W W Norton has been for many year the staple of music students and teachers everywhere. Their classical scores are clear, and easy to follow. It would, therefore, be odd if their libretti didn't match their usually high standards of excellence. This one, obviously, did. The translations are clear, yet poetic, and still easy to follow. A completely worthwhile buy.

This is the very first book i read about Giuseppe Terragni in which gave me a lot of informations. It has a very organized content which briefed out Terragni's background history, his architecture, his thought, his personal life, his works and his influence to the whole Italian architecture and expecially at the period of rationalism.

It also very much inspired me about the relationship with one of the famous contemporary architect----Peter Eisenman.

It is a very well written book, very easy to follow and understand.

The book starts with the arrival of Verdi in Venice in 1882. The Maestro suffers from a creative paralysis, AIDA seemed to mark the end of his era and his career as opera composer. In town he is confronted with the success of his antidote, Richard Wagner, who is in town and who's melodramas are given at La Fenice. No other writer than Werfel, a master of German prose and gifted with a breathtaking imagination, is more qualified to give us a profound glimpse into Verdi's psyche and the causes for his re-emergence from despair with OTELLO. Werfel who translated many of Verdi's operas into German, edited a collection of letters of the composer and used to surprise his friends with perfectly sung Tenor arias from DON CARLOS, RIGOLETTO or TRAVIATA, paints a lucid picture of Venice and its society in the 1880ties interwoven with 240 years of opera history. Highly recommended for all opera lovers (even or especially for Wagnerians).

Review based on the German edition (1992).

A collection of Di Lampedusa's writings aside from his great novel. The memoirs of the author's youth in aristocratic Sicily are delightful to read; clearly the atmosphere of the Leopard was taken from Di Lampedusa's own life. The stories are also quite good. The literary criticism is somewhat out of place, in my opinion, alongside a collection of narrative. If you liked the Leopard, this is definitely worth reading.

Everybody has to read this book, especially the siren, this story collect all the dreams of a man, and let us to think that when we find the right woman, the right love, we can't forget it, we can't substitute it, we can't hide it to ourselves.The author with a very simple story express the meaning of the love, the pure love...read it, I can just tell you this...and you'll dream...you'll smile

I think that everybody has to read this book, especially the siren, this story collect all the dreams of a man, and let us to think that when we find the right woman, the right love, we can't forget it, we can't substitute it, we can't hide it to ourselves.The author with a very simple story express the meaning of the love, the pure love...read it, I can just tell you this...and you'll dream...you'll smile.

Viva Verdi is the opera lover's response to this magisterial work by Phillips-Matz. Her years of research has produced a detailed life of Verd. The author traces the family lineage of Verdi in Bussetto, chronicles the genesis of his operatic masterpieces and delves into the private life of the greatest Italian opera composer of the nineteenth century.
I dove into this huge book during Christmas 2002. The book will immerse you in the life of the complicated composer detailing his relationships, his tragedies and triumphs. The book
is essential to anyone interested in knowing more about Verdi and his times. The book is not easy reading but is worthwhile for the time it takes to peruse it. Viva Phillips-Matz on a superb biography!

I have just finished reading this book. It was my intention to get the bits and pieces I have been taught over the years about Verdi together in order to teach a short course on him in January 2000. It has done so much more. If you're looking for a book that details the opera plots and offers translations of the librettos, this isn't it. But if you're looking for a great summary of what we know about this truly great man, his friends and enemies, his work habits, his interests in farming and charity, the gestation and difficult birth of his operas and other words -- and what we *don't* know, things that might still be discovered -- you've come to the right place. It has NEVER taken me so long to read a book because the pages are so densely detailed. That being said, I am very glad that I did. VERY glad. Here is a hero for the ages, pace his operas.

I can't imagine a more complete collection of information about Verdi's long and productive life. Phillips-Matz captures the feeling of mid-century Italy and among other things she shows how Verdi became a hero in the movement culminating in Italian statehood. Viva Verdi!

A slowly crumbling dynasty. An erratic leader. A turbulent political landscape. Giuseppe Lampedusa's The Leopard takes the reader through the political revolution in Italy during the 1860s through the lens of an aging Sicilian prince. The prince, Don Fabrizio, is a tragic character whose struggle evokes many different emotions that will be interesting to most readers. Don Fabrizio's response to the instability highlights the complexities of leadership and hierarchy. The book is a good leisure read for anyone who likes historical fiction.

