Customer Reviews

Opera (Rough Guides)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very useful guide, improved in the second edition over the first. It gives informed and opinionated summaries of the history of opera and its major composers and works. It also has a useful glossary of terms, and potted summaries of major 20th century singers and conductors. Not complete, of course, (eg. Frederica von Stade mysteriously is not included among the singers, though her contributions to varioius recordings are always lauded.) It contains a remarkably extensive survey of 2oth century opera (one is up to the Russian late 19th c. composers by the mid point of the book). The groupings are sometimes strange -- bel canto is tacked onto romantic operas --but it gives one of the best short critical and informed discussions of how opera has evolved with which I am familiar. The evaluations both of composers and of the selected operas are necessarily short, but still informative though I am not sure that the plot summaries really add very much. These bits are a great deal better than the typical discussion one finds in the booklets accompanying recordings or the contents of the program notes of most live performances. The recording reviews do give an indication of why the author made the first picks he did and some indication of what other recordings are available. On individual recordings, about as informative as (say) the Penguin guide. There is a strong liking for old recordings and the singers one suspects of Boyden's youth, and of recent operas. Overall, it is a great deal of fun. One doesn't have to agree with it to learn from it and enjoy it.

This is a guide of many strengths and weakness's, but certainly not the "definitive" guide, which is what they call themselves. The plot summaries, for example, give a good idea of what is happening is the opera, but leave out immense details.The musical analyses, and the many anecdotes are wonderful, though some may be put off by the book's evident preference for more modern music. The huge problem in this book is the set of performance reviews. First of all, they have outrageuous preferences for various musicians. Boehm, for instance, is so loved by them that they rate his Rosenkavalier above Karajan's, and his Salome above Solti's. They also loath such geniuses as Solti and Bernstein, and degrade their such legendary performances of theirs such as the former's "Ring", and the latter's "Fidelio". As if this were not enough, there reviews (sorry to say this) are full of mistakes! Some of the most conspicuous are saying that Elmensdorff recorded the first Tristan und Isolde (Richard Strauss did), that Solti recorded the first studio "Ring" (Moralt did), and calling Boehm's third Cosi fan Tutte his second. Over all this is an enjoyable guide, but don't believe everything you read!

This book has two great features going for it. There is a (brief) synopsis of probably every opera in the repretoire. Yes, they leave a lot out, but there's enough detail, I think, to prepare yourself before attending a performance or listen to a recording. Each synopsis is followed by the author's commentary, and a brief list of reviews on CD. (which is obviously highly subjective, so longer reviews would have been more appreciated. One paragraph is about enough to say, "this was a good/bad performance." Hardly enough to go on to choose a recording.) I wouldn't make a decision to buy (or not buy) a recording based on their recommendations, but at least you can get an idea of what is available.

The really great thing about the book are various stories about opera stars and productions, such as some hilarious performances of "Tosca" and "Otello". I just coulnd't stop laughing about those stories.

Their treatment of Wagner, I thought, was pretty balanced, portraying him as a composer of great music, but much less than a great man. However, their commentary on Parsifal was unfair, making it seem like a "pro-Nazi" work, which it emphatically is not.

Enjoy the chronology that puts the operas into perspective. Of course, I feel the print is a bit small so I would have enjoyed it in two volumes with larger type. Otherwise, I highly recommend it!!!

There is no way one can satisfy the whole of opera aficionados with a single volume, but as a primer, Matthew Boyden has done a solid job of compiling the most critical information about the history of opera. I have been familiar with the Rough Guide series for years as I have purchased their country guides but never tried any of their music guides. What I discovered is the same easy-to-read layout and slick, often informative writing as their travel series. Chronologically ordered, the hefty but digestible volume book is divided into eight chapters covering 132 composers, a few quite obscure at least to me. Each chapter introduces a musical style, and each composer has been slotted into his artistic and historical milieu. Each composer's major works are described in sometimes painstaking detail, including dates of composition and premiere, the name of the librettist and a plot synopsis. The inevitable drawback is that some important works have been omitted rather arbitrarily, a fact that comes to light in the sections on Handel and Vivaldi. At the same time, the section on operas since WWII is surprisingly robust and quite informed.

The net result is not as contrived as it could be and in fact, given the gargantuan scope of the subject, the book makes it easier to recognize the historical significance of the music. Boyden includes his recommended recordings of each of the works described, usually 2-3 per entry, but again, there is no way he can provide an exhaustive list to make everyone happy. To his credit, he does seem to recognize the most honored commercial recordings, and the third edition (published in August 2002) provides some more up-to-date references such as the 2000 Christopher Hogwood production of Handel's "Rinaldo". There is a brief and useful glossary of opera terms (helpful when you read the more comprehensive opera reviews elsewhere), a directory of opera houses and thumbnail biography entries for a select group of stellar singers and conductors, historical and contemporary. This is quite a useful reference guide for anyone interested in understanding opera at a basic to intermediate level without the condescending tone provided by other volumes out in the market.

Matthew Boyden has done a wonderful job of providing reliable reviews of hundreds of recordings. I have not found one review that seems unreasonable. He is irreverent while conveying his appreciation, as in his reviews of Corelli's performances. The operas he selects include all the standards, and he is heavy on 20th century opera (that is, post Puccini, Strauss and Lehar, which I personally avoid but am glad to learn about).

