5 comments about Coloratura Arias for Soprano (G Schirmer Opera Anthology Series).

1. This is a fantastic book for the genuine coloratura soprano, as well as offering a good selection for light lyrics who are looking to increase their agility and move into the coloratura repertoire. While offering a few easier selections, such as "Poor Wand'ring One," many of these arias are very challenging and should definitely not be undertaken by the beginning singer. It is great to have these blockbuster soprano arias all in one place!



2. This book is filled with arias that are well known and arias that are rarely sung. It's nice to have a little bit of both. Great for a serious opera singer looking to expand her song list or for auditions



3. I needed this book for my voice lessons and it was a great price and in wonderful condition. Thank you!



4. The goal of the editors does not appear to have been to present the most difficult coloratura soprano pieces, but to set out a range of music that the student and instructor could use in order to develop flexibility in the voice. Well done!



5. This book is great. It is filled with a variety of coloratura pieces (definitely not for the average soprano). These pieces help the singer to showcase her technique, range, capacity for languages, acting ability, and endurance. As some of the other reviewers have said: it is not for beginners. It is full of entertaining pieces. It does not have any repeats from the G. Schirmer Arias for Soprano, which is great (apparently the old version of that and this book do, however).

5 comments about 100 Great Operas And Their Stories: Act-By-Act Synopses.

1. This is a great book for the opera novice or seasoned opera affectionado. Going to an upcoming opera? Reading the synopsis will refresh one's memory or help the novice to better understand what is going on by acts. This is a well written book and a true bargain for the extensive information provided. I have purchased one for myself and another for a friend. A great gift book!



2. I took an intrest in Opera and wanted to discover more about it. To my dismay, when I read reviews in the papers, I found nearlly nothing of value because they never did the simple job of brifely explaining what the story was actual about. That's why this book is great; it gives a brief summary of what the Opera is about act by act. Thus, this guide is a great tool to find a story that you like; however, one should still look into a local review of an Opera to see how the singers perform and the rendition is done; this book gives reviews in the general.



3. they have included some operas i never heard of ,and did not include some good and popular ones.



4. I have used this book for many years as a quick reference for studying operas that are new to me, and for that purpose, the book is excellent. Even though the book is limited to 100 entries, I usually find the opera I want to study. My main complaint about this book is the amount of "editorializing" offered by Mr. Simon. He is certainly an expert in opera, but he makes his personal likes and dislikes clear (perhaps the reason why some obscure operas are included...?). He offended me when he described Puccini's masterpiece, La Fanciulla del West, as a "tired" and "second-rate" Italian opera. Many times he crosses the line from well-educated informant to opinionated critic. That said, his writing is very readable and even humorous at times. I simply advise readers to be aware that this book is not entirely a reporting of facts.



5. Opera deserves a place of honor in any literary collection. It's a proud individual who can say that they know the plot of Lakme or Tales of Hoffman. Even if you haven't seen an opera, get this book, and no one will be the wiser!

5 comments about Broadway: The American Musical.

1. If you're into theatre, this book is a must-have! You won't find any other book that gives you such a detailed and accurate history of Musical Theatre. The pictures are great and the reading is outstanding!



2. If you've seen the PBS television series, Broadway: The American Musical, this book acts as a fantastic companion and will look great on your bookshelf or coffee table!
   
   It's virtually exactly the same as the DVD in terms of following the chronology of the development of Broadway but the great thing about it is it seems to come with additional pictures not seen in the series and great quotes. Forget about flicking on your DVD! If you need a quick reference you could turn to any page and find something interesting about Broadway to read about.
   
   If you enjoyed the series and are passionate about Broadway, I would thoroughly recommend this book as it has everything in there that you'd need to know. Enjoy it!



3. This book is great for anyone - from the Broadway musical savant to the average curious person to the theatre student.



4. This is an amazing book that covers from Gilbert and Sullivan to (almost) present day.
   It is very much worth it's weight in gold if you love Broadway and Music Theatre.



