Product Description
Here is the fully revised and updated edition of the most comprehensive single-volume opera encyclopedia ever published in paperback. Through hundreds of meticulously researched articles, The New Penguin Opera Guide brings to life nearly 2,000 operatic works by some 850 composers. From perennial favorites like Mozart and Wagner to contemporary composers like Adès and Reich, each article-written by a leading expert in the field-outlines the composer's operatic career and assesses his contribution to the genre. Every significant work has its own entry, with information about the libretto, duration, cast and orchestra, background, plot, and musical highlights. In addition to up-to-date bibliographic material on notable editions and publishers, selected recordings are featured to guide readers toward the best available versions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An also-ran in a competitive and rich market
This work, like a pro athlete on an off-day, turns out to be less than its glorious pedigree would suggest.It's okay, but nothing great.It's stuck in the in the no-man's land of opera guides for beginners and opera guides for long-time opera lovers, and as a consequence it will satisfy neither.

If you are new to opera, this book is a little bit too much, I feel.And if you've done a lot of reading about opera and/or listening to opera, this book won't have much new for you.To be honest, I was really disappointed.

Enough complaining.It's a perfectly sound, perfectly correct, perfectly sturdy guide.But too many other products are better.For beginning opera fan, read the Amazon.com reviews of Phil Goulding's "A Ticket to the Opera," the "Opera for Dummies" book, and Fred Plotkin's "Opera 101."For more advanced buffs, check out the reviews for Denis Forman's "A Night at the Opera."The multiple reviews will give you a good idea if one of those books would work for you.

It IS the best, but...
On the back of "The New Penguin Opera Guide", it quotes an endorsement from the Boston Globe--"...The best one-volume opera guide...".This is absolutely the truth!I haven't seen another one volume opera guide that doesn't shamefacedly pale before this one!It covers composers and operas the others don't even get close to.It also includes information that is really valuable to a dedicated opera nut like me, such as premier places and dates, the name of the publishers and whether a full score or only a vocal score has been published, and a list of recordings.

Does all this praise mean I don't have any gripes?Far from it!Some of my complaints may reflect my own operatic interests, but others really are flaws.My thing is late romantic opera, so I can only comment on areas that I know.

First of all, while they've wisely chosen a wide range of experts to write the descriptions of the composers and operas in question, some composers are treated with much greater sympathy than others of a similar historical importance.For instance, most of the German expressionists make out quite well.Zemlinsky (who's one of my favorite composers)is reviewed by Antony Beaumont, who not only knows about Zemlinsky (he's written an excellent biography), but completed the orchestration of his final opera!You could hardly expect Beaumont to say "'Konig Kandaules' sucks!"On the other hand, it's hard to find a single verismo composer, Puccini excepted, for whom the guide has much sympathy...Giordano "lacks resoursefulness and inventiveness".Mascagni's creative impetus was "short-breathed and lacked continuity".Zandonai showed "dangerous signs of repeating himself".Montemezzi was a "relatively minor, conservative composer", who's later works are "disappointing...unassuming, and unadverterous".You get the idea.The guide also gives far more weight to modernist and recent works than their performance histories seem to justify, while neglecting important works by expressionist, verismo, and American romantic composers.Alfano's "Cyrano de Bergerac", which has two available recordings, and upcoming productions starring Roberto Alagna and Placido Domingo, doesn't have an entry.Neither do the operas of American composers Victor Herbert or Deems Taylor, though they were of some historical importance, and Taylor's works were popular successes.Henry K. Hadley, who's "Cleopatra's Night" was successful at the Met, isn't even included in the book.It also lacks a meaningful table of contents.

These things aside, this is a must have title for the serious opera fan.The CD-rom version of this book has even more information as well as some sound samples and more pictures.

Wonderful
Years ago, I found a copy of "The Viking Opera Guide" on the shelves of a large bookstore. I was astonished by how superior it was to every other opera book I'd ever seen. I looked at the back and was discouraged by the price: .... But the book was so great I would have bought it anyhow, except the book was not in very good condition and I'm a stickler on that point. So I investigated a little further, and quickly discovered that the book was out of print! Why on earth, I wondered, since it was so obviously superior to any other book its size in print?

At any rate, I decided not to buy it, thinking that it was so good that another edition must be forthcoming. I waited a couple months to no avail. I broke down and decided to buy the soiled copy in the bookstore if it was still there. No such luck!

