The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas, Volume 2 [Hardcover]

John Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Metropolitan Opera | Publication Date: July 1, 1996

Following the first volume, this second book provides the plots of a further 124 operas. Each composer featured is the subject of a short biographical sketch, with details of the opera's first performances, the librettists and the cast, and a detailed summary of the plot. Opera-goers are guided through the performance, and the principal arias and choruses are indicated where they occur in the story. The operas in this volume include: Monteverdi's "Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria", Lully's "Atys", Gluck's "Alceste" and Rossini's "William Tell", with contemporary works such as Philip Glass's "The Voyage".

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This companion to the first volume of The Metropolitan Opera: Stories of the Great Operas, published 13 years after its mate, offers a guide to 125 more operas. Most of these are early and Baroque operas that have been rediscovered (Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria, Handel's Semele). Also included are modern operas (Glass's The Voyage), some of which have even enjoyed several productions; obscurities by standard repertory composers (Verdi's Attila), usually exhumed at the behest of opera stars seeking star vehicles; assorted miscellaneous oddities; and titles left over from the first book. The writing is clear and concise, and the story summaries are detailed enough to be of real assistance. Freeman's first book of opera story lines is a standard in the field; his second is a worthy extension and addition.

From Library Journal

Freeman, associate editor of Opera News and author of the first volume of The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas (LJ 11/15/84), presents this second volume of stories from 125 more operas, this time covering less familiar works, such as early pieces (Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in partria, 1640) and contemporary ones (John Adams's Nixon in China, 1987). The entries are arranged by composer, with a brief introduction providing background on the life and works of each. Because Freeman focuses on less familiar works, he includes Verdi's early operas (I Lombardi, Stiffelio, I due Foscari) rather than the works often performed today. Many of the operas are known more from references in the literature of opera (Halevy's La Juive, 1835) or because of well-known excerpts from otherwise forgotten works (Catalani's La Wally, 1892). However, these works are part of the vocabulary of opera, so there is a need for the hard-to-find information presented here. The biographies and shorter synopses of many of these pieces are available in standard reference works, but this is still a good selection for larger music collections with a need for in-depth materials.
James E. Ross, WLN, Seattle
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 500 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393040518
• ISBN-13: 978-0393040517
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,487,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)