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Title: The Rough Guide to Opera (3rd Edition) by Matthew Boyden ISBN: 1-85828-749-9 Publisher: Rough Guides Limited Pub. Date: 01 August, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.6 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Useful Information
Comment: I bought this book at the same time I bought "Ticket to the Opera" by Goulding. As an introduction to opera, Goulding's book is better written and more objective; however, "Rough Guide" includes information on more operas and what's available on CD. This is a very useful source of information, but as other reviewers have suggested, investigate other sources before buying anything. Personally, I like to have more than one reference of this sort available, because like all art, evaluating opera is a matter of opinion; guidelines are helpful, but the individual listener or viewer is the ultimate arbiter on what he or she appreciates most.
Rating: 5
Summary: Quirky and fun
Comment: This is a very useful guide, improved in the second edition over the first. It gives informed and opinionated summaries of the history of opera and its major composers and works. It also has a useful glossary of terms, and potted summaries of major 20th century singers and conductors. Not complete, of course, (eg. Frederica von Stade mysteriously is not included among the singers, though her contributions to varioius recordings are always lauded.) It contains a remarkably extensive survey of 2oth century opera (one is up to the Russian late 19th c. composers by the mid point of the book). The groupings are sometimes strange -- bel canto is tacked onto romantic operas --but it gives one of the best short critical and informed discussions of how opera has evolved with which I am familiar. The evaluations both of composers and of the selected operas are necessarily short, but still informative though I am not sure that the plot summaries really add very much. These bits are a great deal better than the typical discussion one finds in the booklets accompanying recordings or the contents of the program notes of most live performances. The recording reviews do give an indication of why the author made the first picks he did and some indication of what other recordings are available. On individual recordings, about as informative as (say) the Penguin guide. There is a strong liking for old recordings and the singers one suspects of Boyden's youth, and of recent operas. Overall, it is a great deal of fun. One doesn't have to agree with it to learn from it and enjoy it.
Rating: 4
Summary: Reference Book for the Great Operas
Comment: This book has two great features going for it. There is a (brief) synopsis of probably every opera in the repretoire. Yes, they leave a lot out, but there's enough detail, I think, to prepare yourself before attending a performance or listen to a recording. Each synopsis is followed by the author's commentary, and a brief list of reviews on CD. (which is obviously highly subjective, so longer reviews would have been more appreciated. One paragraph is about enough to say, "this was a good/bad performance." Hardly enough to go on to choose a recording.) I wouldn't make a decision to buy (or not buy) a recording based on their recommendations, but at least you can get an idea of what is available.
The really great thing about the book are various stories about opera stars and productions, such as some hilarious performances of "Tosca" and "Otello". I just coulnd't stop laughing about those stories.
Their treatment of Wagner, I thought, was pretty balanced, portraying him as a composer of great music, but much less than a great man. However, their commentary on Parsifal was unfair, making it seem like a "pro-Nazi" work, which it emphatically is not.
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Title: The Rough Guide Classical Music (Rough Guide Music CDs) by Duncan Clark, Joe Staines, Jonathan Buckley, Gavin Thomas, Ruth Blackmore, Nick Kimberley, Matthew Boyden ISBN: 1858287219 Publisher: Rough Guides Limited Pub. Date: 29 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: The Rough Guide Opera: 100 Essential Cds (Rough Guides) by Matthew Boyden ISBN: 1858284511 Publisher: Rough Guides Limited Pub. Date: 01 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $5.00 |
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Title: Opera 101 : A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera by Fred Plotkin, Placido Domingo ISBN: 0786880252 Publisher: Hyperion Pub. Date: 01 December, 1994 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Rough Guide to Jazz by Rough Guides ISBN: 1858285283 Publisher: Rough Guides Limited Pub. Date: 01 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs & Dvds: 2003/4 Edition (PENGUIN GUIDE TO COMPACT DISCS AND DVDS) by Ivan March, Edward Greenfield, Robert Layton, Ivan Penguin Guide to Compact Discs March, Paul Czajkowski ISBN: 0141013842 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 30 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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