9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful Moments from the Wonderful, Wacky World of Opera!, November 12, 2003
This review is from: Quotable Opera: Aria Ready for a Laugh (Quotable Books) (Paperback)
The sub-title of "Quotable Opera" ("Aria Ready for a Laugh?")provides a strong hint of what to expect in this delightful collection by Stephen & Nancy Tanner. And lest you think it's all just "fluff," you'll be gratified to find a great number of more serious quotes from the cognoscenti of an art that's been called by so many different names over the years. Among the definitions of opera included here are:
"the most dangerous of all art forms"
"the selection of famous voices for fashionable ears"
"the most rococo and degraded of all art forms"
"an exotick, irrational entertainment" (Dr. Samuel Johnson)
and, by H.L. Mencken:
"The opera is to music what a bawdy house is to a cathedral."
The chapters of "Quotable Opera" are arranged according to subject, and,like the entire book, with the authors' unique sense of ironic wit and just plain fun. The chapter dealing with quotes by and about Maria Callas, for instance, has the title, "Is Diva Just Avid Spelled Backward?"
As you might imagine, some of the funniest quotations may be found in the chapter dealing with critics --including some of the snide remarks they have made about artists, along with what has been said, even more snidely, about them. One acerbic gentleman, for instance, referred to Dame Kiri Te Kanawa as "a viable alternative to valium." But then someone defined a critic as "a virgin who wants to teach Don Juan how to make love."
And speaking of making love, the chapter on "Sex and Opera" is full of amusing remarks from famous singers commenting on the effects of too much (or too little!) sex on their voices.
The abundance of funny stuff in the book -- and that includes the brilliant illustrations by Umberto Taccola -- is interspersed with generous portions of more serious remarks from famous men and women -- singers, musicians, writers, etc. (Even Mel Brooks is quoted at one point!) -- all giving their knowledgeable opinions about this great art form.
Composers are generously represented in these pages, often to great effect. Hector Berlioz, for instance, referred to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde as "a sort of chromatic moan." And
for anyone who has thrilled to a performance of Giacomo Puccini's music, it is illuminating to read what he requested of his librettist for Turandot, his final opera: "Create for me something that will make the world weep."
When you read "Quotable Opera," you may not find yourself weeping, but you will certainly laugh a lot, and along the way you might even learn something!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
informative and hilarous, December 16, 2007
This review is from: Quotable Opera: Aria Ready for a Laugh (Quotable Books) (Paperback)
Without knowing it, I ordered this book again. Just another laugh on me. I am a pushover for opera, especially for 'behind the scenes' stories. I used to wait for the Metropolitan Opera on the Air every Saturday afternoon to hear the stars talk about the terribly funny stories of past divas, tenors, etc. This book is a must have, a jewel; but don't read too much at one time. A little goes a long way, believe me. My favorite: Backstage at Lohengrin before his first entrance, [Leo] Slezak was bemused to see the swan-boat take off just before he got into it: a stagehand had jumped the cue. As the boat glided into the opera without its silver knight, Slezak turned to someone and asked, "Wann geht der nachste Schwann?" What time's the next swan?
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