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Opera Biographies Lois Marshall: A Biography James Neufeld Although she called herself "just a singer," soprano Lois Marshall (1925-97) became a household name across Canada during her thirty-four-year career and remains one of the foremost figures in the history of Canadian music. This first-ever biography recounts her dazzling career and paints an intimate portrait of the woman, her childhood encounter with polio, and her complex relationship with her teacher and mentor, Weldon Kilburn. Softcover, 334 pp. $28.99. Life in Opera: Truth, Tempo, and Soul: Encounters with Stars, Innovators, and Leaders of Today's Opera World Maria-Cristina Necula Step behind the glory-and-glamour enchantment of grand opera with this candid look at life in the opera world. Life in Opera: Truth, Tempo, and Soul is a collection of encounters with great stars and personalities that shape and enhance the opera universe of today. Richard Wagner and His World Thomas S. Grey Richard Wagner aimed to be more than just a composer. He set out to redefine opera as a "total work of art" combining the highest aspirations of drama, poetry, the symphony, the visual arts, even religon and philosophy. Equally celebrated and vilified in his own time, Wagner continues to provoke debate today regarding his political legacy as well as his music and aesthetic theories. Richard Wagner and His World examines his works in dialogue with their intellectual and cultural contexts. Softcover, $32.95. Leonard Bernstein: The Political Life of an American Musician Barry Seldes This broadly accessible and impressively documented account of the celebrity maestro's life deepens our understanding of an entire era as it reveals important and often ignored intersections of American culture and political power. Hardcover, 276 pp. $32.95. Moreschi and the Voice of the Castrato Nicholas Clapton Alessandro Moreschi was known during his life as "The Angel of Rome" and is remembered as the only castrato singer of whom recordings survive. Historically he was the last representative of the centuries-old tradition of castrating boy singers in order to preserve the pitch of their voices into adulthood -- an act of cruelty that produced some of the greatest singers that the world has ever known. Behind the extraordinary sound of Moreschi's voice lay a strange lonely life lived in the shadow of great events and great institutions; this fascinating biography reveals a personality glimpsed through inference and allusion. Hardcover, 353 pp. $33.00. Pavarotti Up Close Leone Magiera This extraordinary biography, a unique account of Luciano Pavarotti's life viewed from a uniquely privileged standpoint, is the result of the close artistic and human bond between Leone Magiera and the great tenor. For the first time, these pages reveal the secrets behind a voice that is already a legend. Softcover, 222 pp. $24.95. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf: From Flower Maiden to Marschallin Kirsten Liese This homage to one of the greatest singers of the last century, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, is also a kaleidoscope of the opera world from the 1940s through the 1960s. Hardcover, 168 pp. $34.95. Challenges: A Memoir of My Life in Opera Sarah Caldwell Founder and long-time director of the Opera Company of Boston and the first woman to conduct the Metropolitan Opera, Sarah Caldwell was one of America's best known and most adverturous conductors and opera directors. This engaging biography is based on a series of interviews Rebecca Matlock conducted over a period of three years before Caldwell's death in 2006. This intimate memoir gives us Caldwell's perceptions in her own unique, indomitable voice. Hardcover, 239 pp. $34.95. Never Sang for Hitler: The Life and Times of Lotte Lehman Michael H. Kater Rather than a traditional biography, this book aims to be both a descriptive narrative of Lotte Lehman's life and a critical analysis of the interconnections of the artist and society. Michael H. Kater describes the varying phases of Lehmann's life, as well as the sociocultural settings in which she finds herself - whether in the Wilhemine Empire, the First Austrian Republic, Nazi Germany or the United States. Kater's use of Lehmann's personal and other papers reshapes much of what is known about her life and career. Hardcover, 394 pp. $36.95. The Toughest Show on Earth: My Rise and Reign at the Metropolitan Opera Joseph Volpe A fascinating, anecdote-filled, behind-the-scenes look at more than forty years of the highlights, successes, and day-to-day inner working -- all about productions, the