The Grove Book of Operas http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Grove-Book-of-Operas-Stanley-Sadie-Edited-by-Laura-Macy-Edited-by/9780195387117

By Stanley Sadie (Edited by), Laura Macy (Edited by)

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTORY ESSAY FROM SCHOLAR AND DRAMATURGE DAVID LEVIN SURVEYS CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN OPERA PERFORMANCE AND THEIR INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS; EACH ENTRY INCLUDES A FULL PLOT SYNOPSIS, CAST LIST, INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRST PRODUCTION AND A DISCUSSION OF THE OPERA'S HISTORY; INCLUDES RECENT OPERAS SUCH AS THE DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER , HANDMAID'S TALE, AND LITTLE WOMEN, WHICH HAVE RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE PRESS ATTENTION AND, IN SOME INSTANCES, HAVE GENERATED CONTROVERSY; EACH OF THE ENTRIES IS WRITTEN BY A TOP EXPERT ON THE OPERA OR COMPOSER; CLEARLY AND ENGAGINGLY WRITTEN, WITH INVALUABLE TOOLS SUCH AS A GLOSSARY AND SEVERAL INDICES (ROLE NAMES; ARIAS AND ENSEMBLES; AND OPERAS BY COMPOSER)

About the Author

The late Stanley Sadie was a leading musicologist, music critic, and editor. The music critic for The Times (1964-1981), he edited the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Laura Macy is Editor-in-Chief of Grove Music. An active scholar, she has published widely and has given public lectures and radio commentary on the madrigal, female composers, and opera. She lives in the UK.

Reviews

Drawing on the magisterial four-volume The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (1992), this revision of The New Grove Book of Operas (1996), coedited by Sadie and Macy, provides composers/librettists, character names with voice type, setting, original cast lists and later exponents of roles, conductors, premiere date and locale, synopses, and historico-musical information on more than 250 operas arranged alphabetically by title, with English translation when needed. Most operas familiar to American readers are listed, as are many international operas. Operetta is excluded, except for a few examples that have become standard repertoire pieces, such as Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus (but not Franz Lehar's Merry Widow, surprisingly). The current edition, which opens with an intriguing essay by David Levin on opera performance in the 21st century, maintains almost the entire text of the earlier edition, with the exception that seven newer operas are included while seven less-performed ones have been dropped. It is gratifying to see such recently acclaimed works as Mark Adamo's Little Women and Tobias Picker's Emmeline be acknowledged, but one misses anything by William Elden Bolcom, John Harris Harbison, Jake Heggie, or Andre Previn, all of whom have had significant premieres at the Metropolitan or other major houses within the past decade. The illustrations are for the most part different from those in the previous edition, while the typeface is a bit larger and the contrast more pronounced; the headings, in bold capitals this time, help make the entries stand out. All are marked improvements. A glossary and indexes by role name, text incipit, and composer are useful additions. Bottom Line Libraries that missed the first edition, are just starting an opera collection, or are completists will find this a useful and up-to-date reference volume at a bargain price; those with access to Grove Music Online (www.grovemusic.com), the original title, or the above cited dictionary can probably skip. (Color plates and indexes not seen.)-Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

"The Grove Book of Operas, Second Edition offers more detail for the seasoned operaphile... A versatile tool for research."--Opera News

"The Grove Book of Operas, Second Edition, should be on every opera-lover's short list of indispensable reference books. Highly recommended."--Gary Hoffman, Opera Today.

PRAISE FOR FIRST EDITION: "Make no mistake: This will be the definitive reference work in opera for many, many years to come."--The Chicago Tribune.

PRAISE FOR FIRST EDITION: "This work will significantly affect not only the way opera is enjoyed in the future, but the way it is made."--The Washington Post.

PRAISE FOR FIRST EDITION: "All inquiries into Opera begin there from now on."--The San Francisco Examiner Chronicle.

PRAISE FOR FIRST EDITION: "For once the hype is right on the money... This may well be the best English-language opera reference available."--Amazon.com

Gr 9 Up-This definitive update of Sadie's The New Grove Book of Operas (Oxford Univ., 2003; o.p.) includes, as did the earlier edition, full-plot synopses, cast lists from premiere performances, and biographical data on composers, all alphabetically arranged by opera. Seven minor operas have been cut from this work (including Der Barbier Von Bagdad and Penelope), and eight new hopefuls have been added (among them Emmeline, The Mother of Us All, and Sophie's Choice). Otherwise, the text is, word for word, the same as the earlier edition. The illustrations have changed: new black-and-white photos are scattered throughout the text, and sections of color photographs show sets, costume designs, posters, and scenes from various productions, including some staged as late as 2005. Another change is the inclusion of David J. Levin's perceptive introduction, "Issues and Trends in Contemporary Opera Production," which discusses the pros and cons of modern staging, directing/designing innovations, the introduction of technology into the opera world, and "opera at the margins." The essay ends with a list of suggested readings supporting his opinions. An extensive glossary and three large, cross-referenced indexes complete what is, to opera fans, an indispensable companion for consultation before performances (whether live or recorded), or, for novices, a key to a specialized realm. This volume is as informative and demanding as the previous edition.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.