Verdi With a Vengeance by William Berger

Verdi With a Vengeance by William Berger

Everything you could possibly know about Verdi and his operas, from the brilliant and humorous author of Wagner Without Fear.

If you want to know why La traviata was actually a flop at its premiere in 1853, it's in here.If you want to know why claiming to have heard Bjorling's Chicago performance of Il trovatore is the classic opera fan faux pas, it's in here.Even if you just want to know how to pronounce Aida, or what the plot of Rigoletto is all about, this is the place to look.From the composer's intense hatred of priests to synopses of the operas and a detailed discography of the best recordings to buy, it can all be found in Verdi with a Vengeance.William Berger has given another improbable performance, serving up a book as thorough as it is funny and as original as it is astute, an utterly indispensable guide for novice and expert alike.

William Berger was born in California and attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studied Romance languages and music. He spent five years with the San Francisco Opera Company, where he was in charge of acquiring recorded music for the company's collection and translating for visiting artists. He has taught language at New York City's Baruch College. He worked on James Skofield's text for The Dracula Diaries, an opera with Robert Moran's music, and he recently finished the libretto for Patrick Barnes' The Wolf of Gubbio. Mr. Berger is currently based in New York, where he is working on Karajan's Wake, a performance piece.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780375705182
ISBN 10	037570518X
Title	Verdi With a Vengeance
Author	William Berger
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Random House USA Inc
Year published	2000-09-12
Number of pages	512
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.