This encyclopedia lists, describes and cross-references everything to do with American opera: works (both operas and operettas), composers, librettists, singers, and source authors, along with relevant recordings. The approximately 1,750 entries range from ballad operas and composers of the 18th century to modern minimalists and video opera artists. Each opera entry consists of plot, history, premiere and cast, followed by a chronological listing of recordings, movies and videos.
This encyclopedia lists, describes and cross-references everything to do with American opera: works (both operas and operettas), composers, librettists, singers, and source authors, along with relevant recordings. The approximately 1,750 entries range from ballad operas and composers of the 18th century to modern minimalists and video opera artists. Each opera entry consists of plot, history, premiere and cast, followed by a chronological listing of recordings, movies and videos.
This reference presents short introductory essays to major periods of American music. It also lists 1200 entries on the lives and works of musicians and composers from each period.
“This wondrous encyclopedia is an invaluable boon to all movie and opera buffs. I shall be referring to it frequently to slake my curiosity and to settle bets.”--Tom Lehrer This bountiful book is a comprehensive guide to the thousands of films, DVDs, and videocassettes featuring operas and opera singers from 1896 to the present. From ABC Television to Franco Zeffirelli, the encyclopedia is a storehouse of fascinating information for film and opera aficionados and casual browsers alike. Find answers to such questions as: * What were the first operas filmed? * Why did they make silent films of operas? * Why was a pseudo-opera written for Citizen Kane? * What was the title of Maria Callas’s only film? Organized alphabetically with more than 1,900 fully cross-referenced entries, the book casts a wide net that covers not only expected topics--operas, operettas, zarzuelas, composers, singers, conductors, writers, and film directors--but also the unexpected and offbeat--animated opera, first operas on film, puppet opera films, silent films about opera, and many other lesser-known topics. Encyclopedia of Opera on Screen illuminates the many intersections between opera and film as never before.
An elegant gift and comprehensive reference for opera lovers, The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia draws on the talents and resources of the world's greatest opera house. Describes singers, composers, operas and more. 250 black-and-white photographs.
Opera has been around ever since the late 16th century, and it is still going strong in the sense that operas are performed around the world at present, and known by infinitely more persons than just those who attend performances. On the other hand, it has enjoyed periods in the past when more operas were produced to greater acclaim. Those periods inevitably have pride of place in this Historical Dictionary of Opera, as do exceptional singers, and others who combine to fashion the opera, whether or not they appear on stage. But this volume looks even further afield, considering the cities which were and still are opera centers, literary works which were turned into librettos, and types of pieces and genres. While some of the former can be found on the web or in other sources, most of the latter cannot and it is impossible to have the whole picture without them. Indeed, this book has an amazingly broad scope. The dictionary section, with about 340 entries, covers the topics mentioned above but obviously focuses most on composers, not just the likes of Mozart, Verdi and Wagner, but others who are scarcely remembered but made notable contributions. Of course, there are the divas, but others singers as well, and some of the most familiar operas, Don Giovanni, Tosca and more. Technical terms also abound, and reference to different genres, from antimasque to zarzuela. Since opera has been around so long, the chronology is rather lengthy, since it has a lot of ground to cover, and the introduction sets the scene for the rest. This book should not be an end but rather a beginning, so it has a substantial bibliography for readers seeking more specific or specialized works. It is an excellent access point for readers interested in opera.
A treasure trove of information, "American Opera" sketches musical traits and provides plot summaries, descriptions of sets and stagings, and biographical details on performers, composers, and librettists for more than 100 American operas. 86 photos.
1787 to 1815 was a turbulent period for the Jewish community in the Netherlands. Compared with other cities, Amsterdam had a relatively large Jewish minority. In fact, Amsterdam contained more Jews within its boundaries than any other municipality in Europe. They enjoyed complete freedom of religion, but economic discrimination left the majority of them penniless. Moreover, a bitter internal conflict broke out between the enlightened and the orthodox Jews, leading to a fierce controversy and the foundation of a separate congregation. The Emancipation Decree issued under the influence of the French (1796), and the efforts of King Louis Bonaparte and King William I to integrate the Jewish community into Dutch society, failed to be effective during most of this period: the large Ashkenazic majority within the Dutch Jewish community refused to yield to the authorities' integrationist policy. This book offers a new and original analysis of both the political, economical, religious and literary aspects of this fascinating and tumultuous era.
This encyclopedic work comprehensively covers the performers and programming on American radio from its inception to its golden age. Extensively researched over the course of more than twenty years, this new work is the definitive source for scholars of communication, social and cultural history and the popular arts, as well as devoted fans of radio history. The encyclopedia includes entries for programs, announcers, orchestras, musicians, vocalists, comedians, vocal groups, readers, whistlers, musical saw soloists, ministers, sports commentators, reviewers (of books, plays and movies), celebrities, and other personnel broadcasting over American radio from the 1920s to the 1960s. Additional entries cover commercial radio, educational broadcasting, firsts in radio history, opera on radio, religious broadcasting, sports broadcasting, women in radio, border radio, children's programs, comedy on radio, crime shows and mysteries, daytime dramatic serials, and disk jockeys, among other topics.
