Nineteenth-century Italian opera from Rossini to Puccini / Danièle Pistone ; translated by E. Thomas Glasow.
| Author/creator |
Pistone, Danièle |
| Format | Book and Print |
| Publication Info | Portland, OR : Amadeus Press, ©1995. |
| Description | xix, 259 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm |
| Subject(s) |
Click here for more information about this title
| Uniform title | Opéra italien au XIXe siècle de Rossini à Puccini. English |
| Contents | Part I. The librettos -- General chacteristics -- Librettists -- Genres -- Sources of subject matter -- Settings -- Characters -- Styles -- Principal themes -- Love -- Death -- Religion -- Politics and society -- The irrational -- Stylistic evolution and boundaries -- The Classical tradition -- Romanticism -- Verismo -- The censor -- Part II. Music -- Composers -- Background and formative years -- Output -- Stylistic overview -- The voice -- Italian vocal style -- Voice categories -- From Recitative to Canto fiorito -- The chorus -- The orchestra -- The instruments -- Principal symphonic passages -- The functions and effects of orchestration -- Form and language -- Structure -- Melody -- Harmony -- Foreign influences -- Part III. Performance -- Administration -- Opera houses -- Birth of the spectacle -- Repertoire -- Interpreters -- Singers -- Instrumentalists and conductors -- Dancers -- The public -- Different categories of spectators -- Audience tastes and behavior. |
| Abstract | Intended for the performer and general music lover as well as for students and musicologists, this three-part retrospective of Italian opera of the romantic era focuses on the settings, characters, and styles of the librettos; the voices, orchestration, and formal structure of the music; and the contemporary exigencies of the performance itself, moving from behind-the-scenes administration and artistry to the front-and-center interpreters and the audiences they played to. More than 120 musical examples support the text, the majority of them in an alphabetical appendix of "Famous Melodies," which includes the themes of popular arias along with captions detailing the operas, the composers, the acts in which the melodies occur, and the characters who sing them. The book also includes appendices of main characters, celebrated singers and conductors, and principal librettists; a glossary; and a note on Italian pronunciation. Numerous illustrations and tables, an exhaustive topical bibliography, and a select, current CD discography round out this informative introduction to opera's golden age. |
| General note | Translated from French. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 129-162), discography (pages 163-188), and indexes. |
| LCCN | 94028692 |
| ISBN | 0931340829 |
Available Items
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions | |
| Music | Music Stacks | ML1733 .P5813 1995 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |