How Do I
Opera Guide: A Recommended Listening and Reading List
The following is a selected list of materials that can be used to further your enjoyment and knowledge of the opera. The operas represented are just a beginning, so watch this page as more are added! Because this is only a selected list, please ask a librarian or consult the Catalog to find additional materials for each opera. We have much, much more!
The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), by Gioachino RossiniLa Boheme, by Giacomo Puccini
Carmen, by Georges Bizet
Cinderella (La Cenerentola), by Gioacchino Rossini
La Clemenza di Tito, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Dead Man Walking, by Jake Heggie
Elektra, by Richard Strauss
Faust, by Charles Gounod
Fidelio, Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven
The Flying Dutchman (Der Fliegende Holländer), by Richard Wagner
Julius Caesar (Giulio Cesare), by George Frederic Handel
The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
A Masked Ball (Un Ballo in Maschera), by Giuseppe Verdi
A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Benjamin Britten
Il Ritorno D'Ulisse in Patria, by Claudio Monteverdi
The Threepenny Opera, by Kurt Weill
La Traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi
Turn of the Screw, by Benjamin Britten
Rossini, Gioachino
The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere di Siviglia)
Audio / Video
The Barber of Seville
EMI, 1986.
2 CD set. Callas, Alva, Gobbi.
Op Ros #7350
The Barber of Seville
Deutsche Grammophon, 1986 (1972).
2 CD set. Berganza, Alva, Prey.
Op Ros #1761
The Barber of Seville
Image Entertainment, 1999 (1992).
DVD. Larmore, Malis, Croft.
DVD Mus O Bar
The Barber of Seville
PolyGram Records, 1990.
VHS. Battle, Blake, Nucci
Mus O Bar
The Barber of Seville
RCA/BMG, 1993.
VHS. Bartoli, Quilico, Kuebler.
Mus O Bar
Libretti/Scores
The Barber of Seville/Il Barbiere de Siviglia
London/New York: John Calder/Riverrun, 1985.
ML49.R85 B32 1985
In addition to the short background articles, this contains the complete libretto with English translation and a thematic guide keyed to the libretto.
Rossini, Gioacchino
The Barber of Seville, A Comic Opera in Two Acts
New York: Boosey &
Hawkes.
M1503.R835 B22 1956bx
Italian/English vocal score
For further reading
Osborne, Richard
Rossini
London: J.M.Dent, 1986.
ML410.R8 O83 1986x
Basic work on the life and works of the composer.
Servadio, Gaia
Rossini
New York: Carroll & Graf, 2003.
ML410.R8 S26 2003
Focuses primarily on Rossini the man who at age 32, and having already penned 39 operas, fell
silent for more than 40 years.
Puccini, Giacomo
La Bohème
Audio / Video
La Bohème
EMI, 1956.
Op Puc #12239 (EMI, CDS 7472358, earlier CD version of same cast)
Björling, Corena, De Los Angeles, Del Monte, Merrill, Nahr, Powell, Reardon, Tozzi; Beecham, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
La Bohème
Polygram Records, 1990.
Op Puc #8492 (London, 1987)
Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Ghiauro, Maffeo; Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker
La Bohème
BMG Music, 1988.
Op Puc #5915
2 CD set, excerpts. Various performers from the Metropolitan Opera House
La Bohème
London, 1959.
Op Puc #8488
Tebaldi, D'Angelo, Bergonzi, Bastianini, Siepi, Corena; Serafin, Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma
La Bohème
Hollywood, CA, 1985.
Mus O- Boh
VHS. Stratas, Scotto, Carreras, Stilwell, Monk, Morris; Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Zeffirelli, D'Alessio, Browning
La Bohème
Deutsche Grammophon, 1988.
Mus O- Boh
VHS. Freni, Martino, Raimondi, Panerai, Maffeo, Vinco, Badioli; Karajan, Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Zeffirelli.
Libretti/Scores
The Complete Puccini Libretti
Libretti translated by Nico Castel, edited by Marcie Stapp
NY: Leyerle, 2002.
qML49. P75 C37 2002x vols. 1&2 (Volume 1 includes the libretto for La Bohème)
A Treasury of Opera Librettos
Translations by David G. Legerman
NY: Doubleday, 1962.
ML48. L37 T7 1962
La Bohème
Libretto translated by Ellen H. Bleiler
NY: Dover Publications, 1962.
ML50. P965 B62 1962
Libretto by G. Giacosa and L. Illica, based on H. Murger's Scènes de la vie de Bohème.
La Bohème
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, with the original Italian
text and the English version by Ruth and Thomas Martin
NY: G. Schirmer, 1954.
[q] M1503.P977 B7 1954 (piano/vocal score)
For further reading
Groos, Arthur and Roger Parker
Giacomo Puccini, La Bohème
Boston: Cambridge University
Press, 1986.
ML410. P89 G76 1986
Essays on the genesis of the opera, the structure of the libretto and aspects of the work's reception are featured along with a brief study of Puccini's working methods as seen through the autograph score. A full synopsis and discography are included. Part of the Cambridge Opera Handbook Series.
