Perfect Italian Diction for Singers is an authoritative guide for singing the most beautiful and expressive Italian. This book is the culmination of decades of experience and insights by two noted Italian and American pedagogues and vocal coaches as they systematically home in on essential features of the most beautiful Italian, the main issues and pitfalls of non-Italian singers, and steps and tools to overcome them. Timothy Cheek and Anna Toccafondi provide a step-by-step guide for singing flawlessly in this language, and, in addition to delving to the heart of Italian sounds and inflection, they present controversies, misconceptions, and various approaches-often conflicting-that have arisen throughout the last century for approaching Italian diction. Chapters also address: Italian style and legato Best use of supplemental resources and dictionaries Recitative with suggested, short Mozart excerpts Working with text Singing diphthongs, triphthongs, and hiatus Also included are a plethora of audio and video examples and exercises (over seventy QR codes), written exercises for group or self-study, and self-assessment summaries at the ends of chapters. Careful study of this book will help to lay a solid foundation for communicating in beautiful lyric Italian.

Perfect Italian Diction for Singers: An Authoritative Guide provides the steps and tools for singing beautifully and expressively in this language. Timothy Cheek and Anna Toccafondi systematically home in on the essential features of the most beautiful Italian, pitfalls of non-native singers, and how to overcome those issues. In addition to delving to the heart of Italian sounds and inflection, they present controversies, misconceptions, and various approaches--often conflicting--that have arisen throughout the last century. Chapters also address: -Italian style and legato -Best use of supplemental resources and dictionaries -Recitative with suggested, short Mozart excerpts -Working with text -Singing diphthongs, triphthongs, and hiatus Also included are a plethora of audio and video examples and exercises (over seventy QR codes), exercises for group or self-study, and self-assessment summaries. This book will help singers and students lay a solid foundation in beautiful, lyric Italian.

- Shows how a specialized music performance course can be reimagined to achieve greater inclusivity and foster student creativity - Connects traditional music teaching with contemporary education goals and issues - By centering African American vocal repertoire, enables instructors to challenge the Eurocentrism of traditional vocal music canon

Ten engaging personal histories introduce readers to what it was like to live in and with the most powerful political machine ever created: the Chinese Communist Party. Detailing the life of ten people who led or engaged with the Chinese Communist Party, one each for one of its ten decades of its existence, these essays reflect on the Party's relentless pursuit of power and extraordinary adaptability through the transformative decades since 1921. Demonstrating that the history of the Chinese Communist Party is not one story but many stories, readers learn about paths not taken, the role of chance, ideas and persons silenced, hopes both lost and fulfilled. This vivid mosaic of lives and voices draws together one hundred years of modern Chinese history - and illuminates possible paths for China's future.

Czech composer Leos Janacek's most famous opera, Jenufa is a harrowing tale of forbidden love, abandonment, hypocrisy, desperation, and tragic infanticide. As today's second most frequently performed Czech opera (following Dvorak's Rusalka), Jenufa holds a prominent place in international opera repertoire and continues to draw the attention of new audiences. Drawing on both scholarly studies and production experience, Timothy Cheek presents an original English-language translation of the original Czech libretto. As with the first two books in the Janacek Opera Libretti series (Prihody lisky Bystrousky, The Cunning Little Vixen and Kat'a Kabanova), this volume consists of two parts. Part One gives background on the opera, a discussion about the various voice types and roles, Janacek's style and Czech performance traditions, Czech folk costumes, and a summary of Czech pronunciation and inflection. Part Two provides the original Czech libretto, word-for-word English translations, idiomatic English translations, IPA for pronunciation of the Czech, translations of the stage directions, and notes about certain words in Czech dialect. As a valuable resource not only for performers and directors, but also historians and opera lovers, this book brings new accessibility to a beloved and timeless opera.

This eighth volume covers the period 1942 to 1945 when Mao asserted his status as the incarnation and symbol of the Chinese Revolution and the sinification of Marxism-Leninism.

This vivid narrative history of Chinese intellectuals and public life provides a guide to making sense of China today. Timothy Cheek presents a map and a method for understanding the intellectual in the long twentieth century, from China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese war in 1895 to the 'Prosperous China' since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Cheek surveys the changing terrain of intellectual life over this transformative century in Chinese history to enable readers to understand a particular figure, idea or debate. The map provides coordinates to track different times, different social worlds and key concepts. The historical method focuses on context and communities during six periods to make sense of ideas, institutions and individual thinkers across the century. Together they provide a memorable account of the scenes and protagonists, and arguments and ideas, of intellectuals and public life in modern China.

Timothy Cheek's revised edition of Singing in Czech: A Guide to Czech Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire, with its accompanying audio accessible online, builds on the original pioneering work of 2001 that set "a new and very welcome high standard for teaching lyric diction," according to Notes: The Journal of the Music Library Association. It offers users updated information, important clarifications, and expanded repertoire in a more accessible, easier to use format. Singing in Czech is divided into two parts. Using IPA, the first part takes the reader systematically through each sound of the Czech language, enhanced by recordings of native Czech opera singers. Chapters cover the Czech vowels, consonants, rules of assimilation, approaches to singing double consonants, stress and length, Moravian dialect, and an introduction to singing in Slovak. Fine points of formal pronunciation have been clarified in this revised edition. In the second part, Cheek offers a thorough overview of Czech art song, expanded from the first edition. Texts to major song literature and opera excerpts by Smetana, Dvorak, Janacek, Martinu, and Haas, with timings, editions, word-for-word translations, idiomatic translations, and IPA transcriptions follow. In this revision, Cheek has included additional cycles by Dvorak and Martinu, and two new chapters on Czech female composers Vitezslava Kapralova and Sylvie Bodorova. This revised edition of Singing in Czech is useful for all those who are interested and engaged in the performance of the rich Czech vocal repertoire.

Known worldwide as a composer of symphonies and chamber music, Czech composer Antonin Dvorak declared toward the end of his life that his main love was writing operas. Written in 1900 at the height of Dvorak's creative powers, his fairy tale opera Rusalka is a masterpiece firmly established in the international repertory-from 2010 to 2012 alone, over 200 performances of 27 productions of the opera played in 21 European cities alone! Worldwide, music schools and summer programs have mounted the work, as well, reflecting not only the power of Dvorak's music but the lyricism and depth of Jaroslav Kvapil's Czech libretto, one of the greatest of all opera libretti, regardless of language. This book serves as an aid to anyone seeking to perform and gain a deeper understanding of this multi-layered opera, which so trenchantly asks what it means to be human, to love, and to be loved in return. In the first part, Czech music scholar Timothy Cheek offers a thorough review of Czech lyric diction and inflection, describes the characters and their vocal requirements, and supplies a synopsis of the plot, an elucidation of the layers of meaning in Kvapil's libretto, a section on musical style and dance elements, and a fascinating explanation of why such a remarkable work took so long to be embraced by Western audiences. In the second half, Cheek gives word-for-word and idiomatic English translations of the Czech libretto, including stage directions, along with the International Phonetic Alphabet for pronunciation. Rounding out the book are illustrations from the Prague National Theatre, New York Metropolitan Opera, and elsewhere, as well as an appendix listing recordings and videos. Rusalka: A Performance Guide with Translations and Pronunciation is written for singers, pianists, vocal coaches, conductors, stage directors, translators, and opera enthusiasts-anyone who wishes to perform the work, or who is simply moved and intrigued by this stunning opera.

The Kapralova Companion, edited by Karla Hartl and Erik Entwistle, is a collection of biographical and analytical essays on Czech composer Vitezslava Kapralova 1915--1940]. Accompanied by an annotated catalog of works, annotated chronology of life events, bibliography, discography, and a list of published works, The Kapralova Companion is an essential, comprehensive guide to the composer's life and music. It is also the first book published on Kapralova in English. As readers will discover, the work of Vitezslava Kapralova represents a progressive and distinctive voice in inter-war Czech musical culture. Despite her untimely death at the age of twenty-five, Kapralova created an impressive body of work that has earned her the distinction of being considered the most important woman composer in the history of Czech music. Editors Hartl and Entwistle have gathered a roster of scholars from the United States, Canada, and the Czech Republic, whose contributions to The Kapralova Companion cover a variety of topics relevant to Kapralova and her times. It is not only be a welcome starting point for scholars and music lovers, but its critical essays also advance thought-provoking assessments of her music, engender further inquiries into aspects of her life and work, and inspire a new generation of performers.

