Northfields mountains; abundant forests; and rich agricultural fields along the Connecticut River sustained native inhabitants for centuries before the English settled in the area known as Squakheag in 1713. Incorporated in 1723; Northfield became a crossroads for travel and commerce; supporting ferries; taverns; mills; and other farm-related businesses. Elegant Federal-style homes crafted in the 1800s by the Stearns brothers still line the iconic Main Street. Northfield native Dwight L. Moody; a famous evangelist; founded area schools and summer conferences. In the late 19th century; the quiet farming town became "heaven on earth" to Moodys followers; who arrived by the hundreds each summer seeking spiritual renewal and relief from the cities. The railroad brought visitors to the first American youth hostel and to the popular Northfield Inn and Chateau; where many permanent residents found employment. Around Northfield; Queen Anne-style homes provided lodging for boarders; while tearooms; milliners; liveries; and grocers served visitors. Today; Northfields vitality and spirit endures; forged by education; hard work; civic engagement; and perseverance.
2014-08-09 2014-08-09File Name: B00N267LAG
Review
55 of 56 people found the following review helpful. Very insightful; very helpful; and well writtenBy A CustomerA great collection of the 100 most beloved operas. Very helpful for any aspiring opera singer; such as myself; to dig up interesting information about the background of the opera; the plot; where and when the arias take place; and many interesting factoids about the origin of the librettos and the circumstances under which the composer chose to write the opera. An absolute must-have for an opera lover!!!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. One of my very best references -- and there are other good ones -- ...By Roger W BergerThis book is EXCEPTIONAL. One of my very best references -- and there are other good ones -- for top-rated operas. First of all; it is not easy to pick 100 "Great" operas to build the list on. Secondly; his research is astounding. I learned things about operas I thought I knew pretty well. Third -- his writing style is delightful. Fourth - he does a good job of briefly telling the story of how the opera came to be; and of how it has fared since premiere.I am a lifelong fan of the Milton Cross book "Complete Stories of the Great Operas" - a wonderful book; but in many respects Simons book is better. More conversational; a bit more current; more readable; more concise on the synopsis; and a bit more background information. Both books are quite dated. If I were to recommend just ONE of these to come out in a new edition; it would be Simons -- with about 50 more operas included. The one downside of the book IMHO is that it is limited to only 100 operas; and of course they were all in the repertoire before the 1960 publication date.GIving this book five stars is a very easy decision for me. Thanks to .com for leading me on to it in the first place.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Packs a punch and gives you the information you need to the point; Get this book and enjoy your operas.By Vikram RamanathanThis is a neat book for newcomers and seasoned listeners alike. If you need a light paperback to take with you while you are travelling or use it as a reference material at home before or after viewing an opera on DVD/Blue ray; this is it.This is not your gigantic coffee table book of operas; chock a block with picture etc.; it is a modest paperback with no photos. The author writes with a wry humour and provides 100 operas with a synopsis of the work; how the work came to be composed; and the circumstances etc. - followed by an act by act explanation. Each opera is a chapter and is explained in about 4 to 5 pages. I found the authors writing style engaging; injecting humor on several occasions. The author also writes in a casual and easy to read style. No pedantic paragraphs or complex musical terminology is used to show off the authors authority.I am a big opera enthusiast who just started out some months ago. The greatest way for me to get know the repertoire is to buy DVD and blue rays (if I relied on going strictly to opera performances in my city -not having the advantage of being in New York - aka MET; I d probably only get to know 3 operas a year and I have 100s to get to know). So I watch operas in the comfort of my home; getting acquainted with the stories; the singing and the music. What I noticed consistently is that the DVDs/Blue rays I order come with a very small booklet which at times have very little write up in terms of synopsis. So I started relying On Wikipedia for the story and details of the act till I checked out this book on . Since I like to see the first viewing of an opera without knowing anything about it so that I have no plot spoilers; I do not look up the plot in this book if it is the first time I am seeing that opera. After seeing it once on DVD/Blue-ray; I refer to this book and read the story and it makes a lot more sense to me. I found myself re-reading certain opera chapter on any given day with no apparent reason; but to browse through and read something. Each reading gets me more interested in the opera. Some opera chapters require reading and re-reading (esp. if you start seeing 3 operas a week; you can get your stories and characters mixed up). Some operas like Berliozs Les Troyens have a long story arc and it helps to refresh your memory quickly by reading that chapter if you have 10 minutes to kill. You can have the book by your side while watching the Blue-ray or even take it to opera performance as it is not too heavy.Just dont expect each chapter to be an exhaustive essay on the opera because the author has to cover 100 operas in over 500 pages. Some operas take more pages case in point; Wagners ring cycle due to the amount of material to cover. For subjects like the ring; you are better off buying separate books which analyses all of Wagners 4 operas; since there is so much to read up on. I think this is a great book; although it may seem modest and unglamorous; but Henry W Simons writing is great. In other words; no pomp and splendor type coffee table book with glossy photographs etc.; but packs a punch and gives you the information you need to the point. Get this book and enjoy your operas.
