank. The novel eases us back to the days of the old Met, of discovering new singers in scratchy radio transmissions (not pirated MP3s).
> ...


WOW. Wow. It's like ... like La Boheme, only instead of peripatetic Paris poor we have peripatetic Manhattan rich opera fans! Manhattan as we all would love it to have been. And at the end (sob) the curtain falls...


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Pip said:


> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Covent-Gard...725423&sr=1-1&keywords=covent+garden+lebrecht
> 
> Covent Garden: The Untold Story - Dispatches from the English Culture War, 1945-2000.
> 
> ...


Sounds like exactly what I love to read! Thanks.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

schigolch said:


> Nice book, that can be a good start point to explore great singers from the past.


That was one of the first opera books I bought (and I could kick myself for having given it away!), and I read it again and again. The Italian-into-English translation is a bit awkward at times, but it's still a good book.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

guythegreg said:


> Not enough opera fans seem to be writing books, that's true! I've noticed before that the people that review operas in the paper never seem to really LOVE opera, for whatever reason. Sounds like a good choice.


Charles Osborne is a well known journalist and theatre and opera critic.
He was given an official award by the Italian Government for his work on Verdi.


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

moody said:


> Charles Osborne is a well known journalist and theatre and opera critic.
> He was given an official award by the Italian Government for his work on Verdi.


His book on the complete operas of Verdi is a marvelous aid. Especially to learning some of Verdi's more unknown works without
having to go to evening classes. I don't know if it is still in print, but Amazon still list it among their sellers.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Op..._B001HD3PSS_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1376950185&sr=1-7


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

"Opera On Record ", volumes one to three. edited by Alan Blyth.
Well known music experts trace all complete recordings and excerpts from the beginning of recording.
This has proved beyond price to me, Just to back up my point I see that a paperback version of vol.1 is going for £203.00.
It is out of print but do look for it in second hand shops,boot sales,charity sales,etc.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

This is an interesting book, for lovers of Italian early 19th century Opera (i.e., what we normally call Bel Canto Opera).


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

It does look interesting, thanks!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Two recent attempts: first, Michael Rose, "Birth of an Opera" - great idea, how 15 operas from Monteverdi to the present time came from idea to the stage - unfortunately the prose is deadly. Couldn't finish.

Reading Making of an Opera: Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne, by John Higgins - enjoying it immensely. Chatty without being vapid, just the right tone - knows what opera lovers are properly interested in.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Bellinilover said:


> Any book by the late J.B. Steane. His books are more about opera _singing_ (singers, recordings, etc.) than about opera, but they are considered the finest on that subject and include _The Grand Tradition_, _Voices, Singers, and Critics_, and the three-volume _Singers of the Century _series; he was also a columnist for _Gramophone_ magazine. I first discovered these books when I was in college and was immediately enthralled. I am a semi-professional writer, and since discovering him Steane has been my writing role-model. I would encourage everyone on this Forum to seek out his books.


I have all his books too and he really illuminates the art of singing, singer by singer, register by register. Actually, I began reading him back when he wrote about English literature, including his prefaced edition of Christopher Marlowe. I remember a fairly old series of videos on 78 rpm era opera singers that contains some filmed interviews with him.

For composers, Charles Osborne's book on Verdi's Great Operas is a good book to read also. And the Grove Opera book too, of course.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Funny and entertaining autobiography of one of the world's leading sopranos in the first half of the 20th century.


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## Oreb (Aug 8, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> I'm really enjoying the one by Martin van Amerongen - the first fifty pages at least are just full of dry irony, which I love. Pretty hilarious!


 Yes - it's beautifully written, isn't it? Very sane, very down-to-earth. Glad you found a copy


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## starlightexp (Sep 3, 2013)

Thomas Kelly's FIRST NIGHTS AT THE OPERA is a great read. While it only covers 5 operas it was the book that got me to understand Handel's Gulio Cesare and seek out copies of it. The photos of the original documents are a treat as well


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

In my previous post I forgot to mention one of the influences that contributed to my ability, finally, after a long and arduous journey, to "get" Wagner. (You won't believe how long and arduous that journey really was.) Ernest Newman published this book in 1947 and even then it was based on earlier articles from his Wagner Nights series. May be dated but still the standard work, imo.









