No comments about Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music, Concise Version (6 Compact Discs).

5 comments about The Mikado Vocal Score (Dover Vocal Scores).

1. Being a serious fan of Gilbert and Sullivan's work and a performer in several of their collaborations, this is a wonderful score. It has every piece of dialogue, every song, and a great cover. If you are ever going to be in a production of 'The Mikado', buy this score!



2. Great for learning both dialogue and vocal score for anyone who is taking part in this production or who is just considering auditioning.



3. Well, I don't know if it is perfect or not. However, it does have bar numbers, which is more than can be said for most of the vocal editions out there. AND they match the published full scores.
   
   When you are rehearsing or doing any type of serious work with the music, being able to reference bar numbers is invariable. "Second bar of third system on page #148", just doesn't cut it.



4. This well-priced score is a great edition for student productions because it's legible and affordable!



5. This is a phenomenal resource for the Mikado. The piano reduction is imminently playable, and the libretto includes the spoken dialogue between each of the vocal selections. The chorus parts are included, so this little score is the whole show in a complete package, with the exception of not being scored for the orchestra. Unless a person would want to alter some script, or lyrics (such as is commonly done in certain songs, i.e. I've Got a Little List) This Dover Vocal Score ranks right up there with the Stratford Video Production from 1982 - which is one of the best productions of this Gilbert and Sullivan classic.

5 comments about The Complete Phantom of the Opera (Owl Books).

1. This book... I have no words on how amazing it is.
   
   When I rekindled my love for musicals, and of course, Phantom of the Opera made that happened... I had to get everything and learn everything about Phantom. So I found this book at the library and I went insane over it.
   
   Firstly, it gives a clear background history on Gaston Leroux--the writer and the creator of Phantom of the Opera. Then, it goes into another section when talking about the films it inspired. You'll be surprised and amazed when you see it and read about it. Not only that, it tells you some small tidbit facts on the actors and actresses of these movies.
   
   And then, my favorite part, it goes into the Lloyd Webber musical. And when I say "goes into" I mean it!! There are so many pictures of the Original London Cast it's phenominal! There ares ome behind the scenes pictures as well. I never seen so many pictures about Phantom sure in a book, ever.
   
   And when you think that's enough, there is a libretto of the stage production--including scrafito'ed pictures of the OLC copied in there as it was when the CD/Cassette first made it's debut.
   
   All in all, it's not clearly updated as it is now, there is mention of the movie and who they want in it. But otherwise, if you are a London Cast or simply a Phantom obsessionist, you MUST have this book. If you find it at a house sale, a junk pile, book sale... whatever... BUY IT. You will not be dissapointed!!



2. This a must have for any phans of the A.L.W. musical!!



3. Loads of beautiful photos and lots of info. I love it. We do need and expanded edition to cover the movie. This is for Phantom Fans.



4. I bought a copy of this book at a performance of The Phantom Of The Opera in 2000 and really love it. I tried to purchase a copy for a friend at the most recent performance we went to but it is no longer available and feel very lucky to have been able to find it here at Amazon. It tells of the Paris Opera House, Gaston Leroux, the original story and the movies. The reason I bought it is the last 100+ pages cover the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and includes some incredible photographs. I was delighted when I got home and found it also includes the Libretto! I would encourage any fan of the musical to purchase a copy.



5. Excellent book !
   All of a good Phantom of the opera's fan needs to know about this classic musical masterpiece. History, true facts, anecdotes, first editions, the future.. No more words. Don't miss it !!

5 comments about The Magic Flute (Guide to Understanding and Appreciating Opera).

1. I'm usually dismissive of most Die Zauberflotes because I find the overall quality of the singers and recording lacking. Then I came upon this recording...I have to say that it is simply the most amazing Die Zauberflote I've ever heard! The orchestrations to the singers to the conductor himself...everything is mind-blowing! I'm not a Mozart person, but if I really like a recording of his I will buy it. This is an excellent way to introduce yourself to the Flute, especially since there is such a wonderful introduction accompanying this extremely famous opera. And the Queen of the Night-Edda Moser!!! Amazing! Simply amazing! No other Queen has conveyed that much drama into her singing. This is the Flute. I would suggest Marriner's version if I hadn't seen this one, but then here is a Flute with all the greats in it! Get it now!



2. This was a wonderful story well written for a young audience. We bought it for our six-year-old son who began studying violin a year ago, and this was his one-year anniversary present. Mozart's Eine Kleine Nacht Musik was his inspiration to learn the violin, and he has since taken interest in other Mozart music. The illustrations are also very beautiful.



