The Grove Book of Operas - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195309073 ISBN 13: 9780195309072

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2006

Synopsis

First published in 1996 to great critical and popular acclaim, the Grove Book of Operas, is a collection of synopses and descriptions of over 250 operas. Each succinct yet insightful entry is written by a leading authority on the opera and includes a full synopsis of the plot, a cast list, a note on the singers in the original production, and information on the origins of the work and its literary and social background. Contributions conclude with a brief comment on the particular work's place in operatic history. A glossary offers brief and accessible definitions of terms that may be unfamiliar to the reader. And indices of role names and of arias and ensembles allow the reader to find operas containing their favorite aria or a well-known character.

The second edition brings the book up to date with several recently composed operas and a fascinating introductory essay by David Levin on opera performance in the 21st century. Recent additions to the operatic repertory included for the first time in this edition include Nicholas Maw, Sophie's Choice; Poul Ruders, A Handmaid's Tale; John Adams, Death of Klinghoffer; and Mark Adamo, Little Women.

Covering all operas in the current repertory along with some less-well-known early and very modern ones, this is an ideal volume for the general opera lover.

About this title

About the Author

The late Stanley Sadie is one of the world's leading musicologists. Educated with a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, he became a music critic at The Times of London in 1964 and was then editor of the Musical Times from 1967-1987. He is the co-editor of the twenty-nine volume New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Reviews

Grade 9 Up—This definitive update of Sadie's The New Grove Book of Operas (Oxford Univ., 2003; o.p.) includes, as did the earlier edition, full-plot synopses, cast lists from premiere performances, and biographical data on composers, all alphabetically arranged by opera. Seven minor operas have been cut from this work (including Der Barbier Von Bagdad and Penelope), and eight new hopefuls have been added (among them Emmeline, The Mother of Us All, and Sophie's Choice). Otherwise, the text is, word for word, the same as the earlier edition. The illustrations have changed: new black-and-white photos are scattered throughout the text, and sections of color photographs show sets, costume designs, posters, and scenes from various productions, including some staged as late as 2005. Another change is the inclusion of David J. Levin's perceptive introduction, "Issues and Trends in Contemporary Opera Production," which discusses the pros and cons of modern staging, directing/designing innovations, the introduction of technology into the opera world, and "opera at the margins." The essay ends with a list of suggested readings supporting his opinions. An extensive glossary and three large, cross-referenced indexes complete what is, to opera fans, an indispensable companion for consultation before performances (whether live or recorded), or, for novices, a key to a specialized realm. This volume is as informative and demanding as the previous edition.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Macy reminds us in the preface that "since the first edition of this book [in 1996], opera has continued to thrive, in defiance of ongoing predictions of its imminent demise," offering a compelling reason for updating the book. Macy, successor to the late Stanley Sadie as editor in chief of Grove Music, does not attempt to include every new opera written in the last 10 years but does feature works that have, in a fairly short period of time, entered into the standard repertoire. Some examples of these new works include The Death of Klinghoffer, by John Adams; Little Women, by Mark Adamo; and Sophie's Choice, by Nicholas Maw.

The other major addition is David Levin's introductory essay, "Issues and Trends in Contemporary Opera Production." In it, Levin discusses recent changes in production styles with regard to staging, costumes, sets, and directorial interpretations, with specific examples of opera directors who have pushed the interpretive envelope by presenting operas very strictly as they might have been originally performed or by creating entirely new scenarios in which to place the performers. His thoughtful essay also describes how film directors, choreographers, and visual artists have gained acceptance as production directors, making the visual aspect of opera equal to the musical and resulting in DVDs overtaking CDs as the primary commercial consumer format.

With the exception of the descriptions of recent operas, the text of the entries is lifted largely verbatim from another Grove publication, the four-volume New Grove Dictionary of Opera (1992). Each entry includes the premiere date and original cast (if known), a list of characters and voice types, brief historical information, a complete synopsis, and a few paragraphs discussing the work's reception, influence, and other critical comments.

This volume is worth a look from public and academic libraries. Libraries that own the earlier four-volume Grove set already have a very comprehensive opera guide and may not find this new work essential. Steven York
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195309073
• ISBN 13: 9780195309072
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 782
• Editor: Sadie The Late Stanley, Macy Laura