An invaluable guide for both casual opera fans and aficionados; 100 Great Operas is perhaps the most comprehensive and enjoyable volume of opera stories ever written. From La Traviata to Aiuml;da; from Carmen to Don Giovanni; here are the plots of the worldrsquo;s best-loved operas; told in an engaging; picturesque; and readable manner. Written by noted opera authority Henry W. Simon; this distinctive reference book contains act-by-act descriptions of 100 operatic works ranging from the historic early seventeenth century masterpieces of Monteverdi to the modern classics of Gian-Carlo Menotti. In addition to highlighting the most important aspects of each opera; the author discusses the main characters; the famous turnings of plot; and the most significant arias. Here; too; is a wealth of anecdotes concerning literary background; past performances and stars; and production problems of the great operas.
#868942 in eBooks 2010-08-01 2010-08-01File Name: B003Z9L4NU
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Compelling story. told with great skill and styleBy anneThough described as the biography of a photograph. the author covers so much more in helping the reader see what happened that April morning when Stanley Forman took the indelible shot. The book has really made me think deeply about race. class. education. politics. protest. and progress in Boston. as well as the way images of our flag have been used in paintings and photographs.11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful Analysis of a Photo That Changed a CityBy Frederick S. GoethelAnyone who was living in Boston in 1976 and had any interest in the news will remember this photograph all too well. It certainly shocked the City of Boston. and had reverberations around the world. Although the author states he cannot remember where he was when he first saw the photo. I can recall clearly where I was and what I was doing.The author does a wonderful job of looking at all aspects of the photo. as well as what led up to the incident where the photo was taken. Included is analysis of what happened during the incident. who the players in the photo were. how they came to be where they were when the incident occurred. and probably most importantly. the back story of school bussing in Boston at that time. In addition. the author looks at how a city that is considered as progressive could be so racist in its attitudes towards various ethnic groups.Finally. after dissecting the photograph and the various players. the author looks at the reverberations caused by the picture and where the City is now on the issue. That. in many ways. was the most important aspect of the book.The book is well written and contains all of the pertinent information needed to understand the issue of bussing and what caused these young men to be in City Hall Plaza at the time of the incident. It will certainly be a book of interest to historians and those with an interest in Bostons politics.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive discussion of the famous imageBy D. NovakMasur has put together a very comprehensive discussion of Stanley Formans famous Pulitzer Prize-winning image from 1976 Boston. and creates an interesting balance among several relevant elements: the actual event we see (or think we see) in the photo; the forced busing fiasco that infuriated both blacks and whites at the time; controversies surrounding the proper and improper display/desecration of our flag; and a look at where the important players involved in the photo and controversy are today (Forman. Rakes. Landsmark. and others). The book is very well-illustrated and contains many other images taken by Forman on that day in 1976. I found the book fully engaging and impeccably researched. and would highly recommend it to serious students of both photojournalism and the history of racial unrest in America.