Osborne, Charles
The Complete Operas of Puccini
NY: Athenaeum, 1981.
ML410. P89 O8 1982x
Another volume in Osborne's successful series. He explores Puccini's operatic output using clear and concise text in his commentary and musical analyses. A good read.
Hughes,Spike
Famous Puccini Operas
NY: Citadel Press,1962.
782.5 P98zh
For the opera-goer and armchair listener alike, here is an analytic guide to Madame Butterfly, La Bohème, Tosca, Manon Lescaut, The Girl of the Golden West, Turandot, along with Puccini's triptych of shorter operas--written by a British music critic, conductor, and composer, who focuses on the music, yet is not overly technical. 245 musical illustrations.
Wilson, Conrad
Giacomo Puccini, (20th-Century Composers Series)
NY: Phaidon Press Inc.
1997.
ML410.P89 W55 1997
Part of a recent series of biographies aimed at the "more-than-casual but less-than-expert reader."
Bizet, Georges
Carmen
Audio / Video
Carmen
RCA Victor, 1988 (1951).
3 CD set. Stevens, Peerce, Merrill.
Op Biz #9332
Carmen
Erato, 1984.
3 CD set. Migenes-Johnson, Domingo, Raimondi.
Op Biz #3583
Carmen
Deutsche Grammophon, 1983.
3 CD set. Baltsa, Carreras, van Dam.
Op Biz #20933
Carmen
London, 1985 (1976).
3 CD set. Troyanos, Domingo, van Dam.
Op Biz #10445
Carmen
Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1987.
VHS. Migenes-Johnson, Domingo, Raimondi.
Mus O Car
Carmen
Kultur, 1991.
VHS. Ewing, Lima, Quilico.
Mus O Car
Carmen
Image Entertainment, 1999 (1991).
DVD. Ewing, Lima, Quilico.
DVD Mus O Car
Carmen
Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1999.
DVD. Migenes-Johnson, Domingo, Raimondi.
DVD Mus O Car
Libretti/Scores
Bizet, Georges
Carmen: Opera in four acts
New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1954.
M 782.4 B49c5 (piano/vocal score)
English & French
Bizet, Georges
Carmen
New York: Riverrun, 1982.
ML50 .B625 C22 1982
In addition to the short background articles, this contains the complete libretto with English translation and a thematic guide keyed to the libretto.
For further reading
McClary, Susan
Georges Bizet: Carmen (Cambridge Opera Handbooks)
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University, 1992.
ML410 .B62 M25 1992
Essays on the history, context and analysis of this most popular opera.
Dibbern, Mary
Carmen: A Performance Guide
Hillsdale, NY: Pendgragon, 2000.
ML410 .B62 D53 2000
Word by word translation into English along with detailed phonetic direction for the French aimed directly at the opera performer. Also includes English translations of works by Prosper Merimee including his novella "Carmen."
Rossini, Gioacchino
Cinderella (La Cenerentola)
Audio / Video
La Cenerentola
Philips, 1988.
Op Ros #4163
Baltsa, Araiza, Raimondi, Alaimo, Malone, Palmer, del Carlo; Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
La Cenerentola
Deutsche Grammophon, 1972.
Op Ros #2514
Berganza, Alva, Capecchi, Montarsolo; Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra
La Cenerentola
London, 1993.
Op Ros #17077
Bartoli, Matteuzzi, Corbelli, Dara, Pertusi; Chailly, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Communale di Bologna
La Cenerentola
London, 1996.
Mus O - Cen
VHS. Bartoli, Gimenez, Corbelli, Dara, Pertusi; Campanella, Houston Symphony Orchestra, De Simone, Large
La Cenerentola
HBO/Cannon Video, BBC 1983.
Mus O - Cen
VHS. Kuhlmann, Dale, Taddei, Zannini, Desderi, Kennedy, Rinaldi; Renzetti, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Cox, Vernon
Libretti/Scores
La Cenerentola: Libretto by Jacopo Ferretti.
F. Columbo, NY 1968.
q M 782.6 R74c2 (piano/vocal score)
English version by Ruth and Thomas Martin.
For further reading
Toye, Francis
Rossini, A Study in Tragi-Comedy
NY: W.W. Norton, 1963.
92 R747t4
Stendhal
Life of Rossini
Ed. Richard N. Coe
NY: Orion Press, 1970.
92 R747be2
Rosselli, John
Music and Musicians in Nineteenth Century Italy
Portland: Amadeus Press,
1991.
ML 290.4.R65 1991
Rosselli paints a picture of the daily musical life of the Italian people and illustrates how opera became such a cornerstone of social life during this time period. The book's two sections depict the musical landscape before 1848 and after, showing the influence of the rest of the world on the national culture.
