With his last opera Mozart created a piece of theatre which defies categorization. In theory it is a Singspiel, a mixture of songs and dialogue, in which the spectacular effects and comedy fit naturally: they appeal today as much as they did when it first opened in a popular Viennese theatre two hundred years ago. Rodney Milnes recalls some of the other pieces playing at the time, such as Kaspar the Bassonist, or The Magic Zither. On the other hand, it belongs to a tradition of Enlightenment texts in which a young prince, destined to be a ruler, learns from his adventures how to behave wisely as a social being. This is a re-working of the Orpheus myth, in the context of the Age of Reason and Freemasonry. David Cairns describes the many beauties of the score in loving detail, taking the reader through the complex plot, to clarify and interpret it. Famous commentaries by Goethe, Berlioz, E.T.A. Hoffmann and G.B. Shaw reveal their enthusiasm for the opera. A useful and unusual feature of this guide is the complete dialogue, in German with an English translation, which is often badly cut in performance. Like so many fairy tales, The Magic Flute repays careful attention: its music has a charm to inspire the child in every listener. Contents: Synopsis; 'Singspiel and Symbolism', Rodney Milnes; 'A Vision of Reconciliation' David Cairns; 'A Public for Mozart's Last Opera' Nicholas John; Die Zauberfloete: Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder and Carl Ludwig Giesecke; The Magic Flute: Lyrics by Michael Geliot, Dialogue by Anthony Besch

Don Giovanni is one of Mozart's most popular and enduringly fascinating works. E.T.A. Hoffmann described it as the "opera of all operas". This edition begins with a discussion of its comic elements by Michael F. Robinson. An overall view of the score is given by David Wyn Jones, showing how Mozart maintained dramatic momentum over its two acts and giving an overview of the dramatic pacing and orchestration in some of the most important scenes. Christopher Raeburn concludes the commentary with an engaging portrait of Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart's "libertine librettist", and his relationship with the composer. This guide contains more than thirty photographs covering performances of Don Giovanni to the present day, a detailed thematic analysis, the libretto in Italian with a facing literal translation, an up-to-date bibliography and a discography, as well as DVD and website guides. Contains: The 'Comic' Element in Don Giovanni, Michael F. Robinson; Music and Action in Don Giovanni, David Wyn Jones; Lorenzo Da Ponte, Christopher Raeburn; Characterization in Don Giovanni, E.J. Dent, Brigid Brophy, Julian Rushton, Lawrence Lipking, Andrew Steptoe, George Hall; Don Giovanni: A Selective Performance History, Hugo Shirley; Don Giovanni: Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte; Don Giovanni: English translation by Visiontext

The Black Dog Opera Library is the best, easiest and most informative and budget-friendly way to enjoy four of the greatest operas of all time.

Finally available again, and packaged with gorgeous new covers, each book in the library includes the complete opera on 2 CDs, featuring world-class performances and orchestras; the complete libretto, plus its English translation; an exciting history of the opera; a biography of the composer; a synopsis of the story, broken down by act and scene; and dozens of photographs and drawings depicting performances, singers, sets, costumes, and more.

The Marriage of Figaro features Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Heather Harper, Judith Blegen, Geraint Evans, Teresa Berganza, and Birgit Finnila, with Daniel Barenboim conducting the English Chamber Orchestra.

Also available:

La Boheme featuring Nicolai Gedda and Mirella Freni, with Thomas Schippers conducting the Orchestro e Coro del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma;Carmen featuring Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni, and Kostas Paskalis, with Rafael Fru beck de Burgos conducting the Orchestra of the Theatre National de l'Opera. La Traviata featuring Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda, and Rolando Panerai, with Aldo Ceccato conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Listen. Enjoy. Learn."

Beethoven's Complete Pianoforte Sonatas, edited by Harold Craxton, are published as part of ABRSM's 'Signature' Series - a series of authoritative performing editions of standard keyboard works, prepared from original sources by leading scholars. Includes informative introductions and performance notes.

Mozart wrote Idomeneo when he was twenty-four years old, and the opera was described by Albert Einstein as 'one of those works that even a genius like Mozart could write only once in his life'. It is one of most astonishing achievements of an altogether astonishing career. In this newly commissioned guide, Julian Rushton explains the special nature of the music in a detailed analysis of its themes and development, while Nicholas Till places the opera in its context as an expression of the Enlightenment. Gary Kahn explores the performance history of an opera which, although largely ignored for over a hundred and fifty years, has now taken its place as part of the international operatic repertoire. A selection of the unique letters between Mozart and his father written during the opera's composition is also included.

'They wanted me to give a concert; I wanted them to beg me. And so they did. I gave a concert.' A selection of personal correspondence between Mozart and his most important mentor and supporter, his father. Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). Mozart's work available in Penguin Classics is Mozart: A Life In Letters.

