Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) began his career at the end of the Romantic period and his death signaled the end of the last major age of Italian opera. During his lifetime and in posterity, the composer's popularity surpassed that of his peers, and three of his works — La bohéme, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly — rank among the twenty-first century's ten most-performed operas. With their enchanting melodies, exotic subjects, and realistic plots, Puccini's operas continue to speak to the minds and hearts of listeners.This comprehensive exploration of Puccini's most beloved operas presents concise and entertaining overviews of the composer's works. In addition to exploring the poignant stories that inspired the operas, the guide elaborates on their musical and dramatic content. Part musical analysis and part interpretation, this book is above all a personal appreciation. In addition to offering an ideal companion for opera devotees, the accessible treatment forms an excellent introduction for novices.

Puccini: A Listener's Guide (Dover Books on Music and Music History)

Arts & Photography

Young, John Bell

Music

Dover Publications

"Elegant, thought-provoking, often outrageous but always stimulating, this book will fascinate those who know a lot about Brahms as well as those who know little." — Stephen Hough, pianist and composer.Hailed in his lifetime as Beethoven's successor and a powerful symbol of musical classicism, Johannes Brahms was nonetheless a controversial figure in a world infatuated with the bold new directions taken by Wagner and Liszt. Today Brahms' stature is unassailable, and his works remain staples of the repertoire in each of the many genres in which he composed.This engaging survey of Brahms' music covers his major orchestral, choral, and piano music, culminating in a discussion of the ever-popular German Requiem. Author John Bell Young, a concert pianist and music critic, offers an astute commentary on many facets of the composer's life, including the attitudes of Brahms' contemporaries and his complex romantic relationships. Readers will find this volume an accessible guide to the great composer's compelling music, placed within the context of his era and environment.

Brahms: A Listener's Guide (Dover Books On Music: Composers)

Composer, bon vivant, pianist, teacher, superstar showman, raconteur, writer, entrepreneur, ladies' man, philanthropist, and priest, Franz Liszt is widely viewed today not only as a great composer, but also as the greatest pianist of the 19th century. Yet his enormous body of piano music, by turns poetic, glittering, acrobatic, prophetic, profound, and haunting, failed to command the acclaim it deserved in his lifetime. In Liszt, John Bell Young takes a close look at this opulent music, illuminating its many facets and challenges from a pianist's engaged perspective. HIGHLIGHT • Never-before-released recordings of five extraordinary young pianists are included on an accompanying CD

Liszt: A Listener's Guide (Unlocking the Masters)

Humor & Entertainment

Amadeus

(Unlocking the Masters). In this survey of Brahm's music, John Bell Young explores in depth the composer's private world of musical intimacies that infuriated Wagner, but inspired Schumann, Schoenberg, and millions of music lovers for generations to come. He also addresses a controversial issue long-neglected by biographers and critics: Did Brahms sire an illegitimate child, and in the absence of concrete evidence, did he leave behind clues in his allusion-rich music? Accompanying the book is a CD featuring rare performances of Wilhelm Furtwangler, alongside brand new recordings of three extraordinary pianists.

Brahms: Unlocking the Masters Series

Amadeus Press

In this comprehensive exploration of Puccini's most beloved operas, on the 150th anniversary of his birth, John Bell Young celebrates some of the most moving music ever composed. In clear-cut, concise, but also entertaining prose, the author conveys the poignant stories that inspired these great works, elaborating their musical as well as dramatic content. An ideal companion for experienced opera devotees as well as those who are discovering opera for the first time.

Puccini: A Listener's Guide (Unlocking the Masters)

John Bell Young explores some of the richest and most memorable instrumental music ever written. How did this prolific musician compose more than a thousand masterpieces in a career that spanned less than two decades? Young's colorful analysis of a Schubert's greatest orchestral, piano and chamber works deftly illuminates these issues. The accompanying CD features superb performances by Claudio Arrau.

Schubert's Instrumental Music: A Listener's Guide (Unlocking the Masters)

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