5. One of the best books every written about the Broadway Theatre. Lots of little known facts, lots of pictures. A fountain of knowledge and a must have for every Broadway buff.

5 comments about Acting for Singers: Creating Believable Singing Characters.

1. "Acting for Singers" speaks to the problems that most all of us share in creative situations when we are speaking to a group or preparing an article or script for publication. We do not have to be singers to use the wisdom of Ostwald's mind and experience. These challenges are inevitably concentration, trust, projection, communication, and the self-doubt that most of us sometimes experience.
   
   If you could see David Ostwald in action, you would recognize how his life is a demonstration of his work. When the groups at my seminars would get excited and several voices were talking at once in an exercise, David (upon my request) would clearly enunciate one or two words to the whole group in a tone that instantly shifted everyone's attention to the work at hand. The whole group loved David's wit and wisdom, his power to achieve the intended focus and hold it, plus his demonstration of an open mind, the will to learn and to share knowledge gained through years of a focused mind and experience.
   
   David's whole life is filled with the qualities of concentration, trust, projection, and communication. This is the real power of his written words. I think this book will prove so useful that it will become an essential textbook for teaching acting to singers.



2. I came upon this book while preparing for the North American debut of a 1640's Baroque opera in Washington D.C. The information in it is invaluable and succinct. Great for anyone trying to extract meaning from music and convey it to an audience. Well-written and containing excellent advice and exercises, I recommend it.



3. Although the title is Acting for Singers, actors and directors will benefit as well from Ostwald's excellent analysis of what makes a believable character on stage. The book is full of helpful exercises and explanations of what works on stage. Acting for Singers should be on the bookshelf of every performer.



4. David Ostwald's new book, "Acting for Singers," is an important and helpful guide for singers-in-training, for professionals learning new roles, and for seasoned performers who wish to infuse new dramatic life into their repertory. As a former arts administrator for San Francisco Opera and Affiliate Artists, Inc., I feel that Ostwald's book is equally useful for stage directors, conductors, teachers, and coach/accompanists who strive to make their highly collaborative art form appear as seamless as possible. Ostwald covers a number of pertinent topics including the foundations of believable acting, ways to improve concentration, and how to motivate a character's actions. Having judged many auditions over the years, I found the chapter on "Getting the Part" to be especially helpful to young singers who may not know how to dress for the occasion, speak to the judges, or introduce their selections from the stage. The author's "Ten Maxim's of Believable Singing" provide a concise checklist of wisdom gleaned from his years of teaching and directing. Ostwald's analysis of how directors and teachers can help their singers grow and flourish, including the sage advice of "Always be supportive" and "Never humiliate anyone," presents a pithy list that bosses in any business should read and take to heart. The text is lively, clear and well designed, with headings, bulleted points and enough white space to make the book's insights both accessible and memorable. Each chapter contains helpful exercises, summaries or trouble shooting techniques which will enable singers and their colleagues to create superior performances. "Acting for Singers" will likely become an indispensable, dog-eared companion for any singers who wish to breathe live and artistry into their characters.
   
   Perry-Lynn Moffitt



5. I have been a professional opera singer and voice professor for many decades. This book REALLY gets to the heart of the acting delima which singers' face. The index is very thorough, allowing the singer to find exactly the topic they are looking for easily. The book should be read cover to cover many times if the singer is new to the field of acting. (I find it helpful for each singer to ponder this question: Am I a singer who acts or, an actor who sings, or both.) An opera singer MUST learn to create operatic characters with which the audience can identify. Each Mannerism and gesture will change with each new operatic role one intends to interpret. This book should be a great help for the preparation of singers who aspire to act realistically and who wish to conquor this extremely demanding and rewarding field called OPERA.

5 comments about Arias for Tenor: Voice and Piano (G. Schirmer Opera Anthology).

