Puccinirsquo;s obsession with detail ensured the success of La Bohegrave;me; his opera about the impoverished lsquo;artistesrsquo; in Paris in the 1830s. Soon after its premiegrave;re; people started calling their baby daughters Mimi. The story of this seamstress; her hectic but fraught love affair with the poet Rodolfo and her tragic death from consumption (tuberculosis); never fail to touch the audience. Che gelida manina; Mi chiamano Mimigrave; hellip;; and O soave fanciulla have become some of the most popular operatic excerpts; sung by stars ranging from Callas to Gheorghiu; Caruso to Pavarotti. Written by Michael Steen; author of the acclaimed The Lives and Times of the Great Composers; lsquo;Short Guides to Great Operasrsquo; are concise; entertaining and easy to read books about opera. Each is an opera guide packed with useful information and informed opinion; helping to make you a truly knowledgeable opera-goer; and so maximising your enjoyment of a great musical experience. Other lsquo;Short Guides to Great Operasrsquo; that you may enjoy include Madama Butterfly; Tosca and Turandot.
#2255351 in eBooks 2014-06-15 2014-06-15File Name: B00KDR1270
Review
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great book Robert TrumpbourBy TeriGreat book Robert Trumpbour! Loved your book The New Cathedrals as well! Great information for the sports enthusiast and architects.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding book on an iconic stadiumBy LSmithWhen the Houston Astrodome opened for its first baseball game in April 1965; it was so unlike any other sports stadium that was in use at the time. How the iconic structure came into being and what it meant to the city of Houston and to sports stadiums is captured in this outstanding book by Robert Thompson and Kenneth Womack.While the Astrodome was the home field for both baseballrsquo;s Houston Astros and footballrsquo;s Houston Oilers; the bookrsquo;s sports passages concentrate on baseball and the quirks it presented as a ballpark. The early flaws that are well-known such as the glare from the original roof and the death of the natural grass inside the dome are covered well in the book and how quickly the problems were addressed.However; the best writing in the book is saved for the political maneuvering (both in government and in baseball) to get the Astrodome built. Thompson and Womack describe all the deals and pleading that Roy Hofheinz and others had to work in order to gain approval. The baseball politics to make sure that Houston would get a team to be a tenant in the Dome was just as intriguing as that was not a sure bet either.No matter the topic covered; every aspect of the stadiumrsquo;s history was chronicled and written in a such a manner that will make the reader want to learn more. Even topics such as the architecture of the stadium and the push for destruction of the currently empty mausoleum made for interesting reading.Throughout the book; the two authors emphasize how the Astrodome not only made Houston a ldquo;big leaguerdquo; city; but they also noted that many of the innovations in the fansrsquo; experience at a stadium; such as in-house restaurants; padded seating and a video scoreboard; are here today because of Hofhenizrsquo;s vision. The authors also made the same observation for items such as private boxes. Other teams and stadiums copied this because after all; as the authors stated; ldquo;luxury was not a patentable commodity.rdquo;Any reader who wants to learn more about this state-of-the-art (for its time) stadium and its history and the current push to decide its fate should read this book. It covers the entire history of the ldquo;Eighth Wonder of the Worldrdquo; in one terrific book.I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Two StarsBy thomas browningExtremely redundant for the first few chapters. Makes it difficult to keep interest.
