I've never been much of a fan of opera. Like most classical music it often suffers from giving the impression of being overlong, bombastic, pretentious and something that only "posh" people listen to. The cost of tickets to most performances especially Covent Garden only serves to exacerbate ... Read review
Advantages: A brilliant guide to opera for iniatiates and established fans alike Disadvantages: Book may have too many pages for it's size (see it, you'll know what I mean) but dont let that put you off
I've never been much of a fan of opera. Like most classical music it often suffers from giving the impression of being overlong, bombastic, pretentious and something that only "posh" people listen to. The cost of tickets to most performances especially Covent Garden only serves to exacerbate this. The only operas that I can sit all the way through are "Carmen" and "Madame Butterfly". However that should not put you off ... ...from their "complete opera" settings.
This package is a superb introduction to opera from the excellent Naxos (www.naxos.com) organisation and is available at an extremely reasonable price (RRP 9.99 GBP). It consists of a 762 page book and a double CD with two and a half hours (38 pieces) of opera extracts selected from the Naxos catalogue.
~ The Book
This is an extremely informative but sometimes ... more
I've never been much of a fan of opera. Like most classical music it often suffers from giving the impression of being overlong, bombastic, pretentious and something that only "posh" people listen to. The cost of tickets to most performances especially Covent Garden only serves to exacerbate this. The only operas that I can sit all the way through are "Carmen" and "Madame Butterfly". However that should not put you off listening to the extremely wide range of music music extracted from their "complete opera" settings.
This package is a superb introduction to opera from the excellent Naxos (www.naxos.com) organisation and is available at an extremely reasonable price (RRP 9.99 GBP). It consists of a 762 page book and a double CD with two and a half hours (38 pieces) of opera extracts selected from the Naxos catalogue.
~ The Book
This is an extremely informative but sometimes self deprecating book by Keith Anderson. It is broken up into a number of parts, a twenty page introduction , followed by six hundred pages of short guides to individual operas listed alphabetically, followed by thirt pages of composers biographies, a glossary of opera terms, a list of illustrations, an index op operas by composer and finally a page about the author Keith Anderson. It is the same size as a CD , but obviously very thick, so should fit on the shelf with your other CDs. The book is very easy to read and navigate and well laid out and is as good an introduction to Opera as you'll get. It lists further reading for those who wish to take their investigations further. My only worry is that if it gets heavy use the binding may not be heavy duty enough to keep it together.
~ The Music
The Cds are packed with music you will know well , as well as more obscure discoveries. Beethove, Mozart , Puccini, Wagner and Verdi are all represented. My favourite pieces on here include Rossini's "Largo et Factotum" from "The Barber of Seville", Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" from "Die Walküre" and Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot. There are many more famouse piecse of music on the CDs making this a truly excellent purchase.
If you don't know much about opera, or not sure whether you like it, then this is an excellent purchase. I've already purchased four copies from Amazon for myself , friends and family, and even if you are ar great opera fan, the book is a wonderfully informed guide to the librettos and so could save you a fortune in Concert programs.
Advantages: best time of you lifetoo tired Disadvantages: to tired to leave
The first time ,by the way that was many years ago my husband introduced me to the rocky horror picture show by Richard o brian, my reaction at first what am i watching ,then we watched it again i began to love.
Then there was a knock at my door with my brother in suspender,basque and high heels,all he says will you do my make up i,m off to the rocky horror show audiece participation. You cannot imagine the look on my face when i realised he walked ... ...and told him to let us know when the next show was,unfortunately this was the last in the run.so i,ll have to wait a year.
In that next year my brother went on and on about and how billiant it was live,aswell as saying most of the people going dress in the characterd of the film.
so a year on i get four tickets my brother and his freind,myself and my husband i chose the character janet a straight laced girl in a pink suit my husband decided on ...
bastet 28.10.2002
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Advantages: An excellent introduction to Classical Music Disadvantages: None
This is a companion set to Naxos' "The A~Z of Opera" (previously reviewed.. It follows the same format and is an ideal compilation for people who are new to classical music as well as classical music buffs. It contains a double CD with two and a half hours of classical music (as you would expect) and a 562 page book (not quite as thick as the Opera one) compiled and written again by Keith Anderson.
So what's in the pack?
~~ The Book
This contains 562 pages of information pertaining to classical music. It's the same size as a CD and fairly thick. The text is concise and clear and informative, with portraits of composers throughout. After the index you get 450 pages of concise histories of composers, with recommendations of recordings from the Naxos catalogue. It is arranged in alphabetical order, and starts with Adolphe Adam ...