The Grove Book of Operas - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195309073 ISBN 13: 9780195309072

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2006

Synopsis

First published in 1996 to great critical and popular acclaim, the Grove Book of Operas, is a collection of synopses and descriptions of over 250 operas. Each succinct yet insightful entry is written by a leading authority on the opera and includes a full synopsis of the plot, a cast list, a note on the singers in the original production, and information on the origins of the work and its literary and social background. Contributions conclude with a brief comment on the particular work's place in operatic history. A glossary offers brief and accessible definitions of terms that may be unfamiliar to the reader. And indices of role names and of arias and ensembles allow the reader to find operas containing their favorite aria or a well-known character.

The second edition brings the book up to date with several recently composed operas and a fascinating introductory essay by David Levin on opera performance in the 21st century. Recent additions to the operatic repertory included for the first time in this edition include Nicholas Maw, Sophie's Choice; Poul Ruders, A Handmaid's Tale; John Adams, Death of Klinghoffer; and Mark Adamo, Little Women.

Covering all operas in the current repertory along with some less-well-known early and very modern ones, this is an ideal volume for the general opera lover.

About this title

Review:

The cover blurb calls The New Grove Book of Operas, "The world's definitive single volume of opera reference," and for once the hype is right on the money. The plot synopses are well done, with musical notes and historic background, some nice illustrations, and three very useful appendices: a fine and complete glossary; an index of role names; and an "Index of Incipits," or first lines, for hundreds of arias, choruses, and ensembles. This may well be the best English-language opera reference available.

About the Author:

The late Stanley Sadie is one of the world's leading musicologists. Educated with a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, he became a music critic at The Times of London in 1964 and was then editor of the Musical Times from 1967-1987. He is the co-editor of the twenty-nine volume New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0195309073
• ISBN 13: 9780195309072
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 782
• Editor: Sadie The Late Stanley, Macy Laura