Opera: A New Way of Listening

by Alexander Waugh

With the help of dozens of extracts on the accompanying music CD, Alexander Waugh examines the different categories of voice and how to recognize them, and explores the relationship between the words and the music. He looks at the elements of live performance - from the star singers and producers to the chorus and orchestra - before taking a unique look behind the scenes at an opera house, following the preparations for an opera through rehearsals and set-building to the opening night.
The heart of the book explores eight of the world's best-loved operas, including Mozart's action-packed Don Giovanni, Bizet's sensuous Carmen, and Puccini's impassioned Tosca. A key song from each opera is featured on the CD and analyzed moment-by-moment on an annotated "timeline," while the text discusses the musical and dramatic importance of the opera as a whole and looks at other celebrated operas by the same composer. With a listeners' guide to a further fifty essential operas, A New Way of Listening provides everything you need to know to enjoy the drama and beauty of this rich art.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Alexander Evelyn Michael Waugh (born 1963) is an English eccentric, businessman, writer, critic, journalist, composer, cartoonist, record producer and television presenter. He is best known for his biography of the Wittgenstein family (The House of Wittgenstein: A Family at War) published in 2009.

He was a founding director and Chairman of Xebras Management Ltd, the now-dissolved digital media company. He has also served on the boards of Concert Agency, Manygate Management Ltd, and of the award winning Travelman Publishing Ltd. He is currently an independent Non-Executive Director of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee.

Reviews

[Al Ashcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een toegankelijk boek die als gids dient in, zoals de titel zegt, het leren luisteren en begrijpen van opera. Het boek komt met een CD waarop 43 luisterfragmenten uit bekende opera's staan. Een tiental opera's zoals Boris Godoenov, Tosca, Carmen e.a. worden meer in detail behandeld, met achtergrondinformatie over de componist, het libretto, en de eerste opvoering.
Zeker een aanrader voor de operaliefhebber of wie voor het eerst met opera kennismaakt!

Al

[Paul Groos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best prima inleiding. Ik weet niks van opera dus voor mij prima geschikt. Niet diepgaand, maar goed geschreven en goed vertaald. Mooie plaatjes en voorbeelden op CD maken dit boek nog aantrekkelijker.
Ik krijg er zin van om een opera te gaan beluisteren, dus het zal zijn doel hebben behaald.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tracks on the cd are interesting (mapped out on a timeline) to see just what is happening (mapped out on a timeline) both musically and lyrically. The text is really for those with very little exposure to opera but those more familiar will still find some new information.