Bedrich Smetana's comic opera Prodana nevesta/The Bartered Bride is cherished as the Czech national opera and is the most popular Czech opera in the world. As performances in English-speaking countries have moved from German to English back to the original Czech, The Bartered Bride - Prodana nevesta: Performance Guide with Translations and Pronunciation fills the need for an accessible, detailed guide to singing the work in Czech, as well as being valuable for those wishing to make or improve on an English singing translation. Timothy Cheek provides idiomatic and word-for-word translations of the complete libretto for The Bartered Bride, including the International Phonetic Alphabet for Czech pronunciation, as well as translations of stage and musical directions. In addition, he offers an extensive performance history, a synopsis of the opera, general musical comments, a discussion of the roles, notes on the dances and choreographers, and an overview of Czech pronunciation and inflection. Appendixes list the Czech editions and English singing translations of the opera, as well as recordings on LP, CD, DVD, and film. With a sampling of historical and recent photos from opera productions, this guide is indispensable for singers and coaches, conductors and stage directors, and amateurs and professionals.

Responding to the ever-increasing popularity and international performances of operas by the Czech composer Leo? Janacek, this volume is the second in a series to meet the needs of English-speaking singers, conductors, coaches, and stage directors. Every word of Kat'a Kabanova is translated into English, and idiomatic translations are provided, including translations of stage and musical directions. In addition, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is used to indicate pronunciation, following the clearly-presented method given in the author's book Singing in Czech: A Guide to Czech Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire (Scarecrow Press, 2001). Included are practical notes about Janacek's style, both in general terms and specific issues relating to this opera. A plot summary is provided along with translations of characters, ranges, and the pronunciation of their names. The entire volume is organized in a clear, readable format, resulting in a book that will help to make productions of Kat'a Kabanova in the original Czech much easier a task than ever before.

The eight research essays in this volume uncover new perspectives on and critique new democracy sources about the creation, operation, and first major crises of state socialism in China -- from the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to the aftermath in the early 1960s of the Great Leap Forward.

New perspectives are presented on an essential issue in CCP historiography: Why when things were working reasonably well by 1956 did the Chinese Communist Party alienate its supporters with radical policies? Placing CCP history firmly in the realm of social history and comparative politics, these enlightening critiques study the roots of the policy failures of the late Maoist period and the remarkable tenacity of the CCP. New insights, surfacing from case studies from the 1990s and recently available documents, address the following: Why is state socialism in China neither the wonder that some hope for nor a total failure? Why has the CCP remained China's only party, while the CPSU in the former Soviet Union -- and particularly the Eastern European socialist regimes that were the same age as China's -- collapsed so quickly? Are there any clues to the CCP's current longevity and radical reforms under party leadership to be found in the formative period of this one-party state?

Ten engaging personal histories introduce readers to what it was like to live in and with the most powerful political machine ever created: the Chinese Communist Party. Detailing the life of ten people who led or engaged with the Chinese Communist Party, one each for one of its ten decades of its existence, these essays reflect on the Party's relentless pursuit of power and extraordinary adaptability through the transformative decades since 1921. Demonstrating that the history of the Chinese Communist Party is not one story but many stories, readers learn about paths not taken, the role of chance, ideas and persons silenced, hopes both lost and fulfilled. This vivid mosaic of lives and voices draws together one hundred years of modern Chinese history - and illuminates possible paths for China's future.

Mao Zedong's political career spanned more than half a century. The ideas he championed transformed one of the largest nations on earth and inspired revolutionary movements across the world. Even today Mao lives on in China, where he is regarded by many as a near-mythical figure, and in the West, where a burgeoning literature continues to debate his memory. In this book, leading scholars from different generations and around the world offer a critical evaluation of the life and legacy of China's most famous - some would say infamous - son. The book brings the scholarship on Mao up to date, and its alternative perspectives equip readers to assess for themselves the nature of this mercurial figure and his significance in modern Chinese history.

Mao Zedong's political career spanned more than half a century. The ideas he championed transformed one of the largest nations on earth and inspired revolutionary movements across the world. Even today Mao lives on in China, where he is regarded by many as a near-mythical figure, and in the West, where a burgeoning literature continues to debate his memory. In this book, leading scholars from different generations and around the world offer a critical evaluation of the life and legacy of China's most famous - some would say infamous - son. The book brings the scholarship on Mao up to date, and its alternative perspectives equip readers to assess for themselves the nature of this mercurial figure and his significance in modern Chinese history.

This vivid narrative history of Chinese intellectuals and public life provides a guide to making sense of China today. Timothy Cheek presents a map and a method for understanding the intellectual in the long twentieth century, from China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese war in 1895 to the 'Prosperous China' since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Cheek surveys the changing terrain of intellectual life over this transformative century in Chinese history to enable readers to understand a particular figure, idea or debate. The map provides coordinates to track different times, different social worlds and key concepts. The historical method focuses on context and communities during six periods to make sense of ideas, institutions and individual thinkers across the century. Together they provide a memorable account of the scenes and protagonists, and arguments and ideas, of intellectuals and public life in modern China.