The English translation of Martin Geck's new biography of Wagner won't be out in the U.S. until later this month, so I have it on pre-order but I've read good reviews about it.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Revenant said:


> In my previous post I forgot to mention one of the influences that contributed to my ability, finally, after a long and arduous journey, to "get" Wagner. (You won't believe how long and arduous that journey really was.)


I think I would believe it. I've been working at Wagner for years with not much success. Currently working on Bryan Magee's book, The Tristan Chord - he doesn't seem a complete idiot, so I'll give it some time. (Perhaps his foolishness will reveal itself gradually, insidiously, like a plague that starts from a single mutation ... !!) Thanks so much for your recommendations.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> I think I would believe it. I've been working at Wagner for years with not much success. Currently working on Bryan Magee's book, The Tristan Chord - he doesn't seem a complete idiot, so I'll give it some time. (Perhaps his foolishness will reveal itself gradually, insidiously, like a plague that starts from a single mutation ... !!) Thanks so much for your recommendations.


My father began as a Verdi and verismo opera fan when he began his studies at the conservatory. By the time I was born, however, he was already a strong Wagnerian (or as Shaw called us, Wagnerites). I got the Verdi, the Puccini, the Leoncavallo and the Giordano, but could never get the Wagner. Eventually I grew to like isolated pieces from Lohengrin and Tannhauser, but that was it. My father kept trying over the years, to no avail. He always said that eventually I would "get" Wagner. And eventually, I did. Just a few years ago. By then my father was no longer with us and I was past 60. So, what else can I say to anyone except don't give up?


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

:lol: that is SOME story!! You have been working at this a while, haven't you? lol


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> :lol: that is SOME story!! You have been working at this a while, haven't you? lol


Yes my friend, and I hope to be able to continue to work at it until I get it right. Which suggests to me a great title for an opera: The Myth of Sysiphus. And as Camus wrote, we must imagine Sysiphus happy.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

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.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Revenant said:


> Yes my friend, and I hope to be able to continue to work at it until I get it right. Which suggests to me a great title for an opera: The Myth of Sysiphus. And as Camus wrote, we must imagine Sysiphus happy.


....................................Good one!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

schigolch said:


> 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.


That does sound interesting! It's going on the list.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

starlightexp said:


> Thomas Kelly's FIRST NIGHTS AT THE OPERA is a great read. While it only covers 5 operas it was the book that got me to understand Handel's Gulio Cesare and seek out copies of it. The photos of the original documents are a treat as well


Based on your recommendation I've just ordered this book online. The concept is extremely interesting and as you like it, I know I will enjoy it.


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## starlightexp (Sep 3, 2013)

Not a very high-brow book but a fun juicy book of back stage gossip. I loved it .


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

starlightexp said:


> View attachment 24287
> 
> 
> Not a very high-brow book but a fun juicy book of back stage gossip. I loved it .


Yeah, I read that one. It does have some juicy gossip and some I kind of wish had not been published. I mean, if you don't know something is true, and if it's also actually kind of grotesque, I don't think it's appropriate to print it. ...Now, you could take the attitude that, since it HAS been printed and no suit for libel has resulted, it's probably true; but on the other hand, there could be legal or other considerations that prevent such a suit from being instituted, and so once again, you don't know.

I liked Joe Volpe's book, The Toughest Show on Earth, much better.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Currently engaged in Rodney Bolt's book on da Ponte, The Librettist of Venice. Pretty interesting, pretty well written, awesome word portraits of Metastasio and Mozart.

One of the more interesting paragraphs from Wikipedia gives about Da Ponte that "Although he was a Catholic priest, the young man led a dissolute life. While priest of the church of San Luca, he took a mistress, with whom he had two children. At his 1779 trial, where he was charged with "public concubinage" and "abduction of a respectable woman", it was alleged that he had been living in a brothel and organizing the entertainments there. He was found guilty and banished for fifteen years from Venice." The book gives much more detail and ultimately a much different view of the same time of his life, although none of the facts appear to be different.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Not a favorite "book" per se, but a favorite handbook if you will. In this age of disc sets arriving without a libretto, even for complete Operas, this old and probably out of print book is to me a very valuable asset indeed.


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## stevenski (Oct 19, 2011)

"The Queens Throat": Wayne Koestenbaum


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

This book contains the 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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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Probably inspiring a deluge, here, but just wondering: which do you think is the best bio of Wagner?


