Puccini's La boheme is one of the most beloved and enduring operas of all time. In this guide, William Ashbrook evaluates the opera's initial reception, the reasons for its wide appeal and Verdi's influence on the composition. Nicholas John discusses the tortuous evolution of the libretto over the course of three and a half years and gives a synopsis, outlining the main themes of La boheme. Edward Greenfield presents an essay on the musical structure and consistency of the opera, whose 'very accessibility tends to obscure the musical genius behind the score'. Finally, Joanna Richardson surveys the Bohemians in Paris portrayed by Henry Murger, whose stories formed the basis for Puccini's work. This edition has over twenty photographs, a detailed thematic analysis and the original libretto with a facing literal translation by William Weaver. It also has an up-to-date bibliography, discography, DVD and website details. The guide is essential reading for anyone interested in the background to this opera, its themes and composition.

"Tosca," one of Puccini's greatest and most popular operas, is a supreme example of music's power to enthrall the audience. In his introductory essay to this guide, Bernard Williams discusses the enduring quality of its appeal. Bernard Keeffe, in his article, analyzes different aspects of the score, noting Puccini's special genius for orchestration and the subtle effects that give the opera its irresistible vitality, while Stuart Woolfe's survey of the historical background reveals its political and nationalistic undertones. Enriched by 25 iconic archive photographs, a detailed thematic analysis, the original libretto with the facing literal translation, and a section containing up-to-date discographical and bibliographical information, this guide will prove an invaluable companion for opera-goers and anyone wanting to delve deeper into the genesis, history, and significance of Puccini's work.

These Opera Guides are ideal com-panions to the opera. They provide stimulating introductory articles together with the complete text of each opera in English and the original. Italian opera expert William Ashbrook asks why this love story attracted new audiences to the opera house when it was first performed, and what gives this 'tragedy of fragile sentiment' such an enduring appeal. Neither subject nor score is conventional, yet the sound picture is bound together with a quickness and lightness of touch that the young composer learnt from the eighty-year-old Verdi, whose Falstaff was premiered while La boheme was being conceived. Joanna Richardson surveys the actual Bohemians who inspired, or at least unwittingly supplied the raw material for, Murger's book on which the story is based. Edward Greenfield and Nicholas John examine the subtleties of this best-loved of operas and the merits of a libretto which took Italy's best librettists over three years to finish.

These Opera Guides are ideal companions to the opera. They provide stimulating introductory articles together with the complete text of each opera in English and the original. 'Puccini's motto could be: "The maximum effect with the simplest means",' suggests Bernard Keeffe. He analyses different aspects of the score, noting particularly Puccini's genius for orchestration, and the infinitely subtle effects that give the melodrama irresistible vitality. Stuart Woolfe's scholarly assessment of the significance of the historical themes for Puccini explains many of the motives of the protagonists. Tosca is a supreme example of music's power to enthral an audience and Bernard Williams discusses the particular quality of its appeal.

"A Turandot filtered through a modern brain", wrote Puccini, describing his plans to rework the eighteenth-century fable by Carlo Gozzi. According to Mosco Carner, Puccini's last and supreme work is an advanced score which, with an orchestration that reflects contemporaries such as Richard Strauss and Stravinsky as well as genuine Chinese rhythms and harmonies, remains true to the Italian vocal tradition. The musicologist Jurgen Maehder analyses of the ending, which Franco Alfano composed from Puccini's sketches. In addition, the great British soprano Dame Eva Turner recalls her experiences of singing the title role, of which she was a legendary interpreter. Contents: The Genesis of the Opera, Mosco Carner; The Score, Mosco Carner; Puccini's 'Turandot': A Fragment, Jurgen Maehder; Carlo Gozzi's 'Turandot' and Its Transformation into Puccini's Libretto, John Black; Memories of Performing 'Turandot', Eva Turner; Turandot: Libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni; Turandot: English literal translation by William Weaver

Double bill of operas from the 1980s starring tenor Luciano Pavarotti. In 'Aida' Pavarotti performs the role of Radamès alongside Maria Chiara and Ghena Dimitrova. Lorin Maazel conducts the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus. In 'La Bohème' Pavarotti stars as Rodolfo with Tiziano Severini leading the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The rest of the cast includes Mirella Freni, Sandra Pacetti and Gino Quilico.

Live performance by Azerbaijan soprano Dinara Alieva in Moscow. She performs classical works by, among others, Charpentier, Massenet and Puccini, as well as more modern pieces such as 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and ' I Could Have Danced All Night'. Constantine Orbelian conducts the Russian National Orchestra and the Grand Choir 'Masters of Choral Singing'.

Live performance by Azerbaijan soprano Dinara Alieva in Moscow. She performs classical works by, among others, Charpentier, Massenet and Puccini, as well as more modern pieces such as 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and ' I Could Have Danced All Night'. Constantine Orbelian conducts the Russian National Orchestra and the Grand Choir 'Masters of Choral Singing'.

Riccardo Chailly leads the Chor de la Generalitat Valencia and the Orchestra de la Comunitat Valencia in Davide Livermore's energetic production of Puccini's opera, recorded at the Palau De Les Arts Reina Sofia in December 2012. The soloists include Gal James, Aquiles Machado, Carmen Romeu and Massimo Cavalletti.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Gianni Schicchi Giacomo Puccini G. Ricordi, 1918 Music; Genres & Styles; Opera; Music / Genres & Styles / Opera; Operas