I approached The Leopard with high expectations which were thoroughly satisfied. The novel, apparently based on the life of di Lampedusa's great-grandfather, is the story of a proud, sensual, Sicilian aristocrat at the time of Italy's Risorgimento (1860 or thereabouts), and his reaction to the changes he sees in his society: mainly the inevitable, indeed necessary, but still in some ways regrettable displacement of the aristocracy from their traditional position. The title character is a wonderful creation, and the lesser characters about him (his wife and children, his favorite nephew, the Jesuit priest Father Pirrone, and so on), are also very elegantly depicted. The Sicilian countryside, and telling details of social life at that time period, are also fascinating elements of the book. And finally, the prose is wonderful, and this translation seems very good, save for just a couple mild moments of clunkiness.

The Leopard is the story of Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salina, at the time of the main action a man in his forties, with several children. He is a sort of benevolent tyrant in his household, a man of a very old family, accustomed to knowing his place and to having those about him know their places. The Prince is also a man of great sensual appetites, careless with his money (though not wasteful or dissolute), politically knowledgeable but completely apolitical in action, and also an amateur astronomer of some note.

When the story opens, the Risorgimento is ongoing, but it is clear that it will be ultimately successful, and that the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies will be absorbed into the newly unified, somewhat more democratic, Italy. Don Fabrizio, out of loyalty, is nominally supportive of the old regime, but he realistically stays out of the conflict. His favorite nephew, Tancredi, the penniless but charismatic son of his sister, is an ardent supporter of Garibaldi (leader of the revolution).

Several long chapters, separated by months, follow the progress of the Risorgimento at a distance, and more closely follow events which impinge directly on Don Fabrizio's life, yet which reflect the coming societal changes. These include the plebiscite to confirm popular support for the unification of Italy, his nephew Tancredi's love affair and eventual marriage to the daughter of a wealthy but decidedly lower class neighbor, his daughter's reaction to the attentions of a friend of Tancredi's, and Father Pirrone's visit to his home village. Finally, the action jumps forward some decades to the Prince's death, in a very moving and beautiful chapter, then still further forward to the household of his unmarried daughters in their old age.

The events of the story tellingly illustrate both the changing face of society and also the nature of Sicilian society in general. At another level, the Prince's aging and death, and his knowledge of his own mortality, echo the senescence of his class. Loving descriptions of the Prince's homes, of his meals, of balls, of hunting, of peasant life, of politics both at the Prince's level and at the level of the peasants, of the attitude of churchmen towards their flock (especially Father Pirrone's toleration but not approval of his friend's sensual escapades) are laced throughout the novel. Moreover, the Prince himself is a truly compelling, charismatic character, full of faults but an admirable man nonetheless. Also, the narrator's voice is often with us, ironically, often even cynically, commenting on the expectations of the characters and both their failings and the failings of "real life" to meet their expectations, but, though sad, the voice is never bitter.

The grace and power of this story could be quite overwhelming if it weren't for the cleverness we all adopt while reading it, so that at its end, we are neither shocked nor saddened, but rather challenged to take up our own pathetic cudgels and go at the world ourselves. Or not. A beautful tale.

In the anals of music, the Requiem mass is by far the most beautiful of all vocal/orchestral pieces. Verdi's Requiem is no exception.
A unique element of this Requiem is it's theatrics; his use of varying volumes in rapid succession and a grandiloquent choral score can startle the unprepared music lover. Indeed, Verdi's Requiem is almost a dramatic opera rather than a plea to God for the soul of the dead.

All in all it is a very good, easy to read score. It could be excellent if: 1. The publisher included the rehearsal numbers that are found in the parts.

2. The few errors were repaired. These errors are as follows: In number 1, measure 71, vocal parts should be double dotted. Vocal parts in mm 73 and 74 should be dotted. This error reoccures in other similar passages. In number 4 m135 there should be a fermata.

Otherwise this is a great score.

The editorial comments made by Kurt Soldan are helpful. They are found in German and English. These, I understand, are from the original Peters score.

Dr. RW

This score of Verdi's greatest work is basically the full score and nothing else. The score begins with the instrumentation, a translation of the German terms, and then the music. The notes are easily visible and the score is arranged perfectly. If you're looking for some serious in depth commentary and analysis of the Requiem you might want to turn elsewhere. But for theory students, interested musicians, or just casual listeners who want to see how Verdi did it, this is the copy for you. An excellent buy especially at this incredible price.

