3 comments about German Requiem in Full Score.

1. Dover does an extraordinary job in developing a quite accurate version of the German Requiem. Many consider this piece to be one of the best written in the Romantic Era. Brahms's originality and experimentation between the marriage of both the orchestra and chorus make this piece absolutely one of a kind. Strongly recommended for any listener and Dover's flawless edition is the best around if the listener wants to see the piece as Brahms visioned it.



2. If you love choral music, you have to love Brahms; if you love Brahms, you have to love his Requiem. It is obvious why this work brought him broad recognition: it is touching and inspiring. This is a must-have.



3. This is a great piece of music and I really enjoyed getting to see it on the page as it was written out by Brahm's. This score will become an old friend, I'm sure of it!

5 comments about Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) in Full Score.

1. This complete musical score to one of the greatest works of art by mankind comes in quality paper and print that I find quite satisfying. The lack of an English translation is no problem for me personally, because I have separate libretti with translations I can refer to when needed, and I use this book when I want to follow the musical score and sing along with the original Italian verses. One disappointment is that the German verses are in normal print, directly underneath the musical score, while the original Italian is in italics and under the German (therefore harder to read and follow), almost as if the book is intended more for people who want to follow the German, not the Italian. Since the opera is originally in Italian, it makes more sense to me that the German text and Italian text should be switched in terms of location and font. Nevertheless, I'm highly satisfied with the overall quality of this book, and it is definitely one of my favorite books within my music-related library.



2. The performers in this opera are excellent, as well as the orchestra. The problem lies in the fact that the "recitativi" are missing. As a result, you are not actually listening to the opera, but rather a series of highlights from the opera. It is very difficult to follow the opera as it develops, since the recitativi provide the opportunity to develop the plot line.
   If you are interested in hearing highlights from this opera, then you will be pleased with this CD and booklet. However, if you would like to listen to the complete opera as composed by Mozart, please look elsewhere.



3. As a newbie to opera I was looking to be educated by a publication that was attractively presented and informative.
   However, I was sorry to find that the recordings - described as complete - are in fact NOT what they seem.
   The recitatives are missing.
   For a newbie this is quite disconcerting, when trying to follow the libretto(which is complete).
   You find yourself racing over pages, trying to just keep up with the arias.
   Aside from that, the concept of book and cd is good. I also have Tosca and that is great.



4. The score is very clear printed and contains reherasl numbers. It's definately a good edition to have.



5. Full score is clear and reasonably accurate and easy to read. Words for vocal parts don't always line up clearly, and the choice to place German on top, with Italian below and italicized was a poor one. Reading the original language musically is thus a challenge, and non-German or Italian speakers won't have a meaningful translation close at hand either as there is no english through the score.

3 comments about The Grove Book of Operas.

1. The New Grove Book of Operas is the best single-volume opera reference available in English. The term "reference" deserves careful emphasis. The New Grove Book does not read like a textbook, and is best suited for individuals seeking details about specific operas rather than opera in general. It is to some extent the "Reader's Digest" version of the massive New Grove Dictionary of Opera, which is acknowledged as the end-all, be-all tome of operatic scholarship. I own both. While the Book borrows the bulk of its material from the Dictionary, its scope is less ambitious. Only entries relating to specific operas are included, and the "Book" focuses (mostly) on operas that might appeal to opera enthusiasts and not merely specialists.
   
   PROS:
   * Thoughtful selection of operas. The truly greats, and should-be greats are mostly here, and the inaccessible and and never-will-be-accessible are mostly not here
   * User-friendly organization
   -operas are listed alphabetically
   -includes an index of operas by composer
   -includes an index of role names to operas
   -includes a surprisingly comprehensive index of incipits/arias to operas
   * Provides illustrations, many in color, of historical as well as modern productions
   * Entries read like listening notes rather than mere plot synopses. Overtures and motifs are described and linked to plot elements
   * Entries provide comprehensive history of composition and first performance
   * Entries include a detailed dramatis personae including vocal ranges and, where applicable, alternate translations of role names
   * Contributors widely considered to be the pre-eminent scholars in the operas / composers they survey
   
   CONS
   * Compilation format from multiple contributors creates some inconsistency in the style and accessibility of entries
   * Entries tend to be more technical than in comparable guides
   * Many entries lack specific recommendations as to good recordings, singers, or conductors
   * All entries are opera specific. There is no background material on opera in general, individual composers, genres, or historical periods
   
   Readers who categorically loathe the "notes" found in playbills at the symphony or the opera should look elsewhere. If plot summaries will suffice, I recommend John Freeman's 2-volume "The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas" series. His entries are less technical, and are in most cases easier to follow. One disadvantage of that set is that the selection of operas and background material are Met-specific.
   
