Customer Reviews

Opera's First Master: The Musical Dramas of Claudio Monteverdi (AMADEUS)

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This is a good book with engaging and thorough review of each of his operas. The reviews are so detailed that it would be outstanding study for any team planning to perform these operas. A moderate list of references is provided with references noted in the text. There is a good index. There is a recording with excerpts from recent performances. The thing I like best about this book is that all the CD, DVD and book references include very recently released works so this book is very up-to-date.

The author who is an Associate Professor of Theater at Marymount College supports his belief that "Claudio Moneteverdi (1567-1643) was the first great opera composer" by commentaries on his operas scene by scene. Ringer follows the narrative line (such as it is in opera) and profiles the characters while explaining the role and effects of the music and words on these. Introductory parts give a biography of Monteverdi focusing on his distinctive creative genius and viewing him in the context of the development of opera in Florence in late Renaissance Italy. The CD contains 13 selections from Monteverdi operas; which are annotated in back matter. Ringer's accessible treatment of this outstanding and influential composer is an ideal introduction and companion to Monteverdi's operas.

In part this book is a short biography of Monteverdi. And in part it discusses his place as the originator of opera as we know it today. But mostly it's about the three surviving operas that he wrote: L'Orfeo (Orpheus, 1607), Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland, 1640), and L'incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea, 1643). The stated purpose of the book is not to treat these works as merely a part of operatic history, but explaining the vital theatrical experiences that they are.

Each of the three operas gets a complete description including the history, the nature of the roles, and of course a summay of the story.

The book includes a CD that has significant excerpts from the three operas.

This book is part of a series called Unlocking the Masters that covers the work of our most important composers. The whole series is excellent, bringing us a concise yet complete story that is both informative and easy to read.

I love this series (besides Verdi, it has Wagner, Mozart, Haydn, etc.) Being able to hear the music as you read about it makes a huge difference, and the text is written in an accessible way. It breaks the stereotype of Classical music being staid and boring.