1. As far as i am concerned it's the best book that is just made-written for tenors and people who are students at the conservatories-music schools as me ,should truly benefit from it,



2. "Arias for Tenor", a G. Schirmer Antholgy(opera), is a plended collection of originally keyed scores of tenor arias from some of the most famous works of all time. Layouts of "Don Giovanni" and "Rigoletto" are just a couple of classics sung by the greats of opera that are obtained by purchasing this book. Whether you are a professional vocalist or an aspiring opera singer, this is definitly a valuable and sound investment.
   
   Sylvester Allen
   Greensboro College, NC



3. I use this book constantly in my teaching. I love it.



4. The book is a great collection. The book was in excellent condition, priced aptly, and delivered promptly. I can trust Amazon.com...



5. As someone new to the singing scene, I find this volume to be my "go to" resource for my voice lessons. Purchased on the recommendation of my voice teacher, it has all the tenor arias you need--wherever you are on the singer's journey...The major repetoire is represented; all the major langugages. From "Amor ti Vieta" to the more recognizable arias, I expect this volume to be with me for years to come.

No comments about Dido and Aeneas: An Opera (Norton Critical Scores).

5 comments about The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer.

1. I only wish I had the opportunity to read this book as a young voice student. It concisely answers so many of the questions that young singers want and need to have answered. It's also an alert to carefully monitor the manner in which one is being taught. This book is not the glorification of Renee Fleming, it is a practical guide to music students interspersed with interesting anecdotes about the singer's life and career.



2. Very enjoyable read.
   Quick read and informative about the life of an opera singer.



3. This book is designed to be read by aspiring divas and like-minded individuals, not by those wanting a biographical account of Ms. Fleming's life and career. In this little book, Fleming flows easily from personal acocunt to technical explanation of vocal technique.
   
   I was impressed at the grace and modesty in which Ms. Fleming wrote, even about the less favorable situations such as her divorce and the death of her dear friedn and mentor. Her obvious adoration for her children, and her candid account of her multiple failures was real enough for anyone to grasp.
   
   It is the simplicity of this book that draws me. Not consisting of complicated or flowery language, but written briefly and in an easily read language, Fleming bares enough of her soul to inspire the aspiring singer, but avoids the trap of tabloid details.



4. I fell in love with this book the minute I opened the cover. It is superb! :) I would recommend it to anyone!



5. A book about a world-class opera singer will be read mainly by two categories of people: singers and opera lovers. To strike a balance that will please both of the interested parties is tricky. Too much technical stuff and you alienate the second camp. Not enough technical stuff and you disappoint the first camp. Fleming, by and large, manages to satisfy both sides of the equation. She acknowledges the help of novelist Ann Patchett's "silent work on paper", but it is clear from the passages on vocal technique that much of it is written in her own words, confirming one's impression from her spoken interviews that she is fluent and articulate (she is also fluent in German and French and can get by in Italian). The book is sensibly divided up into chapters that focus on different facets of the singer's life, so that singers will probably dwell on "Apprenticeship", "Mentors", "Longevity" and "Performance", whereas the chapters on "Family", "Success", "Roles", and "Backstage" will appeal more to the non-singing reader. There's also a chapter on the business of recording. As a singer, I found the book fascinating and wished there was more of it (its 222 pages are printed in quite a large typeface). I hope that this intelligent, articulate and unusually analytical woman will, when her stage career is over, find time to write a book on the technique and business of singing aimed purely at the student and professional singer. She would be ideally qualified to do so.

No comments about The Grove Book of Opera Singers.

5 comments about A Soprano on Her Head: Right-Side-Up Reflections on Life and Other Performances.

1. Ms. Ristad has written a book that feels just like she knew me. It's refreshing to hear that we all have many of the same issues about confidence, performance anxiety and classical music in general. She has a nice way of discussing these issues in a way that values them while pointing out just how absurd the conservatory-style music education system really is. Soprano is a must-read, no matter what your instrument.