3. This is a great opera introduction for kids. The story is really easy to follow and the CD is a great addition. I highly recommend this for anyone.



4. I bought this book because recently I recorded The Magic Flute opera from PBS (TV station), performed by The Metropolitan Opera New York (MET) in English. The channel was in high-definition. I'm dissapointed with the book because there was no English translation at all in the book but it didn't mean I could not enjoy the book. Because I have the book, I notice the English opera version (perform by MET) contains removed parts. For example, the overture was cut by half. Maybe it is to shorted the performance.



5. When I tell people I'm reading a graphic novel adaptation of a Mozart opera, they tend to think I'm nuts. However, this was a really cool book. I was unfamiliar with the opera upon which this book was based when I started reading it, but the story is a wonderful work of fantasy with fun characters and a great message. The artwork is fantastic as well, and it really drew me into the story. I highly recommend this book to lovers of fantasy graphic novels with an open mind.

2 comments about Dido and Aeneas in Full Score.

1. This very short Baroque opera composed by Purcell, is probably the best English baroque opera. I contains the most beautiful lament "When I am laid in the earth" is the most beautiful opera air. Also, the final chorus ending in Gm is very beautiful. The score contains the instrumentation, the table of contents, and critical notes on the piece. The editor actually put in the Harpsichord part instead of having the Basso line with Figured Bass so that is an advantage. The Opera takes little over an hour, and the score is full of Basso Continuo arias. buy this score if you are a baroque lover!



2. This appears to be a reprint of the 1915 Purcell Society edition, based on late and unreliable manuscript copies, which were all that were known at the time that edition was prepared. It differs in many small (and a few not-so-small) details from the version commonly performed today. It is also heavily edited with performance indications such as dynamic markings that, while not unmusical, are of more use as a document of Edwardian musical taste than as a guide to Baroque performance practice.
   
   Almost all readers would be better off with the Norton Critical Score edition by Curtis Price for a few dollars more. For preparing performances, the best choices would be the current Purcell Society edition (published by Novello) or the very reasonably priced edition from King's Music.

2 comments about The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro (Penguin Classics).

1. These two plays have been made very famous by the two operas by Rossini and Mozart. However the plays seem to be relatively unknown. Of the two plays "The Marriage of Figaro" is the better of the two. I would also like add a criticism of the movie Amadeus. In the movie Salieri comments on the ending of the opera based on the play in a way that seems to imply that Mozart deserves all the credit. In fact the opera is very faithful to the play. Mozart should get all the credit for the music of the Marriage of Figaro, but Beaumarchais deserves credit for the plot.

   But to get back to my point, these are two great plays that deserve to be better known. Figaro (the play) was controversial in its day as a satire about the rights of aristocrats but today the satire does not seem very harsh. Figaro the roguish main character who believes he is just as good as his master is one of the great literary characters. That is not just my opinion, it was also the opinion of the novelist Balzac.

   I would especially recommend this Penguin edition for the introduction which has a short biography of the adventurous life of Beaumarchais. It is a miracle he found the time to write these plays, but I am very glad that he did.




2. We are doing this in opera form this Spring, and it was very helpful to read the play, especially the Barber, to get the background necessary for a complete performance. The notes and the biography also added to my understanding of the play.

2 comments about Siegfried in Full Score.

1. Siegfried is the third opera in Wagner's tetrology, the Ring of the Nibeling. It tells the story of Siegfried, the young hero who bursts through a ring of fire to saves Brunnhilde, his aunt and eventual lover, from a fate of eternal sleep. This opera contains remarkable music, such as Brunnhilde and Siegfrieds' love duets, and the prophetic twittering of the forest bird. As with Das Rheingold, Dover republished the B. Schott's Sohne edition, which means that what we see on the page was approved by Wagner himself. Again, Dover editions are reasonably priced, easy to read, and capable of enduring all reasonable, and some unreasonable wear and tear. Dover's Siegfried is large enough to conduct from, which isn't always true with Dover's Wagner scores. In any case, a copy of this score belongs in the home of all self respecting Opera lovers.



2. Keith Dillon has already said much of what needs be said about this score. Ideally I'd have given it a 4.5 or even only 4 stars due to 2 faults with those initial Schott editions - except Mr. Dillon has already beaten me to it (yet his review is warmer...)! Consequently, I'll raise my mark to counter-balance given the low price. [Getting the current Schott Complete-Wagner Works Edition, which does follow proper conventions, surely would cost a king's ransom...]
   
