Product Description: In 1850, the French mezzo-soprano Pauline Viardot wrote to her friend Turgenev: "Among that mass of talented composers who are witty in a vulgar sort of way, intelligible not because of their clarity but because of their trivilaity, the appearance of a musical personality such as Gounod's is so rare that one cannot welcome him heartily enough...read more

A premier singer and master teacher here tells other singers how to get the most from 151 famous arias selected for their popularity or greatness from 66 operas, ranging in time and style from Christopher Gluck to Carlisle Floyd, from Mozart to Menotti. For each aria, the author gives the dramatic and musical context, advice about interpretation and the lyric - with the original language (if it is not English) and an idiomatic American English translation, in parallel columns. The major operatic traditions - French, German, Italian, Russian and American - are represented, as are the major voice types - soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass-baritone and bass. The guide should be of value to professional singers as a source of reference or renewed inspiration and as a memory refresher; to coaches for checking and broadcasting personal impressions; to young singers and students for learning; to teachers who have enjoyed less than half a century of experience; and to opera broadcast listeners and telecast viewers who want to understand what goes into the sounds and sights that delight them.

Product Description: This book seeks to establish the originally intended tempos for the soprano arias in those operas. By Examining Puccini's autographs, the first edition vocal scores, and many early recordings-especially those by the sopranos or conductors who worked with the composer or performed the arias during Puccini's lifetime-the author demonstrates that one can discover tempos for the arias that conform better than others to Puccini's musical and dramatic intentions...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Mary Dibbern, Music Director of Education and Family Programs at The Dallas Opera, and adjunct faculty member at the University of North Texas has created a Performance Guide for Bizet's opera "Carmen." This contribution to the Vox Musicae series presents a word-by-word translation and IPA transcription of the French libretto, and her translations of its literary sources trace the opera libretto's development from Prosper Mérimée's short novel, "Carmen," as well as excerpts from Mérimée's "The Story of Rondino," and "Spanish Letters...read more

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