   I believe most readers will find this volume indispensable as either a season companion or to launch/manage a recording collection at home. It is built-to-last and will withstand being frantically thumbed through for many years to come.



2. The prior "customer reviewer" wrote a great review in MOST respects. HOWEVER, he stated the following:
   
   "I own both, and while the Book borrows some material from the Dictionary, most of the entries have been modified to reach a broader audience."
   
   Huh?! I, too, own Grove's four-volume edition. And, as I randomly select and compare any of its "opera" entries with the analogous entries in this smaller, single-volume edition (a copy of which I've checked out from my public library), I see, again and again, that virtually all such entries are roughly "98% IDENTICAL". In other words, virtually all of the entries (i.e., opera synopses with commentaries) that ARE included in this single-volume edition were (almost) simply copied VERBATIM from the four-volume edition. That's not a bad thing, but just don't be misled by the above-quoted remark from that other reviewer.
   
   So, why would anybody ever bother buying the MUCH costlier four-volume edition? Well, it depends on your needs. If ALL you need are "story synopses" and commentaries for the approximately 250 operas that happen to be included here, then look no further.
   
   But if you want coverage of Berlioz' "Damnation of Faust" (not to mention "hundreds and hundreds" of still less popular yet noteworthy operas--a goodly number of which are available as CD recordings, new or used), you won't find it here. Moreover, this edition includes ONLY opera synopses and commentaries, not biographies of the composers or discussions of operatic terms, performers, venues, techniques, and much else.
   
   My own justification for considering purchasing the single-volume "Book" edition [specifically, its 1997 "first-edition" version (whose "more tastefully restrained" cover art, and many of whose color illustrations, I happen to prefer to those of this 2006 edition)] is that it could prove handy, now and again, to have this much more wieldy book at hand while I'm casually lounging and preparing to view an opera DVD. (This hardcover book is about 9.5 inches tall and weighs "only" about 3 pounds & four ounces. By contrast, EACH softcover volume of the complete "Dictionary" edition is significantly taller, wider and thicker; and the weight is about 6.5 pounds!)
   
   If you just can't afford the four-volume Grove "Dictionary" edition but you'd like succinct synopses for far more than just "250" operas, consider either "The NEW Penguin Opera Guide" (specifically the "2001" edition!) OR, better still, its original 1993 incarnation, namely, "The Viking Opera Guide" (IF you can find the latter for a reasonable price via the used-book market!). I happen to own the "Viking," too, btw.
   
   If you're still unsure which book to buy, well, compare and contrast all these books at your nearest public library branch that has happens to have 'em.



3. Although this book does not cover many less popular operas (the Grove encyclopedia of Operas is much more complete), it does cover around 250 operas, giving history, premier information, and the plots.

5 comments about Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung.

1. Thank you, Mr. Spencer. You have given us something very special. You have given us a complete English translation of Der Ring Des Nibelungen, and it's possibly the most Wagnerian translation ever put on paper. You have given us more knowledge about the Ring Cycle by giving us commentaries about Wagner and his mission to change the way we look at operas. You have also given us B & W pictures of recent renderings of the Ring Cycle, from the Bayreuth Festival to the New York Metropolitan Opera. And for that, we are very grateful. A+



2. This book would be an excellent addition to anyone interesting in Wagner's Ring cycle for a number of reasons.
   
   First, the translation, which takes up three quarters of the book, is well done, with German and English directly compared on a line by line basis, complete with alternate or discarded or rejected versions of the libretto included in an appendix. The translation itself seems outstanding; some of Wagner's phrasing is difficult or impossible to directly translate into English, but even in the most convoluted or confusing cases the result is clear and compelling.
   
   Second, there is a thematic guide to many of the most important leitmotifs Wagner developed (67 in this case), and in the translation of the libretto the authors have noted where these occur on a line by line, or sequential basis. This is of tremendous help as a reference for further study when listening and relistening to the music.
   
   Third, while there is only little commentary on the operas and on Wagner's compositional journey through the Ring, there are a few photos from past performances, comparing vastly different sets for the same scenes, which are interesting. There could have been quite a bit more of this.
   
   Finally, the glossary of character names could be useful to the student.
   
   Overall, this is an excellent resource and reference to use while listening to the Ring, and for analyzing Wagner's libretto itself.



3. This is a very useful set of libretti and translations. The introductory material and the synopses are also of great use.