The format is well organized: he divides opera history into 8 periods, and begins each period (chapter) with a brief overview. Within each period, sections are devoted to individual composers. Each composer gets a biography, followed by a discussion of his most notable operas (I don't think there is a single female composer). This discussion consists of a synopsis (which probably could be foregone, at least up to the post-WWI period), a brief comment (always juicy), and then excellent and fair reviews of recordings he has selected as the best. Only in-print recordings receive full reviews, but out-of-print, and performances that Boyden does not deem worthy of full presentation are mentioned, and their strengths (and weaknesses) are mentioned. Many great pictures. This book is always interesting and worth checking out when you are about to listen to a new opera, or shopping. I love it and refer to it more than once a week. It is both fun and authoritative.

Some of my favorite operas are not covered in this book like Rossini's Armida. This book also lacks good cd recommendations for solo recitals of opera stars. The author made a bad cd recommendation for the "La Divina" Maria Callas (Verdi Arias is not a very good album). BUT I LOVE THIS BOOK.I must say that nothing can cover the entire knowledge of opera in one volume. But this Rough Guide is the best I ever had. This is very useful for beginners as this covers most major works in a systematic way(periods). If one wants to build a cd library this is an essential guide. Although not all master recordings are mentioned in this volume and the author tends to favor old recordings. The recommended CDs here are all good and essential recordings every opera enthusiast must possess. This is a good start for opera newbies because it contains concise biographies of all the significant composers. This book also covers the complete history of the genre from the beginnings in late-Renaissance Italy to the latest almost unknown works of modern composers.

As a newcomer to opera, I found this book to be very helpful. It had a little bit of everything- background on composers, plot descriptions of their operas, bios of singers and conductors, a glossary of opera terms (a nice touch), and cd recommendations. I wanted a general guide to opera and this was exactly what I wanted.

Put a group of opera lovers together in the same room, and if they survive, and the key word is "if," you'll have quite a group. You'll find some who believe that opera is superior to all other art forms and since they love opera, they're superior too. You'll have your Wagnerians and you may not trust them--fearing they'll begin quoting Nietzsche and hoping the conversation doesn't turn to politics. Then there are those who champion one singer and have unhealthy fixations about the performer. Usually Maria Callas fans fall in this category. There will be those who see opera as a religion and the minimalists who believe sets and stars take away from the beauty and purity of the music. As you're in the midst of these eccentrics, you're glad to find the only sane person in the crowd--the one who listens to the Met broadcasts on Saturday afternoons during the winter and the ball game on the afternoons the Met is on hiatus. Chances are this person is a Verdian. Giuseppe Verdi is the unifying composer and his fans are unifiers. Like Wagner, Verdi had genius but never lost the common touch. He could be as theatrical as Puccini who came a bit later, and when he wanted he could create a spectacle like the Russian epics or a pop like tune in the style of Gounod. Now as diverse as this crowd can be, there's one thing each has in common. Each loves opera but also knows why. They know all the composers, plots, ideal casts, and just about anything else you'd need to know.

Most opera lovers have collections of books too: books about the art form, the composers, the operas and the plots, the staging, and in some cases, the books on which the operas are based. I always find used bookstores to be the best place to find these books since most are no longer published. Also in many opera lovers' libraries are quick reference guides which give basic information about a composer or work. These books are indispensable. THE ROUGH GUIDE TO OPERA is one of the best one volume commentaries I have found. It's perfect for a person beginning to enjoy this musical art form. It has concise biographies of the composers, summaries of the major works, and it's organized in a way that puts the composer in the broad perspective of the day and age in which the composer lived. Seasoned opera buffs will appreciate this volume too. The book also contains information about lesser known composers and works as well as articles that help in understanding opera in general. It also includes recording guides and information about opera's great performers past and present.

While parts of my review may be a bit tongue in cheek, and perhaps irreverent though I would argue accurate, I have been a certified opera lover since I started his school nearly thirty years ago. The music is exciting, the stories intriguing, and the singing can make me feel an emotional high. I always encourage people to explore this great musical form and now I'm going to suggest this volume as well for a better understanding and appreciation of opera.

I shall review this 3rd edition, but as I write this, the 4th edition is getting ready for release in a week or so. Just be aware of that, and you might want to go for that revised edition.

I find this mid-weight (750ppg) guide a rather handy little book. I refer frequently to it for information regarding recordings that I both do and do not have in my collection. I am always trying to become more aware of what others think and say about various recordings, plus, I am constantly searching for recordings that I do not have, or know little about.

In this respect I find this book quite handy. But, I agree with others, that there are some flaws in it, which, perhaps could easily sneek through, depending on the editor(s) and others. I fully realize just how complex putting something together like this is. (I am currently trying to write a database for cross-referencing my entire music collection, so I KNOW complexity!). I could be critical and give it 3.5 or 4 stars, but in truth, I use it enough to call it "valuable". I consider it a useful enough tool to have already preordered edition 4, mentioned above.

If you are knowledgable about opera, and recordings/artists/composers, you should certainly find you will put this book to very good use. If you are a novice with opera and recordings, etc., you will CERTAINLY find this book very valuable. I do highly recommend it. ~operabruin

***Please note that Edition 4 is now out, so you should check/consider it, instead, as it is updated, and greatly expanded.