The Cambridge Companion to VerdiScott L. Balthazar Cambridge University Press, 2004 M11 18 - 336 pages This Companion provides a biographical, theatrical, and social-cultural background for Verdi's operas, examines in detail important general aspects of its style and method of composing, and synthesizes stylistic themes in discussions of representative works. Aspects of Verdi's milieu, style, creative process, and critical reception are explored in essays by highly reputed specialists. Like others in the series this Companion is aimed primarily at students and opera lovers. |
Contents
Verdis life a thematic biography | 3 |
The Italian theatre of Verdis day | 15 |
Verdi Italian Romanticism and the Risorgimento | 29 |
The forms of set pieces | 49 |
New currents in the libretto | 69 |
Words and music | 88 |
French influences | 111 |
Structural coherence | 139 |
Chhai di nuovo buffon? or Whats new with Rigoletto | 197 |
Verdis Don Carlos an overview of the operas | 209 |
Desdemonas alienation and Otellos fall | 237 |
An introduction to Verdis working methods | 257 |
Verdi criticism | 269 |
Notes | 282 |
309 | |
312 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aida Allegro aria ballet ballo in maschera baritone battaglia di Legnano Boito Budden Busseto cabaletta Cambridge Companion Cammarano characters chorus composer Conati concertato critical Desdemona dialogue Don Carlos dramatic duet ensemble Ernani example Falstaff finale flat forza del destino French Giovanni Giuseppe Giuseppe Verdi Hepokoski Il trovatore impresario Italian opera Italy Jago's La Scala La traviata Les vêpres siciliennes letter librettist libretto lines Luisa Miller lyric Macbeth major melody Milan musicale Nabucco Naples Nineteenth-century Italian Opéra orchestral Otello Ottocento Paris Parma pensiero performed Petrobelli phrases Piave play Posa premiere published Requiem revised Ricordi Rigoletto Risorgimento Roger Parker role Rossini Scala scena scene scenica score set pieces Simon Boccanegra singers slow movement solo song soprano stage stanzas Stiffelio Strepponi stretta Studi verdiani style syllables tempo d'attacco tempo di mezzo tenor theatre theme tonal trans traviata trovatore Venice vêpres siciliennes Verdi's operas verse vocal