Opera: The Definitive Illustrated Story

Eyewitness Companions

by Alan Riding, Leslie Dunton-Downer

Experience the passion and drama of the world's greatest operas with this sumptuously illustrated visual guide.

Immerse yourself in more than 400 years of the world's most celebrated operas and discover the fascinating stories behind them. Explore the lives of singers such as Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, and Jonas Kaufmann. Meet composers like Mozart, Wagner, and Britten, and the librettists with whom they collaborated to create the magical blend of words and music that make up opera.

From its origins in the 17th-century courts of Italy to live screenings in public spaces today, The Definitive Illustrated Story follows the history of opera from Monteverdi's L'Orfeo in 1607, to Cosi fan Tutte, La Bohème, and modern operas such as Brokeback Mountain. It explains musical terminology, traces historical developments, and sets everything in cultural context.

This awe-inspiring opera book further

-Includes all of the most important operas from the Renaissance to the 21st century
-Profiles the key composers, librettists, performers, and companies, with details of their lives, works, and influence
-Arranged in chronological order to show the evolution of the genre
-Clear, informative explanation of musical terminology and different types of opera

Filled with photographs of all the key figures and performances, this book revels in the sets and costumes that make up the grand spectacle of opera. It also explores the great opera houses of the world, such as La Scala, Milan, the Met in New York, and the Sydney Opera House. The Definitive Illustrated Story is the essential book for anyone who wants to understand and enjoy the constantly evolving world of this beloved art form.

Did you know that there are more than 25,000 opera performances per year worldwide? The Definitive Illustrated Story can be regarded as the most lavishly illustrated history of opera currently available, covering all of the most important operas from the Renaissance to the 21st century, and is completely global in scope. A must-have volume for opera buffs, whether as a gift or self-purchase, if you're a music lover looking for an accessible introduction to opera, then this is the book for you!

Genres: Music, Reference, Nonfiction

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2006

About the author

ALAN RIDING is a Brazilian-born Briton who studied economics and law before becoming a journalist and writer. Working successively for Reuters, The Financial Times, The Economist and The New York Times, he reported from the United Nations in New York, Latin America and Western Europe. During much of his career, Riding covered political and economic affairs. During the final 12 years before he retired from journalism in 2007, he was the European cultural correspondent for The New York Times, based in Paris. In 1980, Riding was awarded the Maria Moors Cabot Prize by Columbia University for his coverage of Latin America and he has also been honored by the Overseas Press Club and the Latin American Studies Association in the United States. He is author of the best-selling book, "Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans," and co-author of "Essential Shakespeare Handbook" and "Opera." His most recent book, published in 2010, is "And The Show Went On: Cultural Life in Nazi-Occupied Paris." It has since also been published in French, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese and Polish.

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!!!