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100 Great Operas and Their Stories


by Henry W. Simon

  • MUSIC
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 554 PAGES

A reference to 100 of the best-known operas. (MUS04, $17.95)

Aida in Full Score


by Giuseppe Verdi

  • MUSIC
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 437 PAGES

The full orchestral score of the great opera. (ITL153, $24.95)

Aida Libretto

Aida Libretto


by Antonio Ghislanzoni | Giuseppe Verdi

  • MUSIC
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 40 PAGES

The libretto to the great grand opera, in Italian and English. (ITL154, $5.95)

Alban Berg: Wozzeck


by Douglas Jarman

  • MUSIC
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

A thourogh study of the opera Wozzack. (MUS05, $48.00)

The Beggar's Opera


by John Gay | T.O. Treadwell

  • LITERATURE
  • 1987
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

Written in 1728, Gay's ballad opera is satirical look at 18th-century London. (GBR460, $11.00)

Cambridge Opera Handbook: Giuseppi Verdi, Falstaff


by James A. Hepokoski

  • MUSIC
  • 1984
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

A detailed guide to the history and composition of Verdi's Falstaff. (ITL263, $48.00)

Carmen and Other Stories


by Prosper Merimee | Nicholas Jotcham

  • LITERATURE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 361 PAGES

A collection of nine stories, including Carmen, memorably set in southern Spain -- and source for the Bizet opera of the same name. (FRN201, $13.95)

The Complete Operas of Mozart, A Critical Guide


by Charles Osborne

  • MUSIC
  • 1988
  • PAPER

This detailed study covers both the great masterpieces and the lesser-known works, incorporating biographical background, accounts of first performances and close analysis of both the music and the librettos. (MUS12, $17.95)

Encounters With Verdi


by Marcello Conati | Richard Stokes

  • MUSIC
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 472 PAGES

A collection of first hand accounts of experiences with Verdi. (MUS06, $24.50)

Falstaff, in Full Score


by Giuseppe Verdi | Arrigo Boito

  • MUSIC
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 480 PAGES

A reprint of the original, and complete, score of Giuseppe Verdi's "Falstaff." (ITL264, $26.95)

Gustav Mahler, The Symphonies


by Constantin Floros | Jutta Wicker | Vernon Wicker

  • MUSIC
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES

A thorough overview of Mahler's symphonies, covering their inspiration, history, composition, reception, and form. (MUS10, $19.99)

Leos Janacek, Kat'a Kabanova


by John Tyrell

  • MUSIC
  • 1982
  • PAPER
  • 252 PAGES

A selection of letters, early reviews and other documents on the opera's composition and its early performances. (MUS13, $53.00)

The Life of Verdi


by John Rosselli

  • MUSIC
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 204 PAGES

Part biography, part musical history, the life story and major operas of the 19th-century composer. (ITL447, $38.00)

Lucia di Lamermoor, Libretto in Italian & English


by Gaetano Donizetti | Salvatore Cammarano

  • MUSIC
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 36 PAGES

The libretto for Donizetti's opera, Lucia di Lamermoor, presented in Italian and English. (ITL266, $4.95)

The Magic of Opera


by J. Merrill Knapp

  • MUSIC
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 371 PAGES

An excellent introduction to opera. (GEN139, $18.95)

The Merry Wives of Windsor


by William Shakespeare

  • LITERATURE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 242 PAGES

This late Shakespearean comedy, supposedly written at the request of Queen Elizabeth I, provides the basic plot for Verdi's final masterpice, Falstaff. (GEN177, $10.95)

The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas


by John Freeman | Beverly Sills

  • MUSIC
  • 1997
  • HARD COVER
  • 1017 PAGES

A two-volume, boxed collection of the complete plots for 225 operas, authorized by the Metropolitan Opera. (NYC15, $50.00)

Mozart

Mozart


by Peter Gay

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 177 PAGES

This concise, entertaining portrait delves into Mozart's complex relationship with his father, his daunting role as a child prodigy and his exploration of new musical territory. (AST43, $14.00)

Opera 101, A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera

Opera 101, A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera


by Fred Plotkin | Placido Domingo

  • MUSIC
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 494 PAGES

A well-written introduction to opera, this volume includes a brief history of the art form, a guide to operatic terms and a review of 11 famous operas. (GEN175, $17.99)

The Penguin Concise Guide to Opera


by Amanda Holden

  • REFERENCE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 530 PAGES

An essential reference for the opera enthusiast. Well organized, with short descriptions of plots, characters, performances and historical background. (MUS01, $20.00)

The Queen of Spades


by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

  • MUSIC
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 800 PAGES

The full score of one of Tchaikovsky's most popular operas. (RUS219, $39.95)

Rossini


by Gaia Servadio

  • MUSIC
  • 2003
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES

An enlightening biography of the 19th-century Italian composer from his humble beginnings through his string of early successes and his years of depression and illness. (ITL486, $26.00)

Salome, In Full Score


by Richard Strauss

  • MUSIC
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A reprint of the original, and complete, score of "Salome." (GER80, $29.95)

Shostakovich, A Life Remembered


by Elizabeth Wilson

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 600 PAGES

An engaging biography of the composer Dmitri Shostakovich, drawing heavily on the accounts of his contemporaries. (RUS94, $30.95)

A Song of Love and Death, The Meaning of Opera


by Peter Conrad

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 381 PAGES

The pleasures and significance of opera. (GEN25, $16.00)

Twentieth Century Opera, A Guide


by George Martin

  • MUSIC
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 703 PAGES

A survey of 20th century opera. (MUS02, $25.00)

Valery Gergiev and the Kirov, A Story of Survival


by John Ardoin

  • MUSIC
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 296 PAGES

Both a sumptuously illustrated history of St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater (aka the Kirov) and a portrait of its enthusiastic and talented artistic director, Valery Gergiev. (RUS212, $34.95)

Verdi and his Operas


by Stanley Sadie | Roger Parker

  • MUSIC
  • 1999
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES

A compilation of relevant material from the New Grove Dictionary of Opera (ITL203, $24.95)

Verdi at the Golden Gate, Opera and San Francisco in the Gold Rush Years


by George Whitney Martin | Lotfi Mansouri

  • MUSIC
  • 1993
  • HARD COVER
  • 321 PAGES

A musical history of San Francisco in the 19th century. (SFO14, $55.00)

Verdi With a Vengeance, An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera

Verdi With a Vengeance, An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera


by William Berger

  • MUSIC
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 497 PAGES

Recommended for its breezy, opinionated overview of Verdi's life and work. (GEN170, $17.95)

Virgil Thomson, Composer on the Aisle


by Anthony Tommasini

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1997
  • HARD COVER
  • 605 PAGES

The life and music of the American composer by a New York Times music critic. (MUS22, $30.00)

Wagner Without Fear, Learning to Love-And Even Enjoy-Opera's Most Demanding Genius


by William Berger

  • MUSIC
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

Berger's delightful guide is invaluable in exploring the exotic world of opera's most controversial composer. Irreverent and readable, it helps to make Wagner accessible to even the greatest of skeptics. (GEN171, $16.95)

Wagner's Ring, Turning the Sky Round


by M. Owen Lee

  • MUSIC
  • 1994
  • PAPER

An introduction and analysis of Wagner's Ring Cycle. (MUS30, $12.99)

 

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.