Now this "New Penguin Opera Guide" comes out, which is an abridgement of the original. I looked it over in a bookstore and saw immediately that it was just wonderful, albeit missing at least a third of the entries in the original Viking book. Nevertheless, at the level of my interest (complete works of Handel and Janacek, for example, but not some of the more obscure opera composers), it seemed to fulfil my craving for the original Viking book. So I bought it and I am greatly satisfied with it.

Still, my curiosity about the original Viking book remains. I searched Amazon for used copies. Imagine my dismay when I saw that the cheapest used example now goes for [price]! It is a collector's item priced considerably higher than its original price! So you can still get the original Viking in the used book market, but if the cost exceeds your means, this "New Penguin Opera Guide" is a worthy paperback substitute. It is a heavy volume printed on high quality paper and loaded with B&W photographs. It far exceeds its predecessor, "The Penguin Opera Guide" published in 1995. That also is an abridgement of the Viking, but it only contains about 25% of the original text and is printed on light-weight, poor quality paper. Nevertheless, what there is of the text of that edition is worthy, and it is light and small enough to stick it away on a trip to the opera. Not so this New edition, which is way too heavy and big to hide away in your coat pocket. For just browsing at home, I reiterate: it is wonderful -- until and if the original Viking is reprinted in its entirety. ... Read more

Product Description
The bewildering world of opera made manageable

Covering the most popular and most performed operas from the earliest classics to the present day, this concise edition of The New Penguin Opera Guide is an ideal reference for anyone who is entranced by opera, whether aficionado or novice.

• Explores the operatic careers of all the great composers
• Describes their operas in detail
• Notes the best recordings ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Think twice.
This "concise" edition of the significantly bulkier and heavier "New Penguin Opera Guide" (2001) includes no illustrations and covers "only" 250 operas (instead of the the other edition's roughly 2000 operas, not to mention 750 additional composers). Of course, the 250 works that ARE covered here include virtually all of the operas commonly performed. (But this edition does omit perhaps a handful of "borderline-popular" titles such as Belioz' "La damnation de Faust.")

Considering that this "concise" edition can be bought from Amazon's third-party sellers at a dirt-cheap price, it's a pretty good deal. But, whatever you do, don't pay the full retail price (of roughly $16). Heck, you could find a nice-condition copy of the unabridged "New Penguin Opera Guide" costing no more than that if you do some searching.

Of course, if neither "price" nor "compactness" is any concern to you, why even consider this edition? (Spend more and GET more!)

Finally, also be aware that perhaps the best (most comprehensive) single-volume "opera and composer encyclopedia" of them all is the original, 1993 version of "The New Penguin Opera Guide," which was titled "The Viking Opera Guide." That "Viking" edition (typically rather pricey in the used-book market!) has darker (easier-to-read) text and many more illustrations than its circa-2001 successor. Moreover, it covers somewhat more of the older composers and operas. [For more details, see my Amazon review (06-15-2007) of "The New Penguin Opera Guide."] ... Read more

Product Description
Easy piano picture book, storybook format, with beautiful color drawings, and easy arrangements of music highlights. This stunning new book offers a fresh, imaginative and lively interpretation of the enchanting story of Mozart's classic opera. The magical atmosphere is superbly captured in Robin Richmond's dramatic paintings. This is a book as much for adult lovers of this masterpiece as it is for children, and is an excellent gift item. ... Read more

Product Description
The most comprehensive single-volume opera reference ever published in paperback, this guide is an essential resource for enthusiasts and beginners alike. More than 150 composers are profiled, and there are entries on more than 450 operas, providing details of the cast, a discussion of the work's background, plot synopsis, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

inferior to the updated version
Amazon sent me this by mistake. What I really wanted was the NEW Penguin Opera Guide, which is vastly superior with twice as many pages and higher quality paper with lots of B&W photographs. It also weighs a ton compared to this lightweight. Make sure you get the new edition, unless you want something lightweight to take with you to the opera. What is here, however, is fine, just not nearly as complete as the new edition.

The best opera reference book currently available.
Let's put it simple. If it is not in Viking, you have to do quite specialized research to find it. ... Read more

Product Description
A detailed guide to operas, arranged alphabetically by composer, discusses monodies, masques, and grand, tragic, and comic operas, modern music dramas, operettas, and musicals and features contributions from musicologists, critics, musicians, and other experts. 10,000 first printing. $15,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Indispensible Reference Work
This is my favorite opera guide and general reference.It contains brief biographies of the composers, detailed but not overly long synopsis of the plot, given act by act, a brief overview of the performance history, a critical appraisal of the opera itself, and a very thoughtful discographydemonstrating excellent musical taste.The work is presentedalphabetically by composer, and chronologically by work for each composer. The writing style is clear, advanced but not pedantic, and should beaccessible to beginners as well as to opera buffs.As if this weren'tenough, there are historic photographs of key performances throughout theyears.