The Classic Fairy Tales
selected by Iona and Peter Opie
Oxford University Press 1974.
rj GR550. O6 (Children's Department, Reference)
Jacobs, Joseph
English Fairy Tales
The Brodley Head Ltd., London 1975.
j398 J13e (Putnam, NY 1906-Children's Department)
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
La Clemenza di Tito
Audio / Video
La Clemenza di Tito
Philips, 1991.
Op Moz #2744
Popp, Baker, Minton, von Stade, Burrows, Lloyd; Davis, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden
La Clemenza di Tito
Archi, 1991.
Op Moz #4421
McNair, Varady, Robbin, von Otter, Rolfe Johnson, Hauptmann; Gardiner, Monteverdi, English Baroque Soloists
La Clemenza di Tito
Deutsche Grammophon, 1989.
Mus O- Cle
VHS. Tappy, Troyanos, Neblett, Howells, Malfitano, Rydl; Levine, Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Ponnelle
Libretti/Scores
La Clemenza di Tito: Opera seria in due atti
Barenreiter, Kassel 1971.
qM1503. M939 C44 1971x (piano/vocal score)
German and Italian
For further reading
Rice, John A.
W.A. Mozart, La Clemenza di Tito
NY: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
ML410. M9 R54 1991
Considers the work from a variety of historical and critical perspectives, from its premiere in Prague through critical reception throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Part of the Cambridge Opera Handbook Series.
Gay, Peter
Mozart (Penguin Lives Series)
NY: Viking, 1999.
ML410 .M9 G28 1999
A masterly example of biography in the short form.
Mann, William
The Operas of Mozart
NY: Oxford University Press, 1977.
MT100. M76M3 1977bx
Mann's guide to Mozart's operatic repertoire is quite comprehensive with over 500 musical examples to illustrate his scholarly study. The book jacket states, "to read the appropriate chapter before attending a performance is to obtain a fresh insight into the work as Mozart conceived it, and as we today may interpret it."
Solomon, Maynard
Mozart: A Life
NY: HarperCollins, 1995
ML410 .M9 S65 1995
A perceptive, twentieth century look at Mozart the man.
Schroeder, David
Mozart in Revolt: Strategies of Resistance, Mischief and Deception
New Haven: Yale
University Press, 1999.
ML 410 .M9 S378 1999
A fascinating study of the letters between Mozart and his father Leopold.
Heggie, Jake
Dead Man Walking
Audio / Video
Dead Man Walking
Erato, 2001.
2 CD set. Graham, von Stade, Packard.
Op Heg # 17627
Larmore, Jennifer, mezzo-soprano
My native land: a collection of American songs
Teldec, 1997.
Vo Lar #12015
(features Heggie's art songs: White in the moon, To say before going to sleep, Leather-winged bat, Barb'ry Allen)
The faces of love: the songs of Jake Heggie
RCA Victor Red Seal, 1999.
Vo Heg #14059
Dead man walking
PolyGram Video, 1996.
VHS. Original motion picture based upon Sister Prejean's book, featuring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon.
Also on DVD, MGM Home Entertainment, 1999.
Scores
Heggie, Jake
Dead Man Walking
Bent Pen Music (Los Angeles), 2000.
qM1503.H456 D4 2002x
(vocal score)
For further reading
Prejean, Helen
Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness account of the Death Penalty in the United States
Random House (New York), 1993.
HV8699 .U5 P74 1993 (book)
(also available as a book on tape or book on CD)
Baker, David J.
"Faith Healer"
Opera News (September 2000), 50-55.
Article features the composer, Terrence McNally (the librettist), and Sister Helen Prejean.
Websites
Jake Heggie Composer & Pianist: the official website of Jake Heggie
http://s92847765.onlinehome.us/
Includes biographical information, links to the transcript for the documentary, "AND THEN ONE NIGHT: The Making of Dead Man Walking" (2002), and a works list.
Strauss, Richard
Elektra
Audio / Video
Elektra
London, 1986 (1967).
Op Strau #1322
Nilsson, Collier, Resnik, Stolze, Krause; Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker
Elektra
Hollywood: Bel Canto Paramount Home Video, 1981.
Mus O- Ele
VHS. Nilsson, Rysanek, Dunn, Nagy, McIntyre; Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, D'Alessio, Large
Elektra
Vienna: Vienna State Opera, 1989.
Mus O- Ele (Home Vision, Chicago 1989)
VHS. Marton, Fassbaender, Studer, Grundheber, King; Abbado, Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Kupfer, Large
Libretti/Scores
Elektra
Vocal score by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, English version by Alfred Kalisch.
London: Boosey
& Hawkes, NY 1943.
qM782.3 S91e2 (piano/vocal score)
Salome/Elektra
NY: Riverrun Press, 1988.
ML50. S918 S32 1988 (libretto)
English and German.
For further reading
Richard Strauss, Elektra
edited by Derrick Puffett
NY: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
ML410. S93 R485 1989
This collection of essays is the first full-length study of "Elektra" in English. In this volume of the wonderful Cambridge Opera Handbook series, various authors examine the mythological background of the opera, Hofmannnsthal's adaptation of his sources, and the score in great detail. This work also includes a discography and bibliography.
