Manon: English National Opera Guide 25 (English National Opera Guides) [Paperback]

Massenet (Author), Nicholas John (Editor)

Book Description

Series: English National Opera Guides | Publication Date: June 1, 1984

The English National Opera Guides were originally conceived in partnership with the English National Opera and edited by Nicholas John, the ENO's dramaturg, who died tragically in an accident in the Alps. Most of the guides are devoted to a single opera, which is described in detail—with many articles that cover its history and information about the composer and his times. The complete libretto is included in both the original language and in a modern singing translation—except where the opera was written in English. Each has a thematic guide to the most important musical themes in musical notation and each guide is lavishly illustrated. They also contain a bibliography and a discography which is updated at each reprint. The ENO guides are widely regarded as the best series of their kind and excellent value.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: French, English

From the Publisher

Other Opera Journeys Publishing titles ALSO AVAILABLE at amazon.com:

OPERA CLASSICS LIBRARY SERIES:
•Aida •The Barber of Seville •La Bohème •Carmen •Cavalleria Rusticana •Così fan tutte •Don Giovanni •Lucia di Lammermoor •Madama Butterfly •The Magic Flute •Manon Lescaut •The Marriage of Figaro •Otello •I Pagliacci •Rigoletto •Salome •Tosca •Il Trittico (Il Tabarro/Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi) •La Traviata •Turandot and The Ring of the Nibelung (without libretto)

OPERA JOURNEYS MINI GUIDE SERIES:
•Aïda •Andrea Chénier •The Barber of Seville •La Bohème •Boris Godunov •Carmen •Cavalleria Rusticana •Così fan tutte •Der Freischütz •Die Fledermaus •Don Carlo •Don Giovanni •Don Pasquale •The Elixir of Love •Elektra •Eugene Onegin •Exploring Wagner’s Ring •Falstaff •Faust •Fidelio •The Flying Dutchman •Hansel and Gretel •L’Italiana in Algeri •Julius Caesar •Lohengrin •Lucia di Lammermoor •Macbeth •Madama Butterfly •The Magic Flute •Manon •Manon Lescaut •The Marriage of Figaro •A Masked Ball •The Mikado •Nabucco •Norma •Otello •I Pagliacci •Porgy and Bess •The Rhinegold •Rigoletto •Der Rosenkavalier •Salome •Samson and Delilah •Siegfried •The Tales of Hoffmann •Tannhäuser •Tosca •La Traviata •Tristan and Isolde •Il Trovatore •Turandot •Twilight of the Gods •The Valkyrie •Werther

OPERA JOURNEYS LIBRETTO SERIES:
•Aida •The Barber of Seville •La Bohème •Carmen •Cavalleria Rusticana •Così fan tutte •Don Giovanni •Edgar •La Fanciulla del West •Gianni Schicchi •Lucia di Lammermoor •Madama Butterfly •The Magic Flute •Manon Lescaut •The Marriage of Figaro •Otello •I Pagliacci •Rigoletto •La Rondine •Salome •Suor Angelica •Il Tabarro •Tosca •La Traviata •Le Villi

AND A History of Opera: Milestones and Metamorphoses --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Oneworld Classics; 1st Ed. edition (June 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714540412
• ISBN-13: 978-0714540412
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,136,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If this is all you want, this one will do as well as another, March 16, 2007

By 

L. E. Cantrell (Vancouver, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Manon (Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series) (Paperback)

The previous reviewer makes a very strong case for this series. In fact, he is so impressed by this series that he sings the praises no less than twenty-eight of "The Opera Journeys Mini Guides" here in Amazon--and, as I write this, offers comment on nothing else, on no other publication ... nothing. He is so taken with these "Mini Guides" that each and every one of his twenty-eight five-star reviews begins, "The Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series is just wonderful; it's like a "Cliff Note" [sic] of the opera, and extremely informative and educational." And every one of his twenty-eight reviews ends with "My tip: acquire the entire collection because you will be in easy reach of superbly presented opera guides consisting of story analysis, principal characters in the opera, story narrative with music highlights, background, analysis, and commentary."

How fortunate the gentleman is to have found a subject on which he can lay such honest, heartfelt and unstinting praise. And so often, too.

As for myself, I am not quite so enthusiastic. This "Mini Guide" to Massenet's "Manon," and others of the series that have fallen into my hands from time to time, delivers pretty much what it says it will do. If you are actually willing to be satisfied with so small a thing as a CliffsNotes approach to opera, these "Mini Guides" will serve as well as any other--although the asking price strikes me as a bit steep.

However, I wish to suggest alternatives. First, haul yourself away from your computer. Then, go out to see the opera.

If you don't have an opera company nearby, call up your local college, university or conservatory and ask what the opera workshop is doing. (Here in Vancouver, the student productions at the University of British Columbia for the past few years have consistently been better sung and better produced than those of the Vancouver Opera--and for a vastly lower ticket cost.)

If no live performances are available in your area, then go ahead and invest in a DVD or a CD. Older performances of operas that in many cases can only be described as superb can be found on CD right here at Amazon for about the price of this pamphlet. The DVDs cost about the same as a single ticket in the cheapest seats in a professional opera house.

Actual performances will give you pleasure and enrich your soul in a way that these or any other such arid distillation and simulation cannot.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mini-sized guide laden with maxi-helpful information, September 6, 2000

By 

Heinz Dinter (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manon (Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series) (Paperback)

The Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series is just wonderful; it's like a "Cliff Note" of the opera, and extremely informative and educational. I particularly like the size; these guides are not cumbersome and fit right into my shirt pocket. The ladies will find sufficient room in their pocketbooks.

The story narrative with the music examples is excellent. I prefer it to a libretto; indeed, it's a much easier way to follow the essence of the story. The essay is magnificent; very well written, not pedantic, and extremely insightful and comprehensible. I congratulate Burton Fisher for a job very well done and Amazon for making these handy, information-laden booklets available. The Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series is a wonderful contribution to opera education and opera appreciation.

My tip: acquire the entire collection because you will be in easy reach of superbly presented opera guides consisting of story analysis, principal characters in the opera, story narrative with music highlights, background, analysis, and commentary.

Heinz Dinter, Ph.D.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shirmer is Easily Accessible, April 4, 2000

By 

Richard M Weinberg (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manon: Vocal Score (Paperback)

Here, you have a piano-vocal score of Massenet's opera, Manon. Shirmer, like always, publishes easily accessible scores appropriate for a singer studying a role or the work or a rehearsal pianist hired to play the orchestral reduction. The price is quite normal, as scores go, and you shall find accurate markings and index.