Immerse yourself in more than 400 years of the world's most celebrated operas and discover the fascinating stories behind them. Explore the lives of singers such as Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, and Jonas Kaufmann. Meet composers like Mozart, Wagner, and Britten, and the librettists with whom they collaborated to create the magical blend of words and music that make up opera.
From its origins in the 17th-century courts of Italy to live screenings in public spaces today, Opera: The Definitive Story follows the history of opera from Monteverdi's L'Orfeo in 1607, to Cosi fan Tutte, La Bohème, and modern operas such as Brokeback Mountain. It explains musical terminology, traces historical developments, and sets everything in cultural context.
It also explores the great opera houses of the world, such as La Scala, Milan, the Met in New York, and the Sydney Opera House. Opera: The Definitive Story is the essential audiobook for anyone who wants to understand and enjoy the constantly evolving world of this beloved art form.
For 12 years, Alan Riding was the European cultural correspondent for the New York Times. He was previously bureau chief for the Times in Paris, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City. Riding is the author of And the Show Went On and Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans. He lives in Paris with his wife, Marlise Simons, a writer for the Times.
View titles by Alan Riding
Leslie Dunton-Downer received a PhD with Distinction in comparative literature from Harvard. She has served as a lecturer at her alma mater, and is a trustee of the Harvard Advocate and a member of the Society of Fellows. She was a 2014 fellow at the American Academy in Berlin. She is the coauthor, with Alan Riding, of DK’s Essential Shakespeare Handbook and Eyewitness Companions: Opera, and the author of The English Is Coming!: How One Language Is Sweeping the World.
View titles by Leslie Dunton-Downer
Immerse yourself in more than 400 years of the world's most celebrated operas and discover the fascinating stories behind them. Explore the lives of singers such as Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, and Jonas Kaufmann. Meet composers like Mozart, Wagner, and Britten, and the librettists with whom they collaborated to create the magical blend of words and music that make up opera.
From its origins in the 17th-century courts of Italy to live screenings in public spaces today, Opera: The Definitive Story follows the history of opera from Monteverdi's L'Orfeo in 1607, to Cosi fan Tutte, La Bohème, and modern operas such as Brokeback Mountain. It explains musical terminology, traces historical developments, and sets everything in cultural context.
It also explores the great opera houses of the world, such as La Scala, Milan, the Met in New York, and the Sydney Opera House. Opera: The Definitive Story is the essential audiobook for anyone who wants to understand and enjoy the constantly evolving world of this beloved art form.
For 12 years, Alan Riding was the European cultural correspondent for the New York Times. He was previously bureau chief for the Times in Paris, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City. Riding is the author of And the Show Went On and Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans. He lives in Paris with his wife, Marlise Simons, a writer for the Times.
View titles by Alan Riding
Leslie Dunton-Downer received a PhD with Distinction in comparative literature from Harvard. She has served as a lecturer at her alma mater, and is a trustee of the Harvard Advocate and a member of the Society of Fellows. She was a 2014 fellow at the American Academy in Berlin. She is the coauthor, with Alan Riding, of DK’s Essential Shakespeare Handbook and Eyewitness Companions: Opera, and the author of The English Is Coming!: How One Language Is Sweeping the World.
View titles by Leslie Dunton-Downer