   The faults are: 1) Inconsistency about ordering of instruments and/or voices per system; 2) Slightly less than ideal clarity in printing due to the styles/fonts of engraving then used.
   
   Regarding the first point: it was a period of transition from an initial time where other instruments and voices would be inserted between the upper strings (violins, violas) and the low ones (which still were notated à la "Continuo" function long after that style of composition had died) versus today's systematisation where everything is grouped by order of class of instruments and/or voices (woodwinds, brass, percussion, harps, keyboards, solo-voices, choral-voices, strings - going from top to bottom in a system). That full-transition hadn't quite finished yet (it so did around 1910 with Peters' editions of the Wagner operas - "Tristan und Isolde" used the old order Wagner used, whereas "Die Walküre" and "Parsifal" were in the new order - other composers like Richard Strauss were already established however with the new order...).
   
   Also, as an extra challenge, tenor voices (in this case: Siegfried, Mime) are notated using the tenor clef - not that I mind; however, others might.
   
   Anyway, those are minor quibbles - in compensation one knows that he's dealing with very reliable scores proofed (if I recall correctly) by Wagner himself, with few mistakes if any - all of which can be corrected by listening to appropriate recordings. Definitely recommended!

4 comments about The Perfect Wagnerite.

1. About twenty years ago, the BBC World Service introduced me to readings from G. B. Shaw's musical criticisms. The readings showed me that critique is as much an art as the subject of the critique. This pamphlet is a shining example of Shaw's art of criticism. Shaw presents the story, he gives some musical analysis, but most of all he presents the "Ring" in a philosophical and politcal slant that only Shaw could do. I suspect that the philosophy and politics are more Shaw's than Wagner's. Great for thosw who like Wagner and G.B.Shaw. Good for someone new to Der Ring des Nibelungen.



2. If we're going to have a voice worthy of critiquing the great master, it might as well be Shaw. For those who have not read any Shaw, he's a wickedly entertaining writer, though a bit high brow at times. This is a book for the Wagnerite and the layman alike, but expect to get a little insulted if you belong to the latter category. As to the philosophies in this little book, just about everyone who likes the Ring has their own unique opinion about its deep political/spiritual meanings, including Shaw. And although everything he writes seems obvious enough to him, I can't say I'm completely convinced by all his ideas. The book is certainly worth reading, however, just to hear the Shaw's elegant take on the musical masterpiece. (also, at least some of his ideas must be right) Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the book is its attack on Gotterdammerung, the beloved finale of the Ring. Shaw argues it is nearly devoid of underlying meaning and is a superficial conclusion to an otherwise philosophically sound work. As a final note, I appreciate the Mark Twain-like ascerbic criticism of society which seems incorrigibly imprinted in Shaw's style. This book is entertaining, and in certain places, profound. I give it four stars. (maybe 5 if he hadn't criticized Brahms!)



3. I have read almost all of Shaw's published works which have come within my reach. I see the deterioration in the quality of his work as the aging process set in, and of his defense of such people as Djerjinski and Stalin. When he is profound, he is very profound and when he is off the mark he is way out in zoonieland. This book, fortunately, shows more of his great skill at criticism and assimilation of background data than his equally great skill at polemics. Remember, the compositionof the _Ring_ was an event of the past for him, and he was able to use historical source material. But what caught my attention was that the London newspapers of his own day ran letters trying to reconcile the "Brunhilde problem" in _Gotterdamerung_. All of this was a burning issue to the London intelligentsia. But, to the point: BUY this book because it is HILARIOUS, in the best sense of that word. This is Shaw, maybe not at his level best, but close to it. Learn while you laugh! The ideas propounded in this book have been burned into my memory because I have read them over and over. Read this book if you can appreciate subtle jokes.



4. Wagner, it's often said, has had more books written about him than anyone in history with the exceptions of Napoleon and Jesus Christ. This is one of the most fascinating, coming as it does from George Bernard Shaw, a penetrating music critic under the pen-name Corno di Bassetto as well as the familiar dramatist.
   