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Got this from library, then ordered my own copy for abebooks.com

I always wanted something that listed operas chronologically, and this one has started me on a new project.....


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> Probably inspiring a deluge, here, but just wondering: which do you think is the best bio of Wagner?


Please excuse the premature expostulation, as I've just received and not yet begun reading this book that was recently translated into English. It's in my to-read queue now. The author, however, is a renowned authority on the subject and the book has received very good reviews. I mentioned it in an earlier post. Thumbing through it, it seems to be thorough and authoritative, concentrating more on discussing the development and creative aspects of his music.

Richard Wagner, A Life In Music by Martin Geck


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Thanks. I'll put it on the list.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

If you are interested in the acoustics of the theaters where Opera is performed, this book is for you. Very entertaining, and readable, with lots of facts, but also useful opinions.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Another favorite of mine, and very very useful to me, was Opera's First Master: The Musical Dramas of Claudio Monteverdi, by Mark Ringer. I had the luck of reading it when I began learning about Late Renaissance/Early Baroque music for the theatre. Very comprehensive and thorough but not ponderous at all. It manages to explain in simple terms the history and the historical developments involving polyphonic to monodic and the revolutionary use of _basso continuo _in the formulation of dramatic music. It also comes with a sample cd (mostly Jacobs) from the three extant Monteverdi operas.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

I learned about opera from The Victor Book of the Opera.
I loved it.

http://www.amazon.com/Victor-Book-Opera-Henry-Simon/dp/0671200542


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Revenant said:


> Another favorite of mine, and very very useful to me, was Opera's First Master: The Musical Dramas of Claudio Monteverdi, by Mark Ringer. I had the luck of reading it when I began learning about Late Renaissance/Early Baroque music for the theatre. Very comprehensive and thorough but not ponderous at all. It manages to explain in simple terms the history and the historical developments involving polyphonic to monodic and the revolutionary use of _basso continuo _in the formulation of dramatic music. It also comes with a sample cd (mostly Jacobs) from the three extant Monteverdi operas.


That sounds pretty neat! I'll check it out.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Barry-Millington/dp/0691027226
I really enjoyed Millington's book on Wagner.


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## svstats (Jul 1, 2013)

I haven't read too many but I enjoyed Millington's 'Sorceror of Bayreuth' and William Murray's 'Fortissimo.'


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

If you like Fantasy and Opera, you perhaps will kind of enjoy this book. Not so sure if you are not in love with both genres, though.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

svstats said:


> I haven't read too many but I enjoyed Millington's 'Sorceror of Bayreuth' and William Murray's 'Fortissimo.'


I'm a bit Wagnered out for now but Fortissimo looks like an excellent suggestion! Thanks.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

schigolch said:


> If you like Fantasy and Opera, you perhaps will kind of enjoy this book. Not so sure if you are not in love with both genres, though.


Now THAT looks like fun!!!


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Meant to read the revised version of "The Grout Book", A Short History of Opera, for years. I downloaded it to my kindle today. I wonder if the new version will provide me with something I didn't know about opera, but at least it seems to be pleasant and cozy reading.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

I thought _I Saw The World End_, by Deryck Cooke, was stupendous, and it was tragic that he didn't live to complete it. As a lad, I devoured Robert Donington's _Wagner's Ring and its Symbols_ (my copy is held together by sticky-tape), albeit the psychobabble leaves me a bit cold nowadays. I'm not as "Jung" as I used to be  That said, it still holds its own as a (musical) analysis of _Leitmotivs_.

Outside Wagner, _Opera on the Beach_ (by Philip Glass, ed. Robert T Jones) makes for compulsive reading, if you can get hold of a copy.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> Outside Wagner, _Opera on the Beach_ (by Philip Glass, ed. Robert T Jones) makes for compulsive reading, if you can get hold of a copy.


Thanks. It's going on the list!


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> I thought _I Saw The World End_, by Deryck Cooke, was stupendous, and it was tragic that he didn't live to complete it. [....]