4. My first English Ring was Andrew Porter's "singable" translation. It was my introduction to a world of sound-rhymes that is difficult to render even in German (a running joke in Bayreuth was that singers were asked to first translate the text to German, before starting work!!!). When my focus turned to meaning of words and sentences, I've discovered the Spencer translation, the most up-to-date version available in English. Besides an annotated text (with alternate endings included - previous versions of course...), comparing word roots with Wagner's own sources, we are also presented with introductory essays by Wagner scholars, filled with insight and devoid of one-sidedness so common in music scholarship. For everyone looking for THE version of Der Ring in English.



5. I studied "The Nibelungenlied" in college and was so mesmerized by the story that I had a linden leaf tattooed on my back. Since then, I have read Nordic sagas of the Siegfried legend. This was my first read of Wagner's comprehensive version. It was, quite simply, outstanding.
   
   Wagner draws from all versions of the legend. In addition to "The Nibelungenlied," he uses "The Saga of the Volsungs" and other Nordic versions such as the prose and poetic "Edda."
   
   Wagner's ambitious work was composed under the nationalistic fervour of 19th Century Germany. He believed "The Nibelungenlied" to be for Germany what "The Iliad" was for Greece or "The Aeneid" was for Rome. Thus he populates his German forests and rivers with mythological gods and faeries, and his human heroes are imbued with heroic courage and strength reminiscent of Achilles and Aeneas.
   
   In his poetry, Wagner proves himself a genius. Like other masters of language, he deftly balances storytelling, emotion, and philosophy. Stewart Spencer's translation is excellent, especially in capturing Wagner's emphasis on alliteration.
   
   See also Wagner's libretto for "Troilus and Cressida," another brilliantly written opera based on a medieval german text (by Gottfried von Straussberg).
   
   I highly recommend this book. There are seldom times a book will give me chills, and it happened several times when reading this book. And if you are interested in the Siegfried saga, check out The Nibelungenlied.

5 comments about Wagner's Ring: Turning the Sky Round.

1. This little book is an excellent introduction for folks like myself who have tried for years to make sense of the cycle. The narration gives a plot synopsis followed by the author's view of the meaning behind the drama. I have always been fascinated by Wagner's Ring Cycle though I do not know German. I have been very intrigued by the music. Well this book gave me a tiny little bit to get me going.
   
   Much of Father Owens' analysis may not meet with everyone's interpretation of the cycle but it does make one think.
   
   There is a section at the end that contains written music. My knowledge of reading music is very scant so I just ignored that section. It is not germane to the narrative because one can get these examples by listening to the work. For good examples get An Introduction To Wagner's Der Ring Des Nebulungen by Deryck Cooke on CD. Mr. Cooke's CD gives audio examples that one can appreciate without knowing how to read music.



2. Father Lee's book is essentially a fleshing out of some radio commentary given on the Ring cycle. While it is a short book and a quick read, it is insightful, deep, and well worth study and discussion.
   
   There is no single 'correct' way to interpret Wagner's giant gesamtkunstwerk, one reason why so many books of interpretations and analysis of the pieces struggle for shelf space. This one makes a worthy addition to the pile.
   
   Readers new to the Ring will find the synopsis and discussion of each opera informative and most valuable in getting them started to a basic understanding. Those more familiar with the Ring should find much to think about and compare with their own or other interpretations.
   
   Supplemental to the text are suggested recordings, short reviews of additional books worth investigating, and a brief list of some of Wagner's more well-known musical motifs. There are more complete such lists and references available, but again for the novice these will all be of great help.
   
   I found Lee's book informative, fascinating, and useful.



3. I found Father Owen Lee's interpretation of Wagner's Ring concise, beautifully written and coherent. I was utterly mesmerized and could not put the book down until I had read it.



4. In this slender volume, Fr. Lee not only provides a neat summary of Wagner's epic, but an ample and insightful look at the political and philophical underpinnings of the opera's genesis. His discussion of Schopenhauer's influence, albeit a surface treatment, never overwhelms the reader. Nor does the discussion of the leitmotives bog the reader down and detract from a lively and personal narrative. Highly recommended.



5. If you want a short but complete introduction to Wagner's Ring , this book is a good choice. There's also a list of recordings recommended by the author ( which includes the "must have" versions of the Ring available today ) .

1 comments about Music at the Limits (Columbia Themes in Philosophy, Social Criticism, and the Art).

1. I'll let others with the inclination give a detailed review of Said's views. Let me just say that the publisher should be ashamed of the volume's terrible lack of competent proofreading. I expected more from a University press.

5 comments about Phantom of the Opera.

