Volume Two covers those works written during the decadence of the post-Rossini period. During this time, Verdi, having exhausted the vein of simple lyricism to be found in Il Trovatore and La Traviata, achieved self-renewal in direct confrontation with the masters of the Paris Opera with his Les V�pres Siciliennes. A new scale and variety of musical thought can be sensed in the Italian operas that follow, culminating in La Forza del Destino.
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Amazon.com Review
The three volumes of studies of Verdi's operas by Julian Budden are rightly classics of the genre. This is owing to their scope of information on the genesis, circumstances, variants, and specifics of the operas themselves--certainly the fullest description these works have ever been given--as well as to the wealth of surrounding information about the composer, his life, his friends, and his times. It is a measure of the excellence of Budden's achievement that this cornucopia of information is surveyed in very readable prose--readers get a picture of each work within its context. Budden's knowledge of 19th-century opera--both in Italy and in France--is wide-ranging, and he is able to place Verdi and his works in comparison with those of Donizetti, Pacini, Mercadante, and Meyerbeer. He discusses how the great operatic genius emerged from the background of early-19th-century opera and how Verdi's own early, uneven works blossomed into the glory of his later ones. Budden, thankfully, is not a hagiographer, and he recognizes Verdi's faults as well as his strengths, but few--if any--writers have managed to demonstrate how Verdi both blended in with his musical surroundings and stood out from them. These studies, with all their richness, are a good source of information about a host of lesser composers of the time. Budden includes many musical examples to highlight his writing in this, a work of scholarship of the highest order. --Patrick J. Smith
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Review
'Where on earth did Verdians turn before Budden? When the first volume of his chronological study of the complete 31 operas appeared in 1973, it was already clear this could prove the standard work...With Verdi productions proliferating in the run-up to the centenary of his death in 2001, this great study grows ever more necessary.' BBC Music Magazine
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A most valuable research and reference guide,
By
This review is from: The Operas of Verdi: Volume 1: From Oberto to Rigoletto (Paperback)
It is a pity that Vol. 3 of Julian Budden's <The Operas of Verdi> (Oxford, 1973) is no longer available except through secondhand dealers on and off the internet. But just the first two volumes are a terrific research tool and reference source for any one truly interested in enjoying and fully appreciating the operas of Verdi.Volume 1 covers "Oberto" to "Rigoletto," 2 covers "Il Trovatore" to ""La Forza del Destino," and 3 "Don Carlos" to the final "Falstaff." The revised edition, which is now available in paperback format, begins with an introduction to Verdi and his times and a general consideration of the early operas. Volume 2 offers two chapters on the changing traditions in Italian opera and Verdi's maturing in his craft; while Volume 3 (in the hardcover edition I managed to find) plunges directly into the operas. Each opera is handled in two sections. First an in-depth narration of the circumstances leading to the creation and opening night of each work, and then a scene by scene analysis of plot and music. This differs from the organization of the one-volume Charles Osborne book, "The Complete Operas of Verdi," which treats the music separately from plot. As much as I admire and have used that work for years, I believe the Budden volumes--so much fuller and therefore so much more useful--will supplant it from this time forward. I can only urge Oxford to reissue that 3rd volume as soon as possible.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Place to Start,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Operas of Verdi, Vol. 3 (Paperback)
Many critics (musicologists and otherwise) have written monographs on Verdi and his operatic works, but these three volumes are what you should go to first for a thorough and thoughtful reading of each of the operas. Budden devotes a chapter to each opera, providing excerpts from the score to illustrate Verdi's art and genius. A very handy reference work.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must for Verdi fans,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Operas of Verdi: Volume 1: From Oberto to Rigoletto (Paperback)
I finally ordered this book, and I love it. I wish I had got it years ago. Covers the history, the music, and story of each Verdi opera up to Rigoletto. After reading about one of the operas, you will find that you enjoy it more the next time you hear it. If you like Verdi, you should have this book in your library!
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