Gilliam, Bryan
Richard Strauss's Elektra (Studies in Musical Genesis and Structure)
Clarendon
Press, 1996.
ML410. S93 G54 1991
Another study of the opera that includes a chronology its evolution and places it in the larger framework of German opera of the time.
Kennedy, Michael
Richard Strauss: Man, Musician, Enigma
Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press,
1999.
ML 410 .S93 K46 1999.
This recent contribution to Strauss biography incorporates much new material and deals fully with his life as a leading composer and national figure during the Third Reich.
Greene, David B.
Listening to Strauss Operas: The Audience's Multiple Standpoints
NY:
Gordon and Breach, 1991
ML410 .S93 G72 1991.
A look at the extent to which Strauss involves his opera audience in a changing point of view.
Hammelmann, Hanns A.
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
London: Bowes & Bowes, 1957.
831 H68zh (Humanities Department)
Osborne, Charles
The Complete Operas of Richard Strauss
Vermont: Trafalgar Square Publishing,
1988.
ML410. S93 O7 1988x
Another in Osborne's series of guides to major operas. Focuses on Strauss' life at the time he wrote each opera and discusses the libretto and librettist of the works. Each opera's story is outlined and the music is analyzed. Great book for the avid opera fan and casual listener.
Graves, Robert
The Greek Myths: Vols. 1 & 2
Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1984.
A classic in the genre of mythology. There is probably not one high school or college student who has not read Graves' treatments of these classic tales. Graves retells the stories of gods and mortals alike, examining the sources behind the myths and analyzing them from historical and cultural points of view.
Faust by Charles Gounod, 1818-1893
Audio/Video
Faust
Teldec, 1994.
3 CD set. Hadley, Gasdia, Ramey.
Op Gou #21696
Faust
Universal/Decca, [2002], 1966.
3 CD set. Corelli, Sutherland, Ghiaurov.
Op Gou #21697
Faust
EMI, [1989], 1959.
3 CD set. Gedda, de los Angeles, Christoff.
Op Gou #4703
Faust
Bel Canto Society, 2000. (Ken Russell)
VHS. Benacková-Cápová, Araiza, Raimondi.
Mus O Fau
Faust
Legato Classics, [1994?].
VHS. Kraus, Scotto, Ghiaurov.
Mus O Fau
Libretti/Scores
Faust: opera in 4 acts. Libretto by Michel Carre and Jules Barbier after the poem by Goethe. English version by Ruth and Thomas Martin.
New York: G. Schirmer, 1966.
ML50 .G711 F32 1966
English & French texts
Faust, an opera in 5 acts; libretto, French-English edition.
New York: Fred Rullman, [1942?]
q782.4 G74
English & French texts
Gounod, Charles
Faust; opera in four acts. Libretto by Michel Carre and Jules Barbier, after the poem by Goethe. English version by Ruth and Thomas Martin.
New York: G. Schirmer, 1966.
qM 782.4 G74f9
Piano-vocal score
Gounod, Charles
Faust: a lyric drama in five acts. Vocal score, containing the complete ballet music by Leo Delibes; the English version by H. T. Chorley; revised and completed by Th. Baker, with an essay on the story of the opera by H. E. Krehbiel.
New York: G. Schirmer, 1930.
qM1503 .G711 F62 1930x
Piano-vocal score
For further reading
Gounod, Charles
Autobiographical reminiscences, with family letters and notes on music
New York: Da Capo Press, 1970.
ML410.G7 A33 1970
An English translation by W. Hely Hutchinson of the composer's "Memoires d'un Artiste" of 1896. The French edition is located in the CLP Main Library reference collection.
Harding, James
Gounod
New York: Stein & Day, 1973.
ML410 .G7 H4
Often maligned by his fellow Frenchmen in his lifetime, Gounod's unmistakable imprint on successive generations of opera composers and opera itself is brought to light in this English language treatment.
Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827
Audio/Video
Fidelio
RCA Victor Red Seal, 1996.
2 CD set. Voigt, Heppner, Quasthoff.
Op Bee #21925
Fidelio
Telarc, 1998.
2 CD set. Benaková, Rolfe Johnson, Vogel.
Op Bee #21710
Fidelio
London, [1984], 1980.
2 CD set. Behrens, Hofmann, Adam.
Op Bee #505
Fidelio
Home Vision, 1991. (Adolf Dresen)
VHS. Benackova, Archer, Lloyd.
Mus O Fid
Fidelio
Universal Music & Video, 2003. (Brian Large)
DVD. Mattila, Heppner, Lloyd.
Mus O Fid
Libretti/Scores
Fidelio
London/New York: John Calder/Riverrun, 1985.
ML49.R85 B32 1985
In addition to the short background articles, this contains the complete libretto with English translation and a thematic guide keyed to the libretto. (English National Opera
Guide)
Fidelio: Oper in zwei Aufzugen...
