The Story of Giuseppe Verdi: Oberto to Un Ballo in Maschera - Softcover

Baldini, Gabriele

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521297125 ISBN 13: 9780521297127

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1980

Synopsis

Abitare la battaglia, Gabriele Baldini's study of the operas of Verdi from Oberto to Un ballo in maschera, has, since its posthumous publication in 1970, received much critical acclaim both in Italy and elsewhere. Its lack of technical language makes it easily accessible to the general music lover, but its original and sometimes controversial ideas have stimulated a great deal of discussion among Verdi specialists. The book's central concern is to present an analysis of Verdi the musical dramatist, and its conclusions constitute a radical reassessment of the vexed relationship between opera and literary form, between words and music. As Julian Budden says in his foreword: 'It blows a breath of fresh air into the weary platitudes of traditional Verdian criticism.' This English translation, The Story of Giuseppe Verdi, includes some new editorial additions, bringing various factual matters into line with recent Verdi scholarship. But the book's discussion of the music is always left to speak for itself. While many of the comments may offend the purist, they are always based on a profound knowledge and love of Verdi's operatic masterpieces as seen on the stage. They rarely fail to stimulate the reader into thinking more deeply about this immensely rich repertoire.

About this title

Book Description:

Primarily a non-technical, though detailed, discussion of Verdi's opera stressing the relation of the music to its dramatic context. The author reaffirms the rigorous dramatic logic of Verdi's greatest scores, emphasizing that this often is not derived from the literary source.

About the Author:

Roger Parker, a professor of music at King 's College London, was a founding coeditor of the "Cambridge Opera Journal" and is a frequent opera commentator on radio and television. He lives in Havant, Hampshire.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1980
• ISBN 10: 0521297125
• ISBN 13: 9780521297127
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 316