Plautus was Ancient Romes greatest comic playwright; Shakespeare drew heavily on his plots; and his legacy is prevalent throughout modern drama. In this expanded edition of his successful book; one of Americas foremost Classical scholars introduces performance criticism to the study of Plautus ancient drama. In addition to the original detailed studies of six of the dramatistss plays; the methodology of performance criticism; the use of conventions; and the nature of comic heroism in Plautus; this edition includes new studies on: * the induction into the world of the play * the scripted imitation of improvisation * Plautuss comments on his previous work * the nature of tragicomedy.
#2454473 in eBooks 2012-06-01 2012-06-01File Name: B00HFFCHNG
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Jeremy Siskind: if you dont know him; you should.By DebsJeremy is a brain. Great and thorough book.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Where has this book been all my life?By MichaelIm an experienced musician with a lot of years under my belt playing many styles of music. This includes faking my way through more than a few dinner sets; during which Ive always been unhappy with my comping; specifically with regard to my voicings.I picked this book up two days ago at this writing; and I finally feel like Im improving. And even better; I feel like Im understanding WHY Im improving. This book starts you off at the basics. Having grown up playing the Beatles songbook; I was already comfortable with traditional chord builds; which is how this book leads you in. For me; the real action began at chapter 10; but this isnt to say the beginning of the book isnt valuable. Beginners who are interested in jazz voicings will find practical and applicable information and exercises in every chapter; starting with triads; moving to sevenths and beyond. Siskind doesnt try to impress you with insider jargon. He writes in a way that makes you believe he wants you to learn what hes teaching.Also really nice in this volume is the inclusion of accompaniment tracks; accessible through Hal Leonards online library. You can play the individual tracks through the site; or download the whole collection at once. Every chapter except Chapter 1 includes tracks; which are labeled as "unrealized" and "realized." On the unrealized versions; you can play along with a small ensemble - drums; bass; and a couple of instrumentalists. The realized versions include a suggested (and notated) piano comping part. Whats really nice about the realized tracks is that; besides simply allowing you to check your own choices; you can also hear how youre going to sound after putting a little time in. Its a nice motivator!The unrealized tracks are even more important; because they allow you to exercise the information in each chapter. Chapters include two or three practice tracks for you to work with. Really nice bonus; and one of the reasons I decided to give the book a try.Had I known how good the text and instruction was; I wouldve bought it even without the tracks. If youre less than thrilled with your comping chops; read this book. Its hard for me to say if really experienced jazz players will find this book useful; because Im not one. But I think my next dinner set will sound a lot better; and will be a lot more fun for me!