London: Eulenberg.
M782.3 B38f6
Study score
Fidelio: An Opera in Two Acts
New York: G. Schirmer.
qM1503 .B419 F62 1935x
Piano-vocal score; German-English
For further reading
Harris, Robert
What to Listen for in Beethoven
Toronto: Macfarlane Walter & Ross.
ML410 .B42 H24 1996
The chapter on "Fidelio: The Hymn to Liberty" provides a lively, quick introduction to Beethoven's only opera.
Lockwood, Lewis
Beethoven: The Music and the Life
New York: W. W. Norton.
ML410 .B4 L597 2003
"…this book is meant to give…readers access to Beethoven's works both as reflections of outer influences and as imaginative products of a richly endowed mind."
Robinson, Paul
Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio
Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press.
ML410 .B4 R46 1996
Why is Fidelio one of the "most deeply moving opera[s] of the whole modern repertory…"? These essays help to answer the question. (Cambridge Opera Handbook)
Wagner, Richard
The Flying Dutchman (Der Fliegende Holländer)
Audio / Video
The Flying Dutchman
EMI, 1984.
3 CD set. Vejzovic, van Dam, Moll.
Op Wag #474
The Flying Dutchman
London, 1985 (1977).
2 CD set. Martin, Kollo, Krenn.
Op Wag #4164
The Flying Dutchman
Sony, 1997.
2 CD set. Voigt, Heppner, Morris.
Op Wag #20617
The Flying Dutchman
Teldec, 1991.
VHS. Behrens, Salminen, Grundheber.
Mus O Fli
Libretti/Scores
Der fliegende Hollander/The Flying Dutchman
London/New York: John Calder/Riverrun, 1982.
ML50.W14 F52 1982
In addition to the short background articles, this contains the complete libretto with English
translation and a thematic guide keyed to the libretto.
The Flying Dutchman: A Romantic Opera in Three Acts
New York: G. Schirmer.
q M1503.W14 F7 1925x
German/English vocal score
For further reading
Millington, Barry
Wagner
London: J.M. Dent, 1986.
ML410.W1 M58 1986x
Basic work on the life and works of Wagner.
Spencer, Stewart
Wagner Remembered
London: Faber and Faber, 2000x.
ML410.W1 S64 2000x
Personal recollections and reminiscences from many of Wagner's contemporaries.
Berger, William
Wagner without Fear: Learning to Love - and Even Enjoy - Opera's Most Demanding
Genius
New York: Vintage Books, 1998.
ML410.W13 B47 1998
"A helpful guide for navigating the strange and beautiful world of the most controversial artist
who ever lived."
Handel, George Frederick
Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar)
Audio / Video
Giulio Cesare
BMG Music, 1988 (1967).
2 CD set. Sills, Forrester, Treigle.
Op Han #7263
Giulio Cesare
Universal Music & Video, 2003.
3 CD set. Mijanovic, von Otter, Mehta.
Op Han #20928
Giulio Cesare
Chandos, 1999 (1985).
3 CD set sung in English. Masterson, Baker, James.
Op Han #20929
Giulio Cesare
Harmonia Mundi France, 1991.
4 CD set. Schlick, Larmore, Visse.
Op Han #12511
Giulio Cesare in Egitto
PolyGram Records, 1992.
VHS. Larson, Hunt, Minter.
Mus O Giu
Scores
Handel, George Friederich
Julius Caesar: Oper in drei Akten
Kassel: Barenreiter, 1962.
M1503.H135 G54 1962x (piano/vocal score)
German & Italian
For further reading
Pettitt, Stephen
Handel (Compact Companions)
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.
ML410 .H13 P47 1994
Attractively illustrated with a companion CD, this book covers the life and times of the composer.
Dean, Winton and John Merrill Knapp
Handel's Operas 1704-1726
Oxford: Clarendon, 1987.
ML410 .H13 D37 1987
Extensive chapter on "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" that includes detailed analysis of the libretto and the score as well as a history of performance.
The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791
Audio/Video
Le nozze di Figaro
Deutsche Grammophon, 1991.
3 CD set. Upshaw, Te Kanawa, Hampson.
Op Moz #21690
Le nozze di Figaro
Harmonia Mundi France, p2004.
3 CD set. Gens, Kirchschlager, Regazzo.
Op Moz #21689
Le nozze di Figaro
PolyGram, [1996], 1968.
3 CD set. Mathis, Troyanos, Prey.
Op Moz #21692
Le Nozze di Figaro
London/Decca, 1991. (Peter Sellars)
VHS. Ommerlé, Larson, Sylvan.
Mus O Noz
Le Nozze di Figaro
Kultur, [2003], 1994. (Stephen Medcalf)
DVD. Hagley, Fleming, Finley.
Mus O Noz
The Marriage of Figaro
Image Entertainment, [2002], 1981. (Goeran Jaervefelt)
DVD. Biel, Resick, Lindgren.
Mus O Noz
Libretti/Scores
The Marriage of Figaro
London/New York: John Calder/Riverrun, 1983.
