Overture Opera Guides in Association with the English National Opera (ENO)
2 total works
"Don Giovanni" is one of Mozart's most significant and popular operas. This edition begins with a discussion of the comic elements of this unusual comic opera by Michael F. Robinson. An overall view of the score is given by David Wyn Jones, showing how Mozart maintained dramatic momentum over two long acts and giving an overview of the dramatic pacing and orchestration in some of the most important scenes. Christopher Raeburn concludes the commentary with an engaging portrait of Da Ponte, Mozart's 'libertine librettist', and his relationship with the composer. This edition contains more than twenty photographs covering performances of Don Giovanni to the present day, a detailed thematic analysis, the libretto in Italian with a facing literal translation, and an up-to-date discography and bibliography. "Overture Opera Guides" are an invaluable companion for lovers of opera and provide an insight for anyone wanting to explore opera in a little more detail.
Mozart wrote Idomeneo when he was twenty-four years old, and the opera was described by Albert Einstein as ‘one of those works that even a genius like Mozart could write only once in his life’. It is one of most astonishing achievements of an altogether astonishing career. In this newly commissioned guide, Julian Rushton explains the special nature of the music in a detailed analysis of its themes and development, while Nicholas Till places the opera in its context as an expression of the Enlightenment. Gary Kahn explores the performance history of an opera