The Definitive Kobbe's Opera Book

by Gustav Kobbé, Harewood

1987 G.P. Putnam's Sons jumbo hardcover, 14th printing. The Earl of Harewood. A collection of work of the stories of more than 300 of the world's great operas.

Genres: Music, Reference, Nonfiction, Art

1404 pages, Hardcover

First published November 27, 1918

About the author

Gustav Kobbé, M.A. was an American music critic and author, best known for his guide to the operas, The Complete Opera Book, first published (posthumously) in the United States in 1919 and the United Kingdom in 1922.

Reviews

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still the pinnacle of that 20th century staple, the descriptive opera book. Mostly rendered redundant in the 21st century by the combination of Wikipedia, TV and internet broadcast, and in-theatre supertitles, but there's a wonderful joy, a combination of nostalgia and curiosity, in finding something new within. I think the 1997 edition of this was the last (understandably so) but it really does pack in 400 years' worth of opera, with lengthy synopses, occasional musical extracts, and usefully information about productions on occasion. Worth it for anyone attempting to get into the artform, and pleasing still for those of us well-versed in it.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, from what I've read, the definitive book on opera. As the flyleaf says, "Kobbe is to opera what Bartlett is to quotations." At least in whatever is the latest edition--I admit this one is somewhat dated, having been published in 1987. It covers the standard repertoire as well as some rarities from the first opera, Claudio Monteverdi's <>La Favola d'Orfeo in 1600 to that of composers still living at the time of publication: Birtwistle, Einem, Ginastera, Glass, Henze, Knussen, Ligeti, Penderecki, Reimann, Thomson, Menotti, Sallinen, Tippett, Wingrave. What I like so much about this book is not just that each opera has a discussion of the music and a synopsis of the story, but landmark productions are noted, so you'd know that up to 1987 at least, that famous singers in the title role of La Traviata include Patti, Melba, Tetrazzini, Ponselle, Schwarzkopf, Callas, Freni, etc.

[Dasagamabu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tratado recopilatorio y explicativo de la ópera desde sus inicios hasta principios del s. XX con sus principales autores, intérpretes y representaciones. Explica el argumento de cada ópera y enriquece la cultura del lector.

[Colie! · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I love this book... I would sit in my dad's apartment and peruse the different stories, crack it open whenever we were talking about a composer and started wondering what other works they'd written, tried my best to sight sing just what Elektra's "Agamemmnon" sounded like. It's my nostalgia machine for my lifelong operalove.

[Alvaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un gran clásico

Para saber de opera, Kobbé es uno de los mejores maestros, a pesar de ser un libro escrito hace ya casi un siglo, cuando muchos de los hoy considerados clásicos aún estaban produciendo las obras que admiramos hoy.

[Bill Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an halfway Opera fan. I am unschooled. I turn to Kobbé's before I hear one.

[Les Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for opera lovers.