ML50 .M939 N62 1983
In addition to the short background articles, this contains the complete libretto with English translation and a thematic guide keyed to the libretto. (English National Opera
Guide)
Mozart, W. A.
Le Nozze di Figaro, KV 492
Basel: Barenreiter.
M1503 .M939 N66 1999
Piano-vocal score; Italian-German
Mozart, W. A.
Le Nozze di Figaro: comic Opera in 4 Acts
London: Eulenberg.
M 782.3 M94mf
Study Score
For further reading
Braunbehrens, Volkmar
Mozart in Vienna 1981-1791
New York: Grove Weidenfeld.
ML410 .M9 B7813 1990x
The last 10 years of Mozart's life and music (including Nozze di Figaro) in the context of daily life in Vienna.
Davies, Peter J.
Mozart in Person: His Character and Health
New York: Greenwood Press.
ML410 .M9 D185 1989
Detailed record of his medical history, his lifestyle, his personality, and his death.
Gay, Peter
Mozart
New York: Penguin Putnam.
ML410 .M9 G28 1999
A masterly example of biography in the short form.
Robbins Landon, H.C.
Mozart, the Golden Years 1781-1791
New York: Schirmer Books.
ML410 .M9 L25 1989
Another window into the last ten years of Mozart's life but with numerous exquisite illustrations.
Verdi, Giuseppe
A Masked Ball (Un Ballo in Maschera)
Audio / Video
Un Ballo in Maschera
London, 1985.
Op Ver #90
Price, Battle, Ludwig, Pavarotti, Bruson; Solti, National Philharmonic Orchestra (Great Britain)
Un Ballo in Maschera
Deutsche Grammophon, 1992.
Mus O - Bal
VHS. Pavarotti, Nucci, Millo, Quivar, Blackwell; Levine, Metropolitan Opera, NY, Faggioni, Large.
Libretti/Scores
(follow the story and/or the music…)Un Ballo in Maschera: Libretto by Antonio Somma
NY: G. Schirmer, 1957.
qM1503. V484 B22 1957x (piano/vocal score)
ML50.V484 B22 1957 (libretto)
Freely adapted after Eugene Scribe's "Gustave ou Le bal masque." English version by Peter Paul Fuchs.
Seven Verdi Librettos
English translation by William Weaver
NY: W.W. Norton, 1977.
ML49. V45 O62 1977x
English translations by William Weaver; with the original Italian. Parallel Italian and English texts. Includes an introduction and synopsis to each opera.
Un Ballo in Maschera
F. Rullman, NY 19-.
785.5 V26m2 (libretto)
Based on E. Scribe's Gustave III. Libretto in English.
For further reading
Budden, Julian
The Operas of Verdi, vol.2
NY: Oxford University Press, 1981.
ML 410. V4 B88 vol. 2 (Cassell, London, 1978.)
Budden's classic 3-volume set continues to be a valuable resource on Verdi's operas. This volume focuses on Verdi's craft in relationship to changing traditions in Italian opera and includes an extensive chapter on Un Ballo in Maschera.
Conati, Marcello
Encounters with Verdi
NY: Cornell
University Press, 1984.
ML 410. V4 I753 1984bx
A unique portrait of Verdi through 50 eye-witness accounts written by Verdi's contemporaries, including composers, musicologists, authors, artists, critics, and journalists. Readers will not only see Verdi, the artist, but they will also get a picture of Verdi, the man.
The Verdi Companion
Edited by William Weaver and Martin Chusid.
NY: Norton & Co., 1979.
ML 410. V4 V295
This collection of essays by various scholars discusses both Verdi's life and work from many different points of view. Both scholars and casual readers will enjoy this volume. A detailed chronology of Verdi's life and an annotated bibliography by Andrew Porter are included.
Berger, William
Verdi with a Vengeance
NY: Vintage Books, Random House, 2000.
ML 410. V4 B29 2000
"Witty, knowledgeable, iconoclastic, and emphatically nonacademic...with a down-to-earth, gossipy approach that belies a keen intelligence.... Often outrageously funny."--Library Journal
Britten, Benjamin
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Audio / Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Philips, 1996.
Op Bri #17109
Pears, McNair, Asawa, Bostridge, Lloyd; Davis, New London Children's Choir, London Symphony Orchestra
A Midsummer Night's Dream
London, 1967.
Op Bri #5507
Harwood, Harper, Veasey, Deller, Pears, Shirley-Quirk, Hemsley, Brannigan, Terry; Britten, London Symphony Orchestra
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Glyndebourne Productions Limited, NJ 1981.
Mus O- Mid (Kultur, West Long Branch, NJ 1986.)
VHS. Cotrubas, Bowman, Applegren, Davies, Buchan, Duesing, Lott; Haitink, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Libretti/Scores
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Libretto by Benjamin Britten & Sir Peter Pears
NY: Boosey &
Hawkes, 1960.