divas, and backstage dramas - of New York's Metropolitan Opera House by Joseph Volpe, the only general manager to have risen through the ranks. The Toughest Show on Earth is the ultimate insider's chronicle of the art, personalities, productions, and politics of the Metropolitan Opera in our time. Softcover, 303 pp. $21.00. The Man Who Wrote Mozart: The Extraordinary Life of Lorenzo Da Ponte Anthony Holden Anthony Holden's marvelous biography gives a full account of the many lives and tall tales of Lorenzo Da Ponte- librettist of Mozart's three great operas, the Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutte - a great collaborator: the man who wrote Mozart. Softcover, 238 pp. $18.95. Mozart and his Operas David Cairns Here, David Cairns distils a lifetime of knowledge to tell Mozart's story afresh through some of his greatest works - the operas. From the early works to The Magic Flute, he shows us how Mozart's operas can deeply enrich our experience of his music as a whole, and transform our understanding of the man. Softcover, 290 pp. $20.00. The New Grove Guide to Mozart and his Operas Julian Rushton One of the best known and most admired figures in European music was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His short but colorful life is of enduring interest, and his works remain central to the repertories of classical music. This book gives a concise and scholarly account of Mozart's activities as a composer of operas. It includes a concise biography, orientated toward the operas; an essay on Mozart's operatic contribution and style; a separate synopsis and historical account of each opera; and three essays which bind into narrative form the dictionary entries on librettists, interpreters, and venues. There is a new introduction, a glossary of relevant terms, a list of operatic roles and a guide to listening. Softcover, 233 pp. $18.95. The New Grove Guide to Verdi and his Operas Roger Parker Here is a compact guide to Verdi's life and operas. Roger Parker has based this volume on articles in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, featuring up-to-date information on the life of Verdi, his works, librettists, and interpreters, and the places where his works have been performed. Parker compiled these meticulously researched articles into an organized narrative, designed to make finding information on Verdi as easy as possible without sacrificing readability. He has also added a new introduction, a new section on modern Verdi productions, and an up-dated bibliography. In addition, this marvelous resource includes a suggested listening guide and an eight-page insert containing relevant illustrations. Softcover, 252 pp. $18.95. Lorenzo Da Ponte: The Adventures of Mozart's Librettist in the Old and New Worlds Rodney Bolt In 1805, Lorenzo Da Ponte opened a grocery shop in New York. In the first forty years of his life he had converted from Judaism to Christianity, been a poet, priest, lover and libertine, a friend of Casanova, collaborator then enemy of Salieri, a favourite of Emperor Joseph II, and ultimately the librettist of three of Mozart's most sublime operas. This lively biography does full and entertaining justice to a larger-than-life character and a rich and captivating period in history. Softcover, 428 pp. $21.95. The New Grove Guide to Wagner and his Operas Barry Millington One of the most controversial figures in the history of ideas as well as music, Richard Wagner continues to stimulate debate whenever his works are performed. Drawing upon the scholarship of The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Barry Millington offers a concise, portable survey of Wagner's works, which will make a welcome addition to the shelf of anyone who loves opera. Softcover, 190 pp. $17.95. Placido Domingo and the Royal Opera Christina Franchi, editor Placido Domingo, one of the legendary opera singers of our time, is the subject of this first opera book in the Royal Opera House Heritage Series. This book illustrates all aspects of Domingo's work with The Royal Opera: in rehearsal, in performance, on the big screen, and backstage after galas. It also includes a selection of family photographs provided by the Domingos. Softcover, 133 pp. $50.00. Letters from a Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten: Volume 3, 1946-51 Donald Mitchell, Philip Reed & Mervyn Cooke This third volume of the annotated selected letters of composer Benjamin Britten covers the years 1946-51, during which he wrote many of hos best-known works, founded and developed the English Opera Group and the Aldeburgh Festival, and toured widely in Europe and the United States as a pianist and conductor. Hardcover, 758 pp. $76.95. Mozart: The Golden Years H.C. Robbins Landon The last decade of Mozart's short but amazingly prolific career counts as one of the most remarkable periods in the entire history of Western music. Softcover, 271 pp. $33.00. Back to top

