Opera

Eyewitness Companions

by Leslie Dunton-Downer, Alan Riding

Spanning 400 years of musical drama, from the late Renaissance and including such classical masters as Verdi, Puccini, and Bizet, this is the complete visual guidebook to the great operas, their composers and performance history. "Packed into every page of this book is the excitement of discovery, knowledge, taste and visual beauty. In some way, it all gives the reader the illusion of being at an actual performance." -- Placido Domingo " Opera is a beautiful guide for opera enthusiasts as well as the perfect welcome for converts to this ancient rite. It offers today's and tomorrow's audiences a delightful 'navigation system' along an avenue that leads from Monteverdi to Bob Wilson. -- Stephane Lissner , Director of the Teatro alla Scala "Richly illustrated and beautifully written, this book captures the art, lyricism, passion and excitement of opera through the ages. It is an ideal companion for opera newcomers and devotees alike." -- Daniel Barenboim "This guide is essential for serious opera buffs and newcomers alike. From basic explanations of the history of opera to details of classic scores - all told in a witty, conversational tone and accompanied by hundreds of full-color photos - Alan Riding and Leslie Dunton-Downer prove themselves, in this engaging account, to be eyewitness companions with clear vision." -- Peter Gelb , General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera "I am delighted to recommend this book to anyone who is, or thinks they may be, interested in opera. It is wonderfully illustrated and contains just the right amount of information on each composer and an insight into their operas. It's the kind of book to place on your coffee table to enjoy when you have a quiet moment. My guess is that your coffee consumption will increase!" -- Bryn Terfel

Genres: Music, Reference, Nonfiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2006

Reviews

[David]

Very good. I enjoyed Ariadne Auf Naxos and also am branching out to Messiaen. I can't however help feeling that my finer sensibilities have been completely dumped by the avant garde. Such is life. We grow older and no doubt wiser. I may be unique in hanging on to older affinities. I prefer Mozart and Salieri. Time marches on. I think we lose more than we gain, or maybe not. My opinion doesn't much matter, however strong it still is, and such is the matter of opera. This sort of inner turmoil has no end. I have so much to say on this subject. In pace requiescat. I am happy for you, primadonna. All's well that ends well.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had higher expectations. If one looks at this book as a primer, sure, it is great. The pictures and layout are wonderful, as are all DK books. The synopses of each opera, however, were a bit convuluted and seemed rushed as if the design dictated the text (which very well might be the case). The result? A pretty book with not much content on each opera.

[Batty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading sections of this book when I'm not motivated to practice. It satisfies my quick-fix need to for pretty pictures while investigating composers.

[Oksana · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice pictures, descriptions short

[André · Rating 4 out of 5]

Citaat : De muziekstijl is veranderd, maar in essentie is opera hetzelfde gebleven: bijgestaan door orkest, decorstukken, kostuums en lichteffecten vertellen de zangers een verhaal.

Review : Opera is heel lang een muziekvorm geweest die toch nogal elitair behandeld werd. De laatste jaren kwam opera dichter bij de doorsnee muziekliefhebber te staan door toedoen van het beeldmedium en populaire zangers en zangeressen die nummers uit bekende opera’s op hun repertoire namen. Dit maakte de identieke opera toch ook toegankelijker voor een breed publiek. Ook in de literatuur vond ik nu een zéér toegankelijk werk over opera terug.


Alan Riding, kunstrecensent voor the New York times en componiste Leslie Dunton-Downer stelden een schitterend naslagwerk samen onder de titel Eyewitness Companions - Opera.
Unieboek focus maakte er een sublieme Nederlandse bewerking van waaraan zowel leek als melomaan veel pret kunnen beleven. Het is een handig en mooiogend naslagwerk waarin heel de geschiedenis van de opera summier maar wel heel duidelijk in beeld werd gebracht.
Persoonlijk lees ik er regelmatig een hoofdstuk in om meer te kunnen genieten van een bepaald muziekstuk op zich. Heerlijk boek.

[NS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molto bello...

[Felix Rode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro

[Steven Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the outset, the authors, Alan Riding and Leslie Dunton-Downer, define the essence of opera thus (page 15): "Accompanied by an orchestra, with scenery, costumes, and light adding drama, singers tell a story." This entry on the Eyewitness Companions series (published by DK) is a nice introduction to the world of opera.

The book begins with the infrastructure of opera--librettos and librettists (the words and authors of the words to be sung), staging, and opera houses and festivals (ah, the glories of Bayreuth, La Scala, the Met). Then, a brief listing of major singers--from the castratos to the prima donnas to the tenors).

Then, a survey of operas and composers, from 1600 to the present. The first composer considered is Claudio Monteverdi (page 55), ". . .regarded as opera's founding father." Among his operas--"L'Orfeo" and "L'Incoronazione di Poppea." Among others examined--Jean-Baptiste Lully, Henry Purcell, Antonio Vivaldo, Giovanni Pergolesi, concluding with Wolfganf Amadeus Mozart and his glorious works.

One of my favorite genres within opera is the bel canto repertoire, of composers such as Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Nicely covered on pages 129-159. And so it goes. Even though I am not an afficianado of contemporary opera, I am delighted to see that current composers' works are included in this volume, to provide a more complete picture, including the products of composers such as Arnold Schoenberg, Virgil Thomson, Carl Orff, and Philip Glass.

If interested in a wide-ranging introduction to the world of opera, this volume ought to prove quite useful.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contains way more information than I am interested in, but it is a useful guide. It covers operas from the origin to the present and presents a picture of opera across the world. The portions that cover the Mozart and Italian periods I am most interested in provide really helpful synopses and interesting tidbits about the productions.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty in-depth synopses of famous operas divided up by region and in chronological order.
Not exactly what I was expecting, but definitely learned quite a bit. A decent beginner's guide.

[Adri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice potted plots, little Tidbits and odds and ends

[Hodwar Arias · Rating 5 out of 5]

is good!!!