782.1 B75m (libretto)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Musical Score by Benjamin Britten, Vocal Score by Imogen
Holst and Martin Penny
NY: Boosey & Hawkes, 1960.
qM 782.1 B75mm (piano/vocal score)
English and German.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Musical Score (study size), by Benjamin Britten and Peter
Pears
Boosey & Hawkes, NY 1961.
M782.1 B75m (orchestral score)
English and German.
For further reading
Evans, Peter
The Music of Benjamin Britten
NY: Oxford University Press, 1996.
ML410. B853 E9 1996
A close look at all of Britten's operas.
The Britten Companion
Ed. Christopher Palmer
NY: Cambridge University Press, 1984.
ML410. B853 B7 1984
Essays by various specialists and performers; includes interviews with the composer, writings from those who worked closely with him, and detailed analysis of his compositions. Both scholars and general readers will find something of interest.
Kennedy, Michael
Britten
(Master Musician Series) Oxford, NY, 2001.
ML410. B853 K45 2001.
New edition of highly regarded study of the composer's life and music.
Mitchell, Donald
Britten & Auden In the Thirties
Seattle: University of Washington, 1979
[1981].
ML410. B853 M6
Holst, Imogen
Britten
London: Faber & Faber, 1980, 3rd ed.
ML410. B853 H6 1980
Schmidgall, Gary
Shakespeare and Opera
NY: Oxford University Press, 1990.
ML3858. S373 1990
Comparative study of the Shakespeare canon and opera repertoire.
Monteverdi, Claudio
Il Ritorno D'Ulisse in Patria
Audio / Video
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
Harmonia Mundi France, 1992.
3 CD set. Högman, Hunt, Visse, Thomas.
Op Mon #4380
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
Teldec, 1993 (1971).
3 CD set. Hansmann, Esswood, Eliasson.
Op Mon #20934
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
Home Vision, 1985.
VHS. Allen, Schenk, Ziegler.
Mus O Rit
Libretti/Scores
Monteverdi, Claudio
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
Mainz: Schott, 1982.
qM1503.M786 R5 1985
Piano/Vocal score, Italian only.
The operas of Monteverdi
Edited by Nicholas John (English National Opera Guide)
New York: Riverrun Press, 1992.
ML49.M75 R52 1992
Includes complete libretto with English translation, background article and thematic guide keyed to the libretto.
For further reading
The New Monteverdi companion
Edited by Denis Arnold and Nigel Fortune
London/Boston: Faber and Faber, 1985.
ML410.M77 N5 1985
Jane Glover's article about Monteverdi's Venetian operas includes a full analysis of the libretto's structure and the music.
Arnold, Denis
Monteverdi
New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
ML410.M77 A8 2000
Basic work on his life and works. Includes a section on his dramatic music.
Fabbri, Paolo
Monteverdi
Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
ML410.M77 F213 1994
The author inserts excerpts from Monteverdi's letters and other primary documents throughout his narrative to create a rich biography.
Weill, Kurt
The Threepenny Opera
Audio / Video
The Threepenny Opera (in German)
London, 1989.
Op Wei #1996
Kollo, Lemper, Milva; Mauceri, RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta
The Threepenny Opera: (in English)
Decca, 2000.
Mc Wei #15850
Lenya, Merrill, Wolfson, Sullivan, Rae, Price, Arthur, Tyne; Matlowsky
The Threepenny Opera
Public Media
Home Vision 199?.
Mus O- Thr
VHS. Forster, Neher, Lenya, Rasp; Pabst, Lania, Balazs, Vajda.
In German with English subtitles.
Libretti/Scores
The Threepenny Opera
Libretto by Bertolt Brecht, English lyrics by Eric Bentley.
NY: Grove
Press, 1964.
ML50. W42 D82 1964 (libretto)
Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera)
Weill, Elizabeth Hauptmann, Bertolt Brecht, piano arrangement by
Norbert Gingold.
Wien: Universal Edition 1956.
q M1503.W419 D5 1956x (piano/vocal score)
German words only.
For further reading
Kurt Weill, The Threepenny Opera
Edited by Stephen Hinton.
NY: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
ML410. W395 K87 1990x
This collection of essays by various authors is the first book about the best-known work of Weill and Brecht that truly explores the composer's contribution. Hinton himself examines the many manifestations of the work including the instrumental suite and film. The volume also includes Brecht's concert version of the work in English translation, never before published. Part of the Cambridge Opera Handbook Series.
Hirsch, Foster
Kurt Weill on Stage, From Berlin to Broadway
NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.
ML410.W395 H57 2002
Hirsch's work covers both Weill's German output and his successful works for the Broadway stage. Using Weill's letters, journal, and notes, and interviewing several of Weill's friends and colleagues, Hirsch paints an interesting portrait of the composer and of Amercian musical theater of the time.
Speak low (when you speak love), the letters of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya
Edited and
translated by Lys Symonette and Kim H. Kowalke.
University of California Press, Berkeley, CA 1996.