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Puccini: Without Excuses William Berger In this witty and informative guide for beginners and fans alike, William Berger sets the record straight, reclaiming Puccini as a serious artist. Combining his trademark irreverent humour with passionate enthusiasm, Berger strikes just the right balance of introductory information and thought-provoking analysis. He includes a biography, discussions of each opera, a glossary, fun facts and anecdotes -- and above all, keen insight into Puccini's enduring power. Softcover, 471 pp. $23.00. Mozart: The Early Years, 1756-1781 Stanley Sadie This is the first comprehensive look -- in more than half a century -- at the life and works of the composer's formative period. Renowned music historian Stanley Sadie takes us on a fascinating trip from Mozart's earliest days as a musical prodigy through his years of endless travel displaying his talents and finally to his escape from Salzburg, the provincial town of his youth. In Mozart: The Early Years we gain a twenty-first-century perspective on the composer whose life was extraordinarily colorful and whose works are arguably the most listened-to classical compositions today. Hardcover, 644 pp. $49.00. Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life Robert Spaethling The purpose of this book is to present the reader of English a new translation of letters written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The letters are published here with annotations, commentaries, and introductions so as to place them within a biographical context and offer a chronicle of the composer's life as reflected in his correspondence. Spanning a period of over twenty years, the letters document, in Mozart's own words, his personal development and artistic growth, from his first journey to Italy, at age 13, to the final months of his life in Vienna. Softcover, 479 pp. $25.00. George Tsypin Opera Factory: Building in the Black Void George Tsypin Forget everything you think you know about contemporary theatre design. The explosive work of Russian-born George Tsypin is changing the way audiences see theatrical productions of all kinds, and it will alter the way you think about what you see on stage. This gorgeous volume shows Tsypin's works for the most important opera houses in the world, from New York's Metropolitan Opera to Milan's La Scala to Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater. Hardcover, 222 pp. $94.00. The Cambridge Companion to Verdi Scott L. Balthazar This companion provides an accessible biographical, theatrical, and social-cultural background for Verdi's music, examines in detail important general aspects of his style and method of composing, and discusses stylistic themes in reviews of representative works. Softcover, 336 pp. $52.95. The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer Renee Fleming One of the most celebrated talents in contemporary opera, soprano Renee Fleming has brought her consummately beautiful voice, striking interpretive talents, and compelling artistry to performances that have captivated audiences in opera houses and recital halls throughout the world. Her fans will adore this lumious self-portrait. Softcover, 222 pp. $21.00. Richard Wagner: The Last of the Titans Joachim Kohler In this rich biography, Joachim Kohler draws on social and political analysis, documentary interpretation and psychological insights to paint a rounded picture of Wagner as a controversial historical phenomenon, an extraordinary artist, and a complex human being. Hardcover, 688 pp. $60.00. A Book of Hours: Music, Literature, and Life A Memoir M. Owen Lee A Book of Hours is a departure for Father Lee: a personal memoir that draws together his three great loves -- opera, literature, and his vocation as a priest -- and recreates a year he spent teaching at an American college campus in Rome over a quarter century ago. Both inspiring and intimate, this beautifully crafted book provides a wealth of Father Lee's fascinating cultural and spiritual commentary. Softcover, 284 pp. $24.95. Back to top