1. Please read the notation before buying this. I did not and I learned a lesson. This is for beginners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



2. Just a caveat. This work is not correctly labeled. If you want the Easy Piano music, then I'm sure this is great.
   After I received it, I realized that the cover pic does show the 'easy' label, but is too small to be legible unless you know what you are looking for. The write up does not indicate the 'easy' specification.
   So, my low rating is for the mislabeling. And the fact that the mistake was not evident until I received my order caused problems with gifts.



3. Even though this book says "Easy Piano", it's not so easy that it's not at all challenging for an intermediate player. The songs are relatively true to life, considering their level. It also has beautiful pictures from the opera itself.



4. This is the Easy Piano version, but it is perfect for my needs. Love the Phantom of the Opera Theme. Definitely recommended if you are a beginner and like the music of the Phantom of the Opera.



5. I'm obsessive-compulsive, and one of my most consuming love affairs was with Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. I first saw Phantom on my first trip to Toronto in 1992, and proceeded to see it three more times at the Pantages Theatre in the coming years. I would listen to the CDs endlessly, memorized the libretto, and bought any Phantom-related merchandise I could get my hands on, including the sheet music. At the time, I was a beginning piano student, so I purchased the Easy Piano edition, but soon after purchased the regular piano sheet music.
   
   Nine songs from the musical are featured: Think of Me, Angel of Music, The Phantom of the Opera, Music of the Night, Prima Donna, All I Ask of You, Masquerade, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, and The Point of No Return. There are also an extensive series of stage photographs (some color, some black and white) sprinkled throughout, as well as brief bios on Lloyd Webber (composer), Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe (lyrics).
   
   Many have argued the merit (or lack) of Lloyd Webber's composing abilities, so I'll not get into that here. The nine arrangements are piano solos (unlike some transcriptions, where the piano is relegated to the role of accompanist) of intermediate difficulty that are faithful to the stage and recorded versions, with sweeping hints of strings captured in the fluid, expressive left-hand ornaments and a foreboding sense of dread in the pounding octave baseline introduced in Angel of Music that provides a nice segue into Phantom of the Opera. Generally, the fingering is not difficult, although there's a sticky chord progression at the beginning of Phantom of the Opera that took me some practice to hammer out.
   
   Showstopper Music of the Night is given a gentle, lullaby-like quality with a low-key arrangement for left hand, letting the melody shine. The enchanting, music-box-like Prima Donna is transformed into a slow waltz that echoes the haunting minor chord progression from Phantom of the Opera. The other standout is Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, a fragile, bell-like minor melody that blooms into an impassioned chorus and an ending that hauntingly fades away.
   
   The learning curve is generally short, with the exception of some tricky chord progressions on Phantom, Prima Donna, and Point of No Return, and intermediate to advanced piano students should feel right at home. Note that this arrangement is piano and voice; there are no guitar tabs provided, only chords. A perfect give for your phavorite Phantom phan.

No comments about Fate! Luck! Chance!: Amy Tan, Stewart Wallace, and the Making of The Bonesetter's Daughter.

5 comments about Great Singers on Great Singing: A Famous Opera Star Interviews 40 Famous Opera Singers on the Technique of Singing.

1. My husband is an opera lover and has loved listening to the human singing voice his whole life. I bought this book for him for his birthday, and he is delighted with it. Any one of your opera-loving friends would enjoy receiving a copy.



2. I was assigned to read this book and write ten critiques from ten article in this book. I first read this book as a student who loved the great singers of the past. This book is not a how to book in singing great, but it gives different points of view on how to sing well. I got a copy of the book to study it more indepthly. This book is great if you are going to teach students. There are exercises and hints from the great singers on how they warm up, their views on proper breathing and the fundamentals of singing. Each singer has their own point of view so that is also great for a teacher to consider because every one has their own way of explaining what works for them when it comes to singing correctly. Again, a great book for voice teachers and students!



3. This book was recommended by Rebecca Cook-Carter in a master class of hers that I attended. I've loved every page I read! The book is essential for any aspiring singer who wishes to have a better understanding of vocal technique.