WARNING WARNING...do not expect too much from this book if you are a fan of Elton John's Broadway musical and not the actual opera. I found this book in the library shortly after seeing the traveling version of the new "Aida" (it was AWESOME) and, while the book does have gorgeous pictures and the story is told from the point of view of someone who practically lives in Aida's shoes, I was disappointed with the overall story. It was completely unlike the show I saw. I realize that the opera and the Broadway show are totally different. However, I found this book to be confusing and was unimpressed by the sloppy style of the writing...loved the musical, though!!

I read this book and marvelled at the incredible illustrations. I'm a teacher, so I shared it with my young students. They didn't understand everything, but they sure did appreciate the artwork and story line. I'm buying it again as a gift for my niece's 12th birthday. She is obsessed with Egypt and Egyptian subjects. The Aida Broadway production recently came through Austin at the Bass Concert Hall, but we were unable to attend. This truly is the next best thing. When read correctly, it pleases the senses so much more (or as much as to some people) than hearing the production.

I was only about 10 or 11 when my PATS class was studying the arts. I was given this book as a gift, and brought it to the class. The teacher then got the information from my book to buy it for herself. To this very day I have an appreciation for the arts, and especially Aida. Even though I cannot find my book, I still have the cover, and the memories. The tale is beautifully written, and the exceptional artwork in my opinion should be enlarged and framed. I recommend this beautiful book as a teaching tool for young students.

Rigoletto is a wondeful opera that can be used as an introduction for beginners who want to explore the art of operas. Although I like the concept of Black Dog Opera Library that provides an attractive book and recording of a famous opera in a bargain price, I cannot recommend this book of Rigoletto. The major drawback lies in the recording that accompaies this book. I would say it is probably the most disappointing Rigoletto ever recorded by big names in the opera world.

I've always enjoyed opera music but I had trouble understanding the words and the plot. This guide gives some background on the Opera's Composer (Verdi), some historical background as well as a brief but interesting summation of the plot. The two CD's that accompany the book provide the complete audio of the opera. (Beverly Sills in the Gilda role and Sherrill Milnes in the role of Rigoletto) The Libretto provides the text of the opera both in Italian and English. I enjoyed this guide so much that I am hoping to collect the whole series.

What is the cast? And could somebody tell me if it contains sheet-music? And if it contains it is for piano or vocal?

Viva Verdi! William Berger provides a useful guide to all of the Verdi operas from the obscure "Oberto" to the classic comedic masterpiece "Falstaff" which closed the operatic master's oeuvre.
Berger's book is similar to the treatment he earlier applied to Richard Wagner in his " Wagner Without Fear." This means:
a. Succinct but on target plot summaries of all Verdi's operas including the Verdi Requium.
b. Brief chapters on the staging of Verdi's operas; Verdi's works on CD and outstanding books on the Busseto genius for anyone wanting to know more about the King of Italian lyrical opera.
Berger's work is worthwhile reading for the operatic novice or the veteran opera fan who wants to brush up on the labyrinthal plot of "Il Trovotore" or explore how Verdi's music has been used as soundtrack for motion pictures.
Berger's book on Verdi is a treat for everyone enjoying opera who also relishes good writing done with wit, charm and panache! I eagerly await a similar guide on Puccini which I have learned is in the works from the pen of Berger! Highly recommended!

This short guide to Verdi's life and works is in indispensable gem for anyone wanting to learn more about Italy's greatest operatic composer! Berger gives a succincly informative sketch of the complex composer's life. He adds chapters on Verdi books, CD'S, Videos, staging of Verdi operas and a helpful glossary of operatic terms.
The most helpful and longest part of the book deals with a brief synopsis of each opera in the Verdian canon from the obscure "Oberto" to the Master's final comic masterpiece "Falstaff." Berger lists the characters of each opera, makes witty comments on the big arias and scenes in each opera and also provides historical information on the production of each opera.
I had earlier read Berger's excellent "Wagner Without Fear" and was so impressed with his writing that I eagerly turned to Berger's guide to Verdi. I understand he is now working on a similar guide to the life and operas of Puccini which will be received by this reviewer with gratitude.
If you are a novice to operatic enjoyment or a seasoned Verdian
this work will be a delight. I highly recommend it for your consideration!

Unlike another reviewer, what I really like about "Verdi with a Vengeance" is that it discusses ALL of Verdi's operas, even the early and/or less frequently performed operas. I especially like the "what to listen for" aspects, and also that it is informal and personal. I also like his discussion of different recordings and what he likes about them. I am a real Verdi-phile, and I love this little book. Only four stars because it's little and the discussions are brief. I could read a BIG book about Verdi.