This is a social biography of Deng Tuo (1912-66), journalist, editor, and theorist, who is variously seen as a dissident and a propagandist for Mao. Its broader purpose is to re-examine the role of intellectuals in China's communist revolution.

China's increasing prominence on the global stage has caused consternation and controversy among Western thinkers, especially since the financial crisis of 2008. But what do Chinese intellectuals themselves have to say about their country's newfound influence and power? Voices from the Chinese Century brings together a selection of essays from representative leading thinkers that open a window into public debate in China today on fundamental questions of China and the world-past, present, and future. The voices in this volume include figures from each of China's main intellectual clusters: liberals, the New Left, and New Confucians. In genres from scholarly analyses to social media posts, often using Party-approved language that hides indirect criticism, these essayists offer a wide range of perspectives on how to understand China's history and its place in the twenty-first-century world. They explore questions such as the relationship of political and economic reforms; the distinctiveness of China's history and what to take from its traditions; what can or should be learned from the West; and how China fits into today's eruption of populist anger and challenges to the global order. The fifteen original translations in this volume not only offer insight into contemporary China but also prompt us to ask what Chinese intellectuals might have to teach Europe and North America about the world's most pressing problems.

Responding to the ever-increasing popularity and international performances of operas by the Czech composer Leo? Janacek, this volume, the first in the Janacek Opera Libretti Series, is the full translation of The Cunning Little Vixen in English alongside the original Czech. This work meets the needs of English-speaking singers, conductors, coaches, and stage directors and conveniently provides idiomatic and word-for-word translations, including translations of stage and musical directions. In addition, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is used to indicate Czech pronunciation, following the clearly-presented method given in the author's book Singing in Czech: A Guide to Czech Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire, with a foreword by Sir Charles Mackerras. Cheek also provides practical notes about Janacek's style, both in general terms and specific issues relating to this opera along with a plot summary with translations and vocal ranges of characters and the pronunciation of their names. This entire volume is organized in a clear, readable format, resulting in a book that will help to make productions of The Cunning Little Vixen in the original Czech much easier a task than ever before.

In 2009, to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies convened a major conference to discuss the health and longevity of China's ruling system and to consider a fundamental question: After three decades of internal strife and turmoil, followed by an era of reform, entrepreneurialism, and internationalization, is the PRC here for the dynastic long haul?

Bringing together scholars and students of China from around the world, the gathering witnessed an energetic exchange of views on four interrelated themes: polities, social transformations, wealth and well-being, and culture, belief, and practice. Edited and expanded from the original conference papers, the wide-ranging essays in this bilingual volume remain true to the conference's aim: to promote open discussion of the past, present, and future of the People's Republic of China.

China's increasing prominence on the global stage has caused consternation and controversy among Western thinkers, especially since the financial crisis of 2008. But what do Chinese intellectuals themselves have to say about their country's newfound influence and power? Voices from the Chinese Century brings together a selection of essays from representative leading thinkers that open a window into public debate in China today on fundamental questions of China and the world-past, present, and future. The voices in this volume include figures from each of China's main intellectual clusters: liberals, the New Left, and New Confucians. In genres from scholarly analyses to social media posts, often using Party-approved language that hides indirect criticism, these essayists offer a wide range of perspectives on how to understand China's history and its place in the twenty-first-century world. They explore questions such as the relationship of political and economic reforms; the distinctiveness of China's history and what to take from its traditions; what can or should be learned from the West; and how China fits into today's eruption of populist anger and challenges to the global order. The fifteen original translations in this volume not only offer insight into contemporary China but also prompt us to ask what Chinese intellectuals might have to teach Europe and North America about the world's most pressing problems.

China is huge. China is growing more powerful. Yet China remains a great mystery to most people in the West. This contemporary history, based on the latest scholarly research, offers a balanced perspective of the continuing legacy of Maoism in the lives not only of China's leaders but China's working people. It outlines the ambitious economic reforms taken since the 1980s and shows the complex responses to the consequences of reform in China today. Cheek shows the domestic concerns and social forces that shape the foreign policy of one of the worlds great powers. His analysis will equip the reader to judge media reports independently and to consider the experience and values not only of the Chinese government but China's workers, women, and minorities.