Overture Opera Guides: Tosca - Giacomo Puccini

Overture Opera Guides: Tosca - Giacomo Puccini (A Dual-Language Book/Parallel Text Book)

Tosca, one of Puccini's greatest and most popular operas, is a supreme example of music's power to enthral the audience. In his introductory essay to this guide, Bernard Williams discusses the enduring quality of its appeal. Bernard Keeffe, in his article, analyses different aspects of the score, noting Puccini's special genius for orchestration and the subtle effects that give the opera its irresistible vitality, while Stuart Woolf's survey of the historical background reveals its political and nationalistic undertones.

Enriched by twenty-five archive photographs, a detailed thematic analysis, the original libretto with the facing literal translation and a section containing up-to-date discographical and bibliographical information, this guide will prove an invaluable companion for opera-goers and anyone wanting to delve deeper into the genesis, history and significance of Puccini's work.

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Overture Opera Guides: Tosca - Giacomo Puccini (A Dual-Language Book/Parallel Text Book) - About the Author:

Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) was born in Lucca into a family of musicians and composers. His operas, which include Tosca, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the international repertory.

Overture Opera Guides: Tosca - Giacomo Puccini (A Dual-Language Book/Parallel Text Book) - Reviews:

‘Neat little volumes they are, handy for carrying around, clearly printed and well set-out, complete with libretto and translation, discography and a generous selection of illustrations.’ Gramophone

'Brilliantly produced and superb value.' The Sunday Times

'The jolliest of bargains.' The Musical Times

'Marvellous... the best books of their kind.' Hugh Canning

‘The first thing noticeable about these initial items in the revamped Opera Guides series... is how much more solid and attractive these volumes are compared with the old ones. Production values are up, with more appealing design, clearer print and much better paper, making these books altogether more shelf-worthy.’

BBC Music Magazine