Standard Italian libretto, with complete English translation. Convenient and thoroughly portable-an ideal companion for reading along with a recording or the performance itself. Introduction. List of Characters. Plot Summary.

Following the great successes of Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte was the last of the three operas that Mozart wrote with the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. Although well received at its premiere in Vienna in 1790, it was then largely neglected until the mid-twentieth century. Its comic, but deeply felt portrayal of the foibles of young people in love has since become recognized as perhaps the most sophisticated and perfect of all Mozart's operas. This guide contains articles that describe the genesis of the opera and the circumstances surrounding its first performances, a musical commentary which takes the reader through the opera's main themes and an overview of the ways in which it fell out of favour in the nineteenth century. A detailed description of its more recent performance history reflects how the work has now established a secure position in the repertory of opera houses throughout the world. The guide also includes sixteen pages of illustrations, a musical thematic guide, the full libretto with English translation, a discography, bibliography and DVD and website guides.

The A Z of String Players surveys the lives, careers and recordings of over 300 string players from the past and present. Many great string players who have made recordings are included, from Accardo to Zukerman. The text covers artists from the earliest recording processes to contemporary, cutting-edge technology. In this clear and straight-forward publication, the artists are listed alphabetically, with a summary of their career, notable recordings, biography and critical appraisal of their recorded legacy. In addition, four compact discs present a selection of recordings from 69 artists. This package will appeal to enthusiast and scholar alike as a readable, informed and fascinating work of reference.

Le nozze di Figaro is one of Mozart's best-loved and most enduring works. The first of the three operas he wrote with Lorenzo da Ponte and based on Beaumarchais's play, it established the thirty-year-old Mozart as an opera composer of the very first rank. Its combination of wit, acute psychological observation and sublime music has enthralled audiences ever since its premiere in Prague in 1786. This guide contains articles about the historical background to the opera, as well as musical and dramatic commentaries. Further articles deal with the changes in musical performance brought about in recent times by the period practice movement and with the particular uses Mozart makes of recitatives. There is also a survey of the opera's most important productions. Illustrations, a thematic guide, the full libretto with English translation and reference sections are also included.

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. This famous opera ends, after the hero is dragged down to hell, with a warning that evil shall not go unpunished. 'Hardly', as Michael F. Robinson notes, 'one's usual idea of a "comic" subject!' So this guide opens with a brief look at what is actually comic about it. David Wyn Jones gives an overall view of the score: he shows how the musical keys are arranged so that the dramatic momentum over two long acts is maintained and discusses orchestration and dramatic pacing in the most important scenes. Christopher Raeburn contributes a lively portrait of the 'libertine librettist' who, after his Vienna triumphs, was hounded out of London for his debts and eventually died in New York - 'revered as the father of Italian studies in America'. The full original text is given, with a pointed modern translation.

"It was a treat so truly intellectual that every ear and every breast, susceptible of harmony and of impression, was gratified to a degree beyond our power to describe." Thus reads one of the first London reviews of Cosi fan tutte. Its enigmatic mixture of a detached experiment in human foibles and a struggle of sincere emotions has often disturbed audiences. H.C. Robbins Landon observes, however, that Mozart's heartfelt music proves he is openly on the side of the angels - the ladies - not the deceivers, however cynical Da Ponte's words appear to be. Brian Trowell describes the sophisticated world in which the opera was conceived, while John Stone traces the origins of the libretto to Ancient Greece, medieval Italy and even to China. The text is certainly Da Ponte's most original work, and is here presented in Revd M.E. Browne's acclaimed translation, revised by John Cox. Contents: Mozart at the time of 'Cosi fan tutte', Brian Trowell; A Commentary on the Score, H.C. Robbins Landon; The Background to the Libretto, John Stone; A Performance History, Nicholas John; Cosi fan tutte: Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte; Cosi fan tutte: English translation by Marmaduke E. Browne, revised by John Cox

John Wells, who translated Beaumarchais' plays, introduces the opera with a high-spirited account of the action-packed career of the author, in many respects the prototype of Figaro himself. Basil Deane explores the score: he shows that Mozart's characters are illuminated here not so much in soliloquies but in their reactions to each other in a series of compromising situations. Composer Stephen Oliver discusses how the comedy exists not just in the words but, essentially, in the music. The full Italian text is given, with a note on the order of scenes in Act Three and the alternative passages Mozart wrote for da Ponte's mistress when she sang Susanna at the 1789 revival. The classic translation of E.J. Dent is an excellent way to get to know both the twists and turns of the plot and the stylish wit of da Ponte's innuendos.

(Piano Collection). 12 well-known pieces, including the most often played Sonatas, Rondo in D Major K. 485, Sonatina in C Major, and Twelve Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman."

12 Variations On "Ah, vous dirai-je maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart contains a score for the solo piano. It is a fine example of the composer s work and a fantastic addition to any classical musician s repertoire. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.