ML 410.W395 A4 1996
The letters of husband and wife reveal much about Weill's collaborators and colleagues, their time in Germany, New York, and Hollywood, and the American and world political and cultural scenes. As Weill's most famous interpreter, including Jenny in "The Threepenny Opera," Lenya was a huge personality of American musical theater. Very interesting read.
La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, 1813-1901
Audio/Video
La Traviata
EMI, 1997.
2 CD set. Callas, Kraus, Sereni (Live, Lisbon, 1958)
Op Ver #21705
La Traviata
London, 1995.
2 CD set. Gheorghiu, Lopardo, Nucci.
Op Ver #17318
La Traviata
RCA, [1988?], 1960.
2 CD set. Moffo, Tucker, Merrill.
Op Ver #6230
La Traviata
Kultur, 1988. (Peter Hall)
VHS. McLaughlin, MacNeil, Ellis.
Mus O Tra
La Traviata
Rai Trade, 2002. (Franco Zefferelli)
DVD. Bonfadelli, Piper, Bruson.
Mus O Tra
Libretti/Scores
Complete Verdi libretti: in four volumes
Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1996.
qML49 .V45 C372 1994 v.4
Word for word translations including the International Phonetic Alphabet transcriptions, a guide to the I.PA., and notes on the Italian translations by Nico Castel.
Seven Verdi librettos
New York: W. W. Norton, 1977.
ML49 .V45 O62 1977x
Parallel Italian and English texts, with bibliographical notes and a foreword by legendary impresario Schulyer Chapin.
Verdi, Giuseppe
La Traviata: melodrama in tre atti
Milano: Ricordi, 1999.
M1500 .V48 T5 1999x
Study score
Verdi, Giuseppe
La Traviata: opera in 3 acts by Francesco Maria Piave. New English version by Joseph Machlis.
New York: Ricordi, 1962.
qM 782.5 V26t6
Piano-vocal score
For further reading
Berger, William
Verdi with a vengeance: an energetic guide to the life and complete works of the king of opera
New York: Vintage Books/Random House, 2000.
ML410 .V4 B29 2000
A fresh and engaging chronological examination of Verdi's operas, the chapter on La Traviata reexamines the original Dumas "memoir" and its dramatic adaptation by Piave and Verdi.
Budden, Julian
The Operas of Verdi: volume 2: from Il Trovatore to La Forza del Destino
London: Cassell, 1978.
ML410 .V4 B88 v. 2
A critically acclaimed examination of Verdi's compositional genius and regarded by scholars as a meticulous yet engaging study, Budden's writing is remarkable for its accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Kimball, David R. B.
Verdi in the Age of Italian Romanticism
Cambridge/N.Y.: Cambridge University Press, 1981.
ML410 .V4 K5
The chapters "Verdi's Italy" and "The Popular Trilogy - Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata" combine sound scholarship with an enthusiastic writing style that opera performers and opera listeners will find informative and fascinating.
Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane
Verdi: a biography
New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
ML410 .V4 P43 1993
An exhaustive re-examination of Verdi's long and productive life (written with the full collaboration of the Verdi family), it has been critically acclaimed as the best major biography for a generation. This 900+ page study considers Verdi's masterful compositional techniques, as well as his wide-ranging social and political interests.
Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten, 1913-1976
Audio/Video
The Turn of the Screw
Virgin Classics, 2002.
2 CD set. Rodgers, Bostridge, Leang.
Op Bri #18994
The Turn of the Screw
London, [1990], 1955.
2 CD set. Vyvyan, Pears, Hemmings.
Op Bri #18995
Libretti/Scores
The Operas of Benjamin Britten: the complete librettos: illustrated with designs of the first productions. Edited by David Herbert, with contributions by Peter Pears and Janet Baker.
New York: Columbia University Press, 1979.
qML49 .B74 H5
Britten, Benjamin
The turn of the screw, op 54, an opera in a prologue and two acts. Libretto after the story by Henry James, by Myfanwy Piper. Vocal score by Imogen Holst.
London/New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1957.
qM1503 .B8608 T84 1957
Piano-vocal score
For further reading
Benjamin Britten, The Turn of the Screw. Edited by Patricia Howard.
New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
ML 410 .B853 B47 1985
Designed to introduce the non-specialist music lover to Britten's opera, its generously illustrated pages are enhanced by an extensive bibliography and a classic discography.
Kennedy, Michael
Britten
Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
ML410 .B853 K45 2001
An updating of Oxford's Master Musicians Series, the author is considered today's leading authority on the composer and provides numerous illuminating cross-references to "The Turn of the Screw" along with an updated and enlarged discography.
White, Eric Walter
Benjamin Britten: his life & operas
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1970.
ML410 .B853 W4 1970
The chapter 9 study of "Turn of the Screw" combines an exhaustive musical analysis with insightful commentary on Britten's formative years.
For sources on opera etiquette, plot synopses, etc. (for the novice and seasoned opera fan), see our guide A Night at the Opera.
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