2. Just as DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN is more than a book about drawing, so A SOPRANO ON HER HEAD is one of those life-enhancing books from which anyone can benefit. I plan to put this on the Suggested Reading list I hand out at my writing classes.
   
   "In any art there must be movement . . ." she quotes Chaim Nahor, an Israeli painter. Ristad argues quite convincingly that in order to be truly touched by art in any form, we must be _moved_.
   
   Brian Corrigan, one of my favorite fellow novelists, has said that he has a single word posted at the top of his computer monitor. It says "LINGER." Ristad shows us how to linger with every moving moment, and how, as artists in any medium, we can bring forth those moments from the deep well of creativity. We can dance ourselves onto the canvas, the printed page, the composition.
   
   All life, in one form or another, is art. I suggest that we all use A SOPRANO ON HER HEAD to help us paint our lives more brilliantly. I refer to this book often as I'm writing my cat mysteries, and show it to people whose books I edit. This is a book that gives great value for the price and for the time spent reading it.



3. I bought this book because of the wonderful things everyone was saying about it. I am a music major, and being one, I have had many struggles. When you want to study music, no one doubts that you love it. A person has to become it. The struggle of learning the right techniques and harder and harder music is enough to make anyone forget why they loved music in the first place. This book is helping me to let the music flow, and use all of this knowledge that I have learned in college. I beleive that any one who has struggled with themsleves and their music should read this book. It is a beautiful part of any library, and should be read by any and all who come across it.



4. This is an amazing book - a must-read for every performer and teacher. I own this book and my copy is falling apart because I read it so much. Very inspirational and insightful. I can't say enough good things about it.



5. The book starts out really interesting with helpful ideas and tips for all performers, but soon becomes a self proclaiming space for Ristad. It has some redeeming qualities, but I wouldn't buy it.

5 comments about Rent.

1. I wasn't a big fan of "Rent" until I saw the movie, and when I read this book, it gave me a bigger meaning to the play/movie.
   
   Warning: This is just for fans of "Rent". Those who haven't seen the movie will get into the story of how it was made, but not as much the screenplay.



2. An absolute necessity for any renthead. only complaint is it is written early on in the broadway run but really that is the end of the story mostly.
   rent has etched itself into my psyche like a weevil. there is not a morning that i wake up that one of the songs is not in my head. i sell music and i have never came across a group of music that has had this effect on me.
   perhaps the story of larson's early demise colors it and adds that extra tragic twist that keeps it inside your soul but whatever it has provided the most joyus ride into musical bliss that i have ever experienced yet.
   (move over "pet sounds", "west side story", "toy matinee" & "eli & the 13th confession".
   the book is laid out well, quite informative. even has comments from the pit band (who are essential).
   GET THIS if you have to futher feed your rent needs.
   viva la vie bohem.



3. This book has everything you need if you are interested in more than just the movie. The whole script is included. Interviews with the entire cast! The whole story of how rent was created, start to finish. It is worth every penny and is the only rent book you'll ever need.



4. This is not just the story of RENT and its creation, but the story of it's creator as well. Jonathan Larson's story is just as moving as RENT is, and this book gives an awesome insight into the life of this amazing composer who was taken far too early. This coupled with interviews from more people than I can count makes this a highly enjoyable read. The book also includes a whole bunch of pictures one would not see anywhere else, and the libretto, so the entire experience is bundled up in this one big black book with fake duct-tape binding. It was such an enjoyable read and made me cry just as much as the show itself. No Day But Today.



5. I have been so fortunate to have known this show for twelve years. Now that it has ended, I will have my memories of seeing the show as well as this amazing book. I own two copies of the book and have read it front to back. Thank you Jonathan Larson and thank you to all that have made this show the great piece of musical theatre that it is. I will miss the show, but this book will stay with me forever. This book is a great thing to have for any musical lover, and I hope that RENT will change lives just as it has mine. Through this book, RENT is authentically seen and can be remembered by all