Cooke's early demise was a tremendous loss. What scholarly depth of understanding, attention to detail, and passionate love of this complex music. Iirc, that book title was taken from a line given to Brunnhilde in the original version of Wagner's written version of the Ring, which he later changed under Schopenhauer's influence (and not all for the good, I believe). I have Cooke's companion audio to the Solti Ring, which is an explanatory listing of most if not all of the leitmotifs and their thematic variations. A stunning achievement.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Interesting book for anyone interested in Weill and/or Lotte Lenya.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Tenor Christopher Gillett wrote an entertaining book called 'Who's My Bottom'. It chronicles the highs & lows of the life of a singer but it is very British humour & may not be to everyone's taste.










Christopher has written a sequel, 'Scraping The Bottom'. Good fun & had me laughing out loud.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

sospiro said:


> Tenor Christopher Gillett wrote an entertaining book called 'Who's My Bottom'. It chronicles the highs & lows of the life of a singer but it is very British humour & may not be to everyone's taste.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I enjoyed the first one (British humour, hehe) so I've just ordered the sequel.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Wandered into Julliard's bookstore the other day, kind of on a whim, and asked if they had any textbooks on singing ... the young man at the counter was very helpful, and made three recommendations, of which I bought two: Lili Lehmann's How to Sing and Jerome Hines' Great Singers on Great Singing. (The third recommendation was W. Stephen Smith and Michael Chipman's The Naked Voice: A Wholistic Approach to Singing, and cost more than the other two put together.)

I started the Lehmann and soon switched to the Hines. But Lehmann's idea of the body as a whole resonator was really quite startling. Her diagrams are just illegible, and her attempts to draw what she feels seem half-baked, but Hines' interviews confirm that as much witchery goes into the art of singing as comes out in the heart when you listen! But they both seem like immensely valuable books for students of singing.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Starting to read the autobiography of this rather obscure singer, a contralto born in Liverpool in the 1880s. It seems interesting, so far.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

A very good reference book:


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## Lucrezia (Nov 21, 2013)

Celloman said:


> I found this at a book sale recently:
> 
> View attachment 22120
> 
> ...


Thanks for information. I saw it recently but thought it would be superficial so I went for


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## expat (Mar 17, 2013)

Just finished The Tristan Chord by Magee. Great read and very accessible to beginners.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

I'm reading James Drake's Centenary Biography of Rosa Ponselle, and enjoying it very much.

Though I'm not familiar with even the names of 80% of the co-stars she talks about in the interview sections, I still find reading her comments endlessly fascinating.

The author sets up each chapter with first transcribing interviews with Rosa, then the words of another person about the same events covered in the interview, and finally, a section on other things in print on those events (many from contemporary sources). It gives the reader the chance to use his/her own discretion as to what to believe.


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

This is a very light and funny book, there is history of opera, singers, styles, plots..everything. The author tells us a how he became an opera lover and how to like opera if never you have listened to it... It's very funny and I recommend it. It takes only a day or three to read, it is very light but the information in the book is very interesting.









http://www.amazon.com/Opera-Beginners-Writers-Readers-Documentary/dp/0863160867/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386858407&sr=1-2&keywords=opera+for+beginners


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

Revenant said:


> Not a favorite "book" per se, but a favorite handbook if you will. In this age of disc sets arriving without a libretto, even for complete Operas, this old and probably out of print book is to me a very valuable asset indeed.
> 
> View attachment 24830


Like Revenant, I do like the book 101 librettos too.
In this thread we spoke about books on librettos:

http://www.talkclassical.com/23759-searching-book-about-verdi.html


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

This is not a book, it's an audiobook that I enjoy a lot listening to when I'm on the metro, on the bus, when I go for a walk or I go to sleep: The Naxos' History of opera.









http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=NA417612

These are the tracks:

Disc 1

The History of Opera 
Powell, Robert, reader

1. Opera - The Beginnings 00:04:15

2. The Baroque - Opera Emerges 00:05:16

3. Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643) 00:05:39

4. The First Public Opera House In Venice - 1637 00:03:06

5. Opera Spreads 00:05:24

6. Opera In France 00:05:13

7. Opera In Germany - 17th Century 00:01:42

8. Opera In England - 17th Century 00:06:57

9. George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) 00:04:19

10. Castrati 00:05:34

11. Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714 - 1787) 00:04:59

12. Singspiel 00:02:13

13. The Classical Period 00:02:27

14. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) 00:06:48

15. Mozart With The Librettist Lorenzo da Ponte 00:09:14

16. Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) 00:06:18

Disc 2

The History of Opera 
Powell, Robert, reader

1. Opera In Italy - The Early 19th Century 00:12:04

2. Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848) 00:06:44

3. Vincenzo Bellini 00:05:05

4. The High C 00:01:21

5. Opera In Germany - The Early 19th Century 00:07:07

6. Opera In Paris - The Early 19th Century 00:07:44

7. Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1835) 00:04:14

8. Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893) 00:05:53

9. Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1890) 00:03:04

10. Camille Saint - Saens (1835 - 1921) 00:04:20

11. Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875) 00:05:33

12. Opera In England - 19th Century 00:04:55

13. Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) 00:08:28

14. Verdi - The Middle Period 00:02:50

Disc 3

The History of Opera 
Powell, Robert, reader

1. Verdi - The Years Of Maturity 00:06:03

2. Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) 00:06:18

3. The Ring 00:07:23

4. The Beginning Of Verismo 00:11:31

5. Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) 00:05:02

6. La boheme 00:07:52

7. The Rise Of Nationalism - Bohemia 00:05:18

8. Nationalism In Russia 00:05:26

9. Modest Mussorgsky (1839 - 1881) 00:05:45

10. Anton Rubinstein (1829 - 1894) 00:02:24

11. Peter Illy'ich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) 00:04:40

12. Impressionism In France 00:04:11

13. Expressionism In Germany 00:07:32

Disc 4

The History of Opera 
Powell, Robert, reader

1. Arnold Schonberg (1874 - 1951) 00:03:46

2. Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971) 00:02:10

3. Other German Composers 00:02:56

4. Poland - Karol Szymanowski (1882 - 1937) 00:02:16

5. Czechoslovakia - Leos Janacek (1854 - 1928) 00:02:56

6. Hungary - Zoltan Kodaly (1882 - 1967), Bela Bartok (1881 - 1945) 00:00:32

7. Spain - Manuel de Falla (1876 - 1946) 00:01:04

8. USA 00:04:40

9. Russia 00:02:33

10. Britain 00:05:25

11. The Present - And Future 00:04:01

12. Casinos And Opera 00:01:35

13. Burnings And Opera 00:00:44

14. Animals And Opera 00:00:49

15. Singers And Opera 00:02:13

16. Tosca And Opera 00:02:04

17. What Is Operetta 00:02:54

18. The Opera - Comique In Paris, 1715 00:02:49

19. Adolphe Adam (1803 - 1856) And Herve (1825 - 1892) 00:03:28

20. Jacques Offenbach 00:05:13

21. Operetta In Germany 00:02:05

22. Operetta In Vienna 00:02:42

23. Johann Strauss Junior (1825 - 1899) 00:04:21

24. Operetta In England 00:04:16

25. Viennese Operetta - Into The 20th Century 00:04:45

26. Oscar Straus (1870 - 1954) 00:00:29

27. Emmerich Kalman (1882 - 1953) 00:01:08

28. Robert Stolz (1880 - 1975) 00:00:51

29. Light Opera - USA 00:02:40

30. Goodbye 00:02:07

Total Playing Time: 05:17:43


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Vesteralen said:


> I'm reading James Drake's Centenary Biography of Rosa Ponselle, and enjoying it very much.
> 
> Though I'm not familiar with even the names of 80% of the co-stars she talks about in the interview sections, I still find reading her comments endlessly fascinating.
> 
> The author sets up each chapter with first transcribing interviews with Rosa, then the words of another person about the same events covered in the interview, and finally, a section on other things in print on those events (many from contemporary sources). It gives the reader the chance to use his/her own discretion as to what to believe.


Some of those 'co-stars' were all among the top of the Golden Age of Opera for the 20th Century: Gigli, Lauri-Volpi, Pinza and, of course, the one she called Il Commendatore - Caruso. She called Pinza "il caffone" (the badly dressed lout), although his taste in clothes must have improved tremendously over the years, as I remember him as one of the best dressed luminaries around, at least when he was older. But apparently Rosa was suffering from some sour grapes syndrome with Pinza. You should check them all out. Avoid early Lauri-Volpi, however, if you - like me- do not like fast vibrato.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Hesoos, what a treat that disc is, narrated by Jesus of Nazareth himself, even (Powell). So we must believe this version of opera history. :angel:

But how dare they give Gluck 40 seconds more than Handel!? 