   This is GBS's take on Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung. It is a predictable mix of Shavian wit, perception and frustratingly obstinate didacticism. There is no doubt about the seriousness with which Shaw takes this massive work. He clearly sees it, still fairly fresh in people's experience as it was when his book was written, as one of the seminal works of his time. He writes to prove how much deeper its philosophy was than the simple charming fairy tale many took it for at the time. That he sees it essentially as a Shavian/Fabian fable is hardly surprising. If the book has a weakness it is, as Deryck Cooke points out in his excellent `I Saw the World End', that the whole argument is too narrow, too one-track to accommodate the many facets and many different interpretations that can all, quite justifiably, be placed on the Ring. This of all operatic works is bigger than any of its commentators. Even Shaw was aware of that.
   
   "Only those of wider consciousness can follow it breathlessly, seeing in it the whole tragedy of human history and the whole horror of the dilemmas from which the world is shrinking today," he wrote.
   
   When he wrote the book, Shaw intended it for the Wagner novice, helping them to a fuller understanding of the work - or, at least, how he saw it. It perhaps shouldn't be recommended for that purpose these days, but it still remains an essential read for anyone who has already started down the road to becoming a Perfect Wagnerite. Chances are you won't agree with some/most/any of it. But it is still a fascinating read for anyone with a serious interest in Wagner's works.

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

1. This book is a must buy for all basses and bass-baritones, and those who want to be familiar with the operatic repertoire. If you are a higher or lighter voice type, but generally sing bass in choir, you will probably want to get the Arias for Baritone book. These books provide excellent selections of arias from the standard repertoire. The translations provided are not specific though so you will need to still translate to get the word for word meanings fo the text. Nonetheless, these are musts for aspiring basses and baritones.



2. These are definitely good pieces to have in the repertoire, but please bear in mind that these are all very firmly in the bass range (nothing really basso profundo -- I think they get down to E or F below low C, but that's low enough for most folks). If your range tends to be a little higher with a low extension, you might also wish to get the companion collection "Arias for Baritone," which includes such notable classics as "Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre" (the Toreador Song) from Bizet's "Carmen" and "Largo al factotum della citta" (Figaro's first aria) from Rossinni's "Barbiere di Sevilla" Between the two, you should have a solid repertoire of operatic classics from a variety of styles.

4 comments about La Boheme: Vocal Score.

1. Okay. With no english translations at the bottom, how are you supposed to know what you are singing about? Get the G Schirmer version. Its much better. However, if this is all you can afford then I say by all means go for it.

   ~Adele




2. The notes are clear and easy to read, but I was very annoyed to discover that English is the primary text given in this edition (Dover Vocal Score). The English appears immediatly beneath the notes and underneath the English is the proper Italian, in italics! Crazy!



3. In the first act of La Boheme, the first abrupt mood change takes
   place on page 33, when the landlord knocks on the door.
   
   Until this point, we are in the key of F major. At this point, there is a French sixth, using F, B, and D#. The F is sustained. This is probably because B is the tone most unrelated to F. After Benoit answers the question "chi e la?" we hear an E major chord with a dissonant F thrown in for maximum pain.
   
   On pages 44-45, our allegedly womanizing friend tells us the facts of life, but finally leaks out the secret that he is married. Puccini is in a double bind here: he has to make things easy for our inebriated visitor's wagging tongue, but he also has to help our rent-delinquent principals feign surprise on Benoit's last word.
   
   Puccini, master that he is, finds a way out of this pickle. He marks this mood change with a key change between flats and sharps. As we shall see, this is a frequent custom of his.
   
   However, he does not make a quantum leap from one key to the other, as he will at other points in the score. At the bottom of page 44, we are clearly in the key of Db major. For three measures, we are in No Man's Land, and Puccini stakes these three measures with an empty key signature. I mark those three chords as: half-diminished seventh on B, dominant seventh on E, half-diminished seventh on C#.
   
   At the top of page 45, where "vostra signori" utters the fatal word, the bass instruments hit F# to end the cadence, whereupon the treble instruments play a half-diminished seventh on G, which then slurs to a fully diminished seventh.
   
   Note the semitone descent starting at the all-natural key signature--A, G#, G-natural, F#, F-natural, E. Betcha Puccini intended the semitone descent as a symbol for the poor fellow's slipping tongue.
   
   In Mimi's aria, there is a contrast in mood and in subject matter on the words "ma quando vien lo sgelo" (pp. 72-73). This is marked with a tempo change and a time signature change. The previous section ends on the dominant and this section begin on the subdominant. As we shall see, Puccini is a frequent user of deceptive cadences.
   
