Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera
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Everything you could possibly know about Verdi and his operas, from the brilliant and humorous author of Wagner Without Fear.
If you want to know why La traviatawas actually a flop at its premiere in 1853, it's in here. If you want to know why claiming to have heard Bjorling's Chicago performance of Il trovatoreis the classic opera fan faux pas, it's in here. Even if you just want to know how to pronounce Aida, or what the plot of Rigolettois all about, this is the place to look. From the composer's intense hatred of priests to synopses of the operas and a detailed discography of the best recordings to buy, it can all be found in Verdi with a Vengeance. William Berger has given another improbable performance, serving up a book as thorough as it is funny and as original as it is astute, an utterly indispensable guide for novice and expert alike.
Liked Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera? Here’s where I’d start.
These suit anyone who liked Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.
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La Traviata [With 2 CDs] Shares opera, music -
The Toughest Show on Earth: My Rise and Reign at the Metropolitan Opera Shares opera, music, biography -
Molto Agitato: The Mayhem Behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera Shares opera, music, nonfiction
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Cinderella & Company: Backstage at the Opera with Cecilia Bartoli Shares opera, music, nonfiction
“If you want more of the same (biography about music), start with these.”
“If it was the opera that hooked you, try one of these.”
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100 Great Operas and Their Stories: Act-by-Act Synopses
- Molto Agitato : the Mayhem behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera.
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The Queen's Throat: Opera, Homosexuality, and the Mystery of Desire
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The King and I: The Uncensored Tale of Luciano Pavarotti's Rise to Fame by His Manager, Friend and Sometime Adversary