4. A book that interviews 40 famous opera singers including well known singers suh as Pavarotti, Domingo, Corelli, Sutherland, Horne, Milnes etc. I think that Jerome Hines( a respected basso singer himself) has left an important work behind. The work is "The Great Singers On Singing." There hasn't been another book like it ever since when it comes to interviewing opera singers. It's a great book to have as a classical vocal student or teacher. The book reveals famous opera singers opinions regarding career, performing, diction, passagio, methods, range and the mental aspects of dealing with singing. Singing is hard to explain, which is why a good teacher will guide you for your own interpretation through appliction . Some of the singers are vague in their descriptions when it comes to explaining a certain vocal matter, and other singers explain clear as a bell. There are also long interviews with Dr Leo P. Reckford and Dr Morton Cooper that are valuable. These Doctors have great knowledge about the throat and vocal cords, and lay down physiological explanations. These kind of interviews along with the famous singers makes this book complete. Another reason why this book is so enjoyable is cause you can feel that Jerome Hines has a strong curiosity of what makes another singer have great vocal production. The questions asked by Hines are questions that singers would ask. He wants to know their secrets, their vulnerabilities, their interpretations, and he actually gets answers more so than he bargained for. It's very hard to find a book, or articles on the internet that gives away singers' opinion regarding their technique. This treasurable book should go for reprint. I have read over a dozen books when it comes to the art of singing. If I had to keep one vocal book this would be it. The reason for it is you'll find that not all singers in this book agree on the approach of what they consider good technique, but the disagreements here are not drastic and that is the reality of singing. Not one book can really show you how to sing. You can only apply the principles to when you actually start practicing. In the journey of becoming a singer you also will find your own opinion about what great singing is. That is why I think this book is valuable cause it interviews singers who went through the process. A great book that is entertaining as well as informative. This is the kind of book that you will re-read a chapter or a paragraph or whatever you are looking for for the rest of your life.



5. This has long been one of my favourite books on singing. I lent my copy to a fellow singer and never saw it again. Fortunately I recently managed to buy a second-hand first edition, and this copy is never going to leave my house. If you are a singer, it is one of those books that you will want to read again and again at various points in your career, gaining more insight from it at each reading and as your experience grows. Jerome Hines interviewed a selection of forty opera singers - including Domingo, Pavarotti, Ponselle and Sutherland (to name four of the best known) - and prompted them to voice their opinions, experiences, impressions, sensations, tricks of the trade and routines on what is so often invisible, intangible and elusive about the art of singing. He sensibly chose, for the most part, singers who were well into their years of prime or nearing the end of their careers rather than young stars who might not have acquired enough experience to be suitably analytical about their art. What is so endlessly fascinating about this book is what has to be inferred rather than what is actually stated. The reader is often left to try to imagine what the interviewee could possibly mean when he (in this case Nicolai Gedda) said in response to a question about what he feels when he sings a high note: "I think it's a double kind of movement ... of working of muscles ... even up a little. It's both." This is the kind of stuff that a singer will ponder for many a year, and one wishes that Hines could have been just a little bit more probing at times. Nevertheless I still give him five stars because it was such an original idea for a book. (A similar kind of book by was written in 1998 by Helena Matheopoulos about the current crop of female opera stars, but it is aimed at a wider audience and its focus is more on repertoire and roles and less on the technicalities of vocal production.)
   
   At one level the book is now becoming slightly dated, as many of the forty have passed away. On the other hand, we have recordings of all of them to keep their voices alive, and these interviews will gain in value as they gradually acquire the status of a historical document, especially in the case of those singers who did not write about their art. As good singing is timeless, there is much of interest for serious student of vocal technique, and there is much to glean between the lines. One wonders what other gems Hines might have recorded during those interviews which didn't make it into the book. Sadly, as he died in 2003, we shall probably never know.
   
   Also included are two useful chapters by a speech therapist and a laryngologist.

2 comments about Arias for Baritone: Voice and Piano (G. Schirmer Opera Anthology).

1. This a valuable anthology and has much to recommend it. The cleaness of the lay-out the use of original language only with a literal and literate translation by Martha Gerhart at the beginning of the of the score and the choice of arias for the young singer are commendable. The inclusion of cadenze and oppure, not found in other collections, is valuable. However, all of the anthologies edited by Larsen have the same problem. Page turns. Larsen is a fine pianist and should know better. I have had many pianists complain about or refuse to play from Larsen scores. Whenever a difficult passage to play occurs it is invaribly on a page turn. The collection is a great study tool, but less than ideal in performance.



2. This is a collection that actually exceeded my expectations since most of the "good guy' parts in opera are for tenors.

   Most popular selections would include "Largo al Factotum" (the intro. to Barber of Seville), and "Votre Toast" ("Toreador Song" from Carmen").

   The English translations provided are quite literal and non-poetic, which seems strange, because some of the selections, including those above, and others such as Mozart's "Magic Flute", do have English lyrics and have been performed in English.

   Also serves as a good source of instrumental solo material for trombone, baritone or cello players.