The vision of opera is open-minded and broad.Porgy and Bess ishere.So is Gilbert and Sullivan.When an opera exists in differentmanuscript versions, such as Verdi's Don Carlo or Simon Boccanegra, allvariations are discussed.

Since opera is somewhat expensive to collect,listeners will want to have some guidance as to which recordings topurchase.Here the Viking Guide is particularly good.Many of thesuggested recordings are selected by Alan Blyth, author of Opera on Recordand Opera on CD (both very highly recommended, by the way), as well as longtime reviewer for Gramophone magazine.I don't always rank recordingsexactly as Blyth does, but I find his taste to be the most reliable of anyof the critics whom I follow.

This volume was originally published in1993, but is now very hard to find.The publishers have printed anabridged version under the Penguin Guide series.I understand they arealso coming out with a CD-ROM version of the full Viking Guide. I cansafely recommend both these alternative versions as well as my trustyhardcover version.

There are other valuable opera guides.The seriespublished by Norton of the Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera andto Opera Plots is excellent.But for a single volume reference work,nothing surpasses the Viking Guide.Amanda Holden and her team have done asplendid job.

Very highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an Englishactress who is well known for her role as Sarah Trevanionon Wild at Heart, her marriage to Family Fortunes presenterLes Dennis and for being a judge on Britain's Got Talent. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Alumni of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Connie Fisher, Denise Welch, Amanda Holden, Nick Moran, Ken Stott, Gareth Hunt, Michael French, Kai Owen, Paul Cattermole, Calvin Dean, Eddie Marsan, Julie Atherton, Douglas Henshall, Jon Robyns, Glynis Barber, Elizabeth Bower, Thomas Aldridge, Kelly Adams, Kathryn Prescott, Hannah Jane Fox, Oliver Thornton, Mina Anwar, Andrew Lynford, Don Gilet, Vineeta Rishi, Callum Blue, Sally Whittaker, Marcus Gilbert, Rikki Chamberlain, Leanne Jones, Sabrina Aloueche, Helen Latham. Excerpt: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts is an independent drama school situated in the Wood Green area of North London. It was founded in 1945 by Peter Coxhead and Ralph Nossek as 'The Mountview Theatre Club', an amateur repertory company staging a new production for a six-day run every second week . Among the club's achievements were Coxhead's staging of Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra, a production of the complete Arnold Wesker Trilogy - Chicken Soup with Barley, Roots and I'm Talking about Jerusalem directed by Peter Scott-Smith - and Buttered Both Sides, a revue written and composed by Mountview member Ted Dicks and directed by Gale Webb, which later transferred to the Fortune Theatre in London's West End. In the early 1970s, the amateur group was ousted by premises freeholder Coxhead to allow his new commercial theatre school unimpeded access to the theatre and its ancillary facilities. The school's courses are accredited by the National Council for Drama Training. The degree courses are also validated by the University of East Anglia The main full-time courses include a 3-year B.A. Hons. in Musical Theatre or Acting, and a 2-year degree in Production Arts. Mountview also offers 1-year Postgraduate Diploma an... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=7030791 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Connie Fisher, Denise Welch, Amanda Holden, Nick Moran, Ken Stott, Gareth Hunt, Michael French, Kai Owen, Paul Cattermole, Calvin Dean, Eddie Marsan, Julie Atherton, Douglas Henshall, Jon Robyns, Glynis Barber, Elizabeth Bower, Thomas Aldridge, Kelly Adams, Kathryn Prescott, Hannah Jane Fox, Oliver Thornton, Mina Anwar, Andrew Lynford, Don Gilet, Vineeta Rishi, Callum Blue, Sally Whittaker, Marcus Gilbert, Rikki Chamberlain, Leanne Jones, Sabrina Aloueche, Helen Latham. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 118. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Connie Fisher (born 17 June 1983) is a British actress and singer, who won the BBC One talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Fisher was delighted to be named Maria: "I feel on top of the world, thanks very much. I won't let you down. Every night will be an opening night. Thanks for making my dreams come true." On 15 November 2006, she opened to excellent reviews in the part of Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music in the West End, London on a six-month contract, which was extended until 23 February 2008. She resumed the role of Maria in The Sound of Music UK tour starting in July 2009. Fisher was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and is daughter of a British Army Royal Corps of Signals major. Fisher lived in Dorset, England until the age of six, when she moved to a village near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. She attended Hayscastle Junior School, and then went on to Sir Thomas Picton School. She is a fluent Welsh speaker and during the final weeks of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? she recorded several interview pieces for Radio Cymru. During her teenage years she was a member of Haverfordwest Operatic Society where she performed in The Pirates of Penzance and played Nellie Forbush in South Pacific. She...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=7020278 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Amanda Holden, Hugh Fisher, John Gunner, Arthur Hutchins, Charles Gunner, Francis Moryson. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 24. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English actress and presenter. Among her roles are Mia Bevan in Cutting It, Sarah Trevanion in Wild at Heart, and the title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award. She is one of the judges on Britain's Got Talent, and has presented a range of other one-off TV shows. She is married to record producer Chris Hughes, and she has one daughter. Her marriage to Family Fortunes presenter Les Dennis ended in divorce in 2003. Holden was born in Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire. She was brought up in the village of Waltham Chase, by her mother Judith Mary Harrison and stepfather Leslie Drew Collister. She joined the Bishop's Waltham Little Theatre Company when she was nine, and credits Angie Blackford as influential in her early stage career. When she was 16 the family moved to Bournemouth and ran a small B ... Read more

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With the values and aims of The Prince’s trust in mind over 50 of the nation’s favourite celebrities were asked “Who is your role model, and what would you cook for them if they came round for dinner?” The result is a fantastic collection of recipes, and an intriguing (indeed often surprising) insight into the role models that have influenced our celebrities on their road to success. With contributions from celebrities such as Jean-Christophe Novelli, Gary Lineker, Lorraine Kelly, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Prime Minister David Cameron, it makes for an interesting read!The full list of celebrities who have contributed to this book is as follows:Wale Adeyemi, MBE; Ben Ainslie, CBE; Jane Asher; Sasha Behar; Lynda Bellingham; Calum Best; Boris Johnson; Mark Blundell; Frank Bruno, MBE; David Cameron; Richard E Grant; Pat Cash; Jaspar Corbett; Dean Edwards; Richard Farleigh; Craig Fitzgibbon; David and Carrie Grant; Christine Hamilton; Ainsley Harriott; Amanda Holden; Sir David Jason; Peter Jones, CBE; Sadie Kaye; Lorraine Kelly; Felicity Kendal, CBE; Jemma Kidd; Helen Lederer; Gary Lineker; Kenny Logan; Bill Nighy; Liz McClarnon; Danny McGuire; Sophie Michell; Michelle Mone, OBE; Anton Mosimann, OBE; Jean-Christophe Novelli; Sasha Parker and Korin Nolan; Tricia Penrose; Jo Pratt; Leon Pryce; Michael Reimenschneider; William Roache, MBE; Nicholas Owen; Levi Roots; Zoe Salmon; Arnold Schwarzenegger; William Simons; Kevin Sinfield; Sinitta; Carol Smillie; John Stapleton; Andy Street; Hayley Tamaddon; Danny Wallace; Pete Waterman, OBE; Stephen Webster; Kevin Whately; Toyah Willcox; Richard Wilson, OBE; Kim Woodburn; Patrick Woodhead; Antony Worrall Thompson.
... Read more

Product Description

James Farquharson MacLeod was a giant figure in the early history of the Canadian West.The remarkable product of a very remarkable cultural background:from family origins in the Scottish highlands to the colonial experience of the vast Canadian prairies, the life of this unique and enterprising individual is also an account of Canada's character and origins.The Red River Colony, the North-West Mounted Police, the native peoples, whiskey traders and intrepid pioneers, all feature in this compelling narrative tale of a great Scottish-Canadian hero.

Product Description
'One of the topics for admiring comment was the new translation by Amanda and Anthony Holden. It is witty, crisp as crackling, every bit as clever as it needs to be and--an extremely rare tribute in London--had the audience laughing at lines as much as it was applauding the performances. I hear the new translation may well be published; if it is, buy it.'Melvyn Bragg, PunchNota bene: this translation was first performed in 1985. ... Read more

Product Description
A CD-ROM guide to opera that includes music, text, pictures and maps relating to all operatic forms. The system requirements are: 486 or Pentium processor; double-speed or faster CD-ROM drive; Windows 3.1 or later (including Windows 95); 8MB RAM and 4MB hard disk space; 256 colour SVGA monitor; 8 or 16 bit Sound Blaster; speakers or headphones; mouse. ... Read more