   For the parade at the end of Act II (pp. 145-146), Puccini does not make a smooth transition from one key to another, but rather jumps. Such a change is sometimes called a "direct" or "abrupt modulation." At the time the band approaches, we are on an A major chord. That is the subdominant chord for Musetta's aria. We promptly forget about Musetta's aria and immediately jump to the key of Bb major for the march.
   
   For this portion of the opera, Puccini probably worked backwards. He likely chose Bb major for the march because that is the easiest key for band instruments. Then for maximum contrast, he likely chose E major for Musetta's aria because that is the key least related to Bb major.
   
   On page 231, staves 2-3, the Rodolfo-Marcello duet ends. There can be no doubt that this is a cadence in the key of C major. But then some visitors come in, so our personal conversation must come to a stop. At the top of page 232, we are in the key of A major. On the second measure of the second stave, we are in the key of F major. Remember this melody? We first heard it on page 20, the first time we had a house full of company. This seems to be the Schaunard motif.
   
   At the bottom of page 232 and the top of page 233, the unaccompanied melody brings us to the key of E major, where the Schaunard motif reappears. (I don't know any name for a modulation using unaccompanied melody notes. If you know a name for it, please write back.)
   
   On page 247, we find our principals in a mock sword fight. Puccini ends this revelry with another wild tonal leap. The instrumental passage is in the key of Ab major, but stops on a secondary dominant when Musetta appears. We jump to e minor while Musetta announces the unhappy news.
   
   After hearing Colline's aria, we turn to page 260. In the third and fourth staves, Puccini deceives us with a dominant seventh on B followed by a key change to G major. Schaunard is quietly leaving, so we hear the Schaunard motif again, but not as jubilantly as before.
   
   On page 261, while we are still in the key of G major, we are
   reminded of Rodolfo's comment on Mimi's "occhi belli," which we heard on page 67. This quotation ends on a dominant chord, so we expect a tonic resolution. Nevertheless, Puccini again deceives us.
   
   Puccini probably restates this earlier passage because of its
   relevance with eyes. On the key change, Mimi opens her eyes. And why does Puccini choose the key of C major? Probably because C major is not clouded with sharps or flats, and therefore could be used as a symbol of clarity.
   
   On page 269, there is a sudden mood change when Mimi coughs. Rodolfo is in a quandary, because he has to show concern without startling Mimi. This, in turn, puts Puccini in a quandary. Puccini's headache is compounded with the task of
   incorporating the following Schaunard and mi-chiamano-Mimi motifs.
   
   Puccini again makes a deceptive cadence and another flat-to-sharp key change. This time, however, he resolves the problem by avoiding excessive harmony and extreme dynamic markings.
   
   Compared to his wild and unconventional ways of depicting mood
   swings, Puccini is more conventional in announcing the highlight
   numbers. All of the highlight numbers start either with a related chord or a related single pitch.
   
   For Rodolfo's aria (pp. 63-64), the A-flat sounded by the horn is
   preceded by a D-flat chord. That's the wrong direction on the circle of fifths, but at least we're in a related key.
   
   Admittedly, there is a wide difference in tonality between Rodolfo's aria and Mimi's aria, which immediately follows (pages 69-70).
   Rodolfo's aria ends in A-flat major. The violins sounds Mimi's
   starting pitch on E, and we proceed on the sharp half of the circle.
   
   For Musetta's aria (pp. 129-130), the harp plays B, preparing us for the aria, which is in the key of E major.
   
   The preparation for the Rodolfo-Marcello duet (pp. 227-228), is
   skillful, but conventional. The last phrase of the instrumental
   passage consists of a d minor chord, an inverted C major chord, an inverted half-diminished seventh on F#, and a dominant seventh on G with a 4-3 suspension. This prepares us for the highlight number, which is in the key of C major.
   
   Thanks to enharmonic spelling, an authentic half-cadence on A-flat prepares us for Colline's aria in c# minor (pp. 257-258).
   
   Puccini probably intended the melody on page 262, sometimes
   called "La Morte di Mimi," to be considered as a highlight.
   
   At the bottom of page 261, a nice and neat half cadence prepares us for "La Morte di Mimi." At the end of the opera, we hear the melody again, followed by the instrumental codetta for Colline's aria.
   
   Puccini obviously put a great deal of thought into composing La
   Boheme. It is no accident that La Boheme found its way to the top of the chart.



4. Printed in 2005, this new edition surpassed all my expectations.
   Hardcover, red cloth for piano and voice. High qualtiy printing, clear and bold!
   Note: Only in Italian text.