Seriously, thank you for this tip.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Ponselle called Pinza "porco" because he was apparently unable to take his hands off her. To be fair, this was also happening with almost any other female co-star of Pinza. However, later in life, with Ponselle retired and in her fifties, she recorded at Villa Pace a version of "'Là ci darem la mano" with Pinza himself.


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

Revenant said:


> Hesoos, what a treat that disc is, narrated by Jesus of Nazareth himself, even (Powell). So we must believe this version of opera history. :angel:
> 
> But how dare they give Gluck 40 seconds more than Handel!?
> 
> Seriously, thank you for this tip.


:lol: I didn't know that Powell is the actor of Jesus of Nazareth, That's so funny. 
The voice really is good listening.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

schigolch said:


> Ponselle called Pinza "porco" because he was apparently unable to take his hands off her. To be fair, this was also happening with almost any other female co-star of Pinza. However, later in life, with Ponselle retired and in her fifties, she recorded at Villa Pace a version of "'Là ci darem la mano" with Pinza himself.


If she was telling the truth, yes. But if she made it up out of resentment that she may have been the only one whom Pinza didn't paw or pinch (his favorite approach), then I would attribute it to sour grapes syndrome. For some reason, her statements struck me that way when I read Drake's book, which is carefully worded. A miracle of a voice, but not the comeliest among the maids, at least before her later makeovers.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I just started reading Richard Miller's _On the Art of Singing_, a book of essays on singing technique, musical interpretation, and career preparation for the opera singer. The essays on musical interpretation are especially fascinating for me, as it's a subject I'd never really understood before.


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## messadivoce (Apr 18, 2014)

Revenant said:


> Some of those 'co-stars' were all among the top of the Golden Age of Opera for the 20th Century: Gigli, Lauri-Volpi, Pinza and, of course, the one she called Il Commendatore - Caruso. She called Pinza "il caffone" (the badly dressed lout), although his taste in clothes must have improved tremendously over the years, as I remember him as one of the best dressed luminaries around, at least when he was older. But apparently Rosa was suffering from some sour grapes syndrome with Pinza. You should check them all out. Avoid early Lauri-Volpi, however, if you - like me- do not like fast vibrato.


Don't listen to Revenant about Lauri-Volpi, Vesteralen! I'm just kidding lol. Personally, I like the fast vibrato in early Lauri-Volpi so maybe you might too. That said, the James Drake's centenary biography on Ponselle made me realize that Lauri-Volpi's low notes aren't so glorious and his timbre isn't even through his range. His high notes are magnificent though and he has a lot of squillo in them. Kraus said he employed a reinforced falsetto for his higher notes, as was customary during his time. If you want to hear more about Lauri-Volpi's technique, check out the other things Kraus has to say:

http://www.mariafattore.com/AKTranscript.htm


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

messadivoce said:


> Don't listen to Revenant about Lauri-Volpi, Vesteralen! I'm just kidding lol. Personally, I like the fast vibrato in early Lauri-Volpi so maybe you might too. That said, the James Drake's centenary biography on Ponselle made me realize that Lauri-Volpi's low notes aren't so glorious and his timbre isn't even through his range. His high notes are magnificent though and he has a lot of squillo in them. Kraus said he employed a reinforced falsetto for his higher notes, as was customary during his time. If you want to hear more about Lauri-Volpi's technique, check out the other things Kraus has to say:
> 
> http://www.mariafattore.com/AKTranscript.htm


Well, iirc, Kraus was a student of L-V and Kraus was a gentleman... And too late, messadivoce... Vesteralen has had months to absorb my caution against early L-V. Muah ha haa.... _Il mio velen, lavora_...!


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## BevSills (Jul 23, 2014)

My All-Time Favorite is James McCourt's "Mawrdew Czgowchwz. A quite funny delicious delight.


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## JohnGerald (Jul 6, 2014)

1. Berger, Verdi With A Vengeance.

2. Charles Osborne, The Bel Canto Operas

3. Richard Osborne, Rossini

4. Alan Kendall, Rossini: The Reluctant Hero

5. James A. Drake, Richard Tucker, A Biography

6. Lanfranco Risponi, The Last Primas Donnas


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## Sonneteer (Aug 3, 2014)

I like "Nietzsche and Wagner: A Lesson in Subjugation" by Joachim Kohler, though it emphasizes philosophy and politics more than opera. Still, it's fascinating I think.


