The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Opera.by William Berger William Berger (b. Wilhelm Thomas Berger, January 20, 1928 in Innsbruck, Austria; d. October 2, 1993 in Los Angeles, of prostate cancer, USA) was a European actor, mostly associated with Euro or spaghetti westerns and travel documentaries. ; forward by Placido Domingo Noun 1. Placido Domingo - Spanish operatic tenor noted for performances in operas by Verdi and Puccini (born in 1941) Domingo . Perigee Books/Penguin Putnam (375 Hudson St., New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY 10014), 2002. 221 pp., $13.95. This all-too-short book is for anyone interested in opera, from the dilettante dil·et·tante n. pl. dil·et·tantes also dil·et·tan·ti 1. A dabbler in an art or a field of knowledge. See Synonyms at amateur. 2. A lover of the fine arts; a connoisseur. adj. (Are there any such?) to the fanatic. The foreword fore·word n. A preface or an introductory note, as for a book, especially by a person other than the author. foreword Noun an introductory statement to a book Noun 1. alone is worth the price of this book. Mr. Domingo very concisely states the overall problem with the lack of music in our schools in a page and a half. The meat-and-potatoes portion of the book not only contains a very well done commentary on opera in general, but it is also a good read. Chapter headings state exactly what is in each chapter. Chapter One is called, "What Is Opera?" I have never read a better definition of opera than this chapter. In Chapter Two, "The Story of Opera," you don't need to take a history of opera class at the graduate level to understand what most of us will want to know. This chapter contains all of the basics and is entertaining, too. Chapter Three, "Varieties of Opera," requires no explanation--it has them all. This is followed by "Opera Deconstructed." If you want to understand the various kinds of voices, arias, ensemble types, orchestral uses and so forth, then this is the chapter. I thought I had a fair understanding of most of this information, but, quite frankly, I learned quite a bit. Berger's anecdotal style is very helpful. The three chapters that follow cover composers, performers and the operas themselves. These three chapters are succinct suc·cinct adj. suc·cinct·er, suc·cinct·est 1. Characterized by clear, precise expression in few words; concise and terse: a succinct reply; a succinct style. 2. passages about the main protagonists in each area. None of them could be considered complete, but all contain the most important ones. The anecdotal style again makes for very entertaining reading. Chapter Eight identifies key operas available on CD. This list, although not pretending to be complete, is a superb place to start for someone trying to start a personal opera recording library. The excellent selections note which one to listen to first, and this is very helpful. In "Total Opera Experience," the author makes a very good case for doing one's best to see a staged version of an opera rather than merely listening to a recording. There is a very good sidebar on page 183 about performances on video. In fact, the use of sidebars throughout the book is most practical. Chapter Ten, "The Language of Opera," is really a glossary of opera terms. However, the definitions are much more complete than the average. An example from page 202: "Spinto spin·to adj. Of, relating to, or being a lyric operatic voice with some attributes of the dramatic voice: a spinto soprano. : (It., `pushed') A somewhat heavier voice than a pure lyric (soprano soprano [Ital.,=above], female voice of highest pitch. The three basic types of solo soprano are coloratura, lyric, and dramatic. The coloratura has a great range and impressive vocal agility; the lyric soprano has a light, pretty voice; and the dramatic soprano has ), though not as loud and heavy as a `dramatic'. Funny, but to say a voice is a true `spinto,' using the Italian word, is a great compliment, while to say it is `pushed' in plain English Plain English (sometimes known, more broadly, as plain language) is a communication style that focuses on considering the audience's needs when writing. It recommends avoiding unnecessary words and avoiding jargon, technical terms, and long and ambiguous sentences. is a criticism." The last section, "Resources for Curious Listeners," contains books, magazines, websites and much more for further study. The index is also well done. If you have not discovered by now that I think all of us opera enjoyers should have this book, then I will leave you with one quote from Chapter Two: Strangely, both sides in the Cold War used opera to demonstrate their own legitimacy. The irony was profound. Berlin had always wanted to be perceived as a center of European culture and specifically, opera. All it took to achieve this long-desired goal was the total destruction, division, and occupation of the city. This book is a very entertaining read. I just wish it weren't so short. Reviewed by Albert R. Brewer, Oceanside, California Oceanside is the third largest city in San Diego County, California. The city has a population of 173,303. Together with Vista and Carlsbad, it makes up the Tri-City area. The city is just south of U.S. . |
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