Alma Rose: Vienna to Auschwitz Richard Newman & Karen Kirtley Alma Rose's tragic story, from her birth and youth in the exalted musical circles of Vienna to her death at Auschwitz, first came to public attention through the 1980 film Playing for Time. In this detailed and reverent biography, Richard Newman and Karen Kirtley honor her and the valiant prisoner-musicians for whom music meant life. Softcover, 407 pp. $35.95. Janacek and His World Michael Beckerman Banned for all purposes from the Prague stage until the age of 62, Leos Janacek's operas are now performed in dynamic productions around the globe. This volume brings together some of the world's foremost Janacek scholars to look closely at a broad range of issues surrounding his life and work as well as newly translated writings by the composer himself. Softcover, 316 pp. $32.95. Lorenzo Da Ponte: The Life and Times of Mozart's Librettist Sheila Hodges Three of the greatest operas ever written -- The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte -- join the exquisite music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with the perfectly matched libretti of Lorenzo Da Ponte. In this detailed biography of Da Ponte, it is revealed that the former priest, gambler, teacher, and poet lived a life far more extraordinary than any opera plot. Softcover, 274 pp. $29.95. Back to top

Niki Goldschmidt: A Life in Canadian Music Gwenlyn Setterfield Niki Goldschmidt is central to the story of Canada's international music presence in the second half of the twentieth century. In this engaging biography, Goldschmidt's prolific career is narrated in detail, with special attention given to his remarkable accomplishments: the founding of Canada's first opera school, the creation of festivals in Vancouver, Guelph, Algoma, and Toronto, and productions and tours across the country. Hardcover, 222 pp. $53.00. The Extraordinary Operatic Adventures of Blanche Arral Blanche Arral This memoir, by opera singer Blanche Arral, is an international adventure tale of a lifetime, complete with an intrepid heroine whom readers will love for her exhuberant temperment and irresistible charm. Hardcover, 352 pp. $39.95. Maria Callas: An Intimate Biography Anne Edwards Anne Edwards brings readers a revealing portrait of the hardships, loves, and triumphs of Maria Callas, the prima donna who continues to mesmerize the world even long after her death. An intimate and reverent biography. Softcover, 342 pp. $24.95.   Valery Gergiev and the Kirov: A Story of Survival John Ardoin The heroic story of the revival of the Kirov theatre in St. Petersburg, and of the man responsible, Valery Gergiev, is recounted in this glorious volume. Impeccably researched by acclaimed music journalist John Ardoin, this captivating story of genuine artistic triumph will be a delightful and inspiring read for anyone interested in the performing arts. Hardcover, 296 pp. $49.95. Maria Callas: The Woman Behind the Legend Arianna Huffington Legendary opera singer Maria Callas was a brilliant soprano adored for her staggering triumphs at La Scala, the Met, and Covent Garden. But behind her public facade, Callas wrestled with lifelong personal demons. Written with profound empathy, this richly detailed biography offers an illuminating portrait of one of the most talented and spellbinding women of our century. Softcover, 383 pp. $21.95. The Unknown Callas The Greek Years Nicholas Petsalis-Diomidis This award-winning book -- a biography of Maria Callas -- tells the story of the famed opera singer's seminal years in Athens, from 1937-1945. This rarely documented period in the singer's life is elucidated by Nicholas Petsalis-Diomidis, who conducted over 200 two hundred interviews with Callas's Greek friends and colleagues, and researched the Athenian archives extensively. Fans of music, opera, and the performing arts will be beguiled by this remarkable biography. Hardcover, 672 pp. $54.95. Puccini: His International Art Michele Girardi In what is certain to become the definative biography of Puccini, the life of the great composer is explored with rare insight and understanding. As well as describing the events of his life, author Michele Girardi does a commendable job of guiding the reader through the operas, act by act, clearly illustrating the consummate technique behind Puccini's art. Intelligent and comprehensive. Softcover, 530 pp. $65.99. Wagner: The Terrible Man and His Truthful Art M. Owen Lee The fact is Wagner's dramas plunge us through myth and music deep into ourselves, and what we discover there -- often primitive, frightening, vindictive, and erotic -- are the feelings that we who have constructive roles in society have suppressed. $16.95. Back to top

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Last modified June 19, 2010. Please note that all prices are in Canadian dollars. All prices are subject to change without notice.