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## JohnGerald (Jul 6, 2014)

A bit off topic, but there is a DVD entitled "The Audition" which features the Met final auditions from 2010. It gives a thoroughly intense sense of exactly what young singers go through to reach their goals, personally and financially. There is also a lot of fine singing. Not a book, but the subject matter is on point.


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## Sonneteer (Aug 3, 2014)

I also liked "Massenet: A Chronicle of His Life and Times" by Demar Irvine because it deals with the works of Jules Massenet (1842-1912), who was *very* popular during the last half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries but is rarely performed any more. "Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame" was listed in my 1959-1960 World Book Encyclopedia as one of the 30 or 40 greatest operas, but I could never find a copy of it until 4 or 5 years ago. I was interested in how Massenet would bring a medieval Mystery Play to a modern opera stage.


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## Sonneteer (Aug 3, 2014)

"Gustav Mahler" by Bruno Walter has some interesting asides while talking about turn of the century opera in Vienna and Germany. Some huge hits of the time are rarely performed now.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Michael Henstock's biography of Fernando de Lucia must be the most thorough book on any singer. I've probably re-read it more times than any other book.
Also The Grand Tradition by John Steane- he's infuriatingly snarky about some singers I revere and overly indulgent towards the likes of Pavarotti, but it's stunningly well written, and I think at the time I was just pleased to find any book that dealt with early operatic records! 
Also, Kobbé's Complete Opera Book. I wonder what happened to the copy I used to have at university- it always used to fall open on the picture of Jean de Reszke wearing thigh boots


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## JohnGerald (Jul 6, 2014)

I forgot to include Phillip Gosset's Divas and Scolars: Performing Italian Opera. Great reading for fans of opera's history.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

_Verdi. Roman der Oper_ is a novel by Franz Werfel, written in the 1920s, about a supposed meeting of Verdi and Wagner at Venice, in the 1880s. Very entertaining. I'm sure there is an English translation.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

schigolch said:


> _Verdi. Roman der Oper_ is a novel by Franz Werfel, written in the 1920s, about a supposed meeting of Verdi and Wagner at Venice, in the 1880s. Very entertaining. I'm sure there is an English translation.


Is there? I'd love to read it. Any ideas where this can be found?


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I just searched in Google, and it seems there are some used copies for sale in the usual places.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Sonneteer said:


> "Gustav Mahler" by Bruno Walter has some interesting asides while talking about turn of the century opera in Vienna and Germany. Some huge hits of the time are rarely performed now.


Meyerbeer, Lortzing, Rubinstein, and Halevy come to mind in particular.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

1. (All time favorite): The Verdi/Boito Correspondence
2. Ardoin/Fitzgerald: Callas
3. Rasponi: The Last Prima Donnas
4. Jackson: Sign Off for the Old Met
5. (and for out and out fun): Mawrdew Gorgeous


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## maometto (Sep 2, 2014)

If you can read Italian, Elvio Giudici books are amazings.


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## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

"Drama and the World of Richard Wagner" is excellent, an overlooked gem.

http://www.amazon.com/Drama-Richard-Wagner-Dieter-Borchmeyer/dp/0691114978/


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

One of my favourite books on Opera as a young man was 'The World Theatre of Wagner' by Charles Osborne. It was a large format book, with many vintage pictures and illustrations of various productions. It was one of the books that really spurred my interest in Opera, and one that I return to on occasion to refresh my memory on the visual aspects of stage production.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Just got this. Her book "Opera Origins and Sidelights" was great and this one is much bigger.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

I recommend "The Metropolitan Opera: Guide to Recorded Opera" to those of us always in search of the best recordings of our favorite operas. The book gives a summary of every singer in every major role of every recorded opera...I also enjoyed Titta Ruffo's autobiography "My Parabola"...I agree with those who recommended Steane's "The Grand Tradition".


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The best sold book in my Country about operas
( In Dutch)


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

Another fan of Helena Matheopoulos' Bravo. 

A book that disappointed was the Caballé biography by Taylor and Pullen, which seemed little more than a chronological list of all her performances and told me no more about her than I already knew. A much more interesting read was Janet Baker's "Full Circle" although I found I didn't actually warm to her as a person.


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

sospiro said:


> Tenor Christopher Gillett wrote an entertaining book called 'Who's My Bottom'. It chronicles the highs & lows of the life of a singer but it is very British humour & may not be to everyone's taste.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's definitely to my taste. I ordered it as a result of reading about it here. It arrived yesterday and I'm already halfway through it. Very funny and very entertaining. I can see I'll be ordering the sequel.


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## cancui (Jan 19, 2019)

Xavier said:


> One of my favorites:
> 
> The Ultimate Art: Essays Around and About Opera by David Littlejohn
> 
> http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/data/13030/cv/ft887008cv/figures/ft887008cv_cover.jpg


So happy to see this one on the list! One of my all-time favorites too. i came across this book from a search of materials on _Les Contes d'Hoffman_. Perhaps because Professor Littlejohn is not a "musicologist" in the strict sense, his writing is not condescending AT ALL as to tell people to stay away from widely-admired but "bad" operas (as critics like Joseph Kerman do, I do have great respect for Kerman though). It's evident from Prof. Littlejohn's own words that beside plain reading of music and drama, theatrical experience is important too. There is a touch of humor in the text that from time to time gives me a hearty laugh, e.g. when he complains about the silliness of _Trovatore_ libretto.

If you want some comprehensive knowledge of opera history, Donald J. Grout's _A Short History of Opera_ (it's not in the least "short" though! )is the one to go for. A highly readable book even for an amateur like me, and there's great lots of details on important but forgotten work- I fell in love with Schubert's _Fierrabras _ afterwards.

If you are interested in a certain composer, in my case Verdi and Mozart, I recommend Francis Toye's _Giuseppe Verdi: His Life and Works_, and Julian Budden's _Operas of Verdi_, which comes in three volumes that give thorough analyses on all Verdi operas. Also there's Edward J. Dent's _Mozart's Operas_.

Also, you cannot miss Joseph Kerman's _Opera as Drama_ and Paul Robinson's _Opera and Ideas_, both of which provide fresh insights on representative works. Of course, some of them are truly convincing to me while some are not, but it's great to see things in different angles.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

I'm not sure exactly when, years ago I got the _The New Kobbé's Complete Opera Book_ edited by Lord Harewood (fourth impression, ~ 1976), and have used it as a reference book ever since. I've got a number of books on opera, not including the more than 30-40 individual opera guides (I can't find where they are since our move and I can't remember who published them).

Some of my favorites are:

3-vol. Budder set on Verdi operas

The Osborne books on the operas of Mozart, Verdi and Puccini

_Prima Donna_ by Christensen

_Handel's Operas_ by Dean & Knapp

George Perle's two books on Berg's operas

_Literature as Opera_ by Schmidgall

_Opera and Its Symbols_ by Donington

At least, usually more than, one biography of Verdi, Puccini, and Wagner.

Several books on the Ring (still music I have yet to crack)

Alan Blyth's _Opera on Record_, 3 vols.

What more recent books are recommended?


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## Dick Johnson (Apr 14, 2020)

A relatively new book on Wagner that I found very enjoyable. Its focus is not on Wagner's music as much as the the influence of Wagner's work on subsequent music, art, and literature.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

I just got this book,

_The Autumn of Italian Opera: From Verismo to Modernism, 1890-1915_ 
by *Alan Mallach *










This period is an interest of mine and I was happy to find a book that covered Italian opera. I just hope it is not too scholarly/dry.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

msegers said:


> View attachment 22124
> 
> 
> _Mawrdew Czgowchwz_ by James McCourt is a novel, a wild over-the-top novel floating away on a sea of language in a style you can take to the Firbank. The novel eases us back to the days of the old Met, of discovering new singers in scratchy radio transmissions (not pirated MP3s).
> ...


Without a doubt one of the best books on opera genre out there. Well written and funny as hell. By the way, her name is pronounced Mardew Gorgeous.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

BevSills said:


> My All-Time Favorite is James McCourt's "Mawrdew Czgowchwz. A quite funny delicious delight.
> View attachment 47279


Mine too!!!!!!!!


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

The Verdi-Boito Correspondence is perhaps one of the finest books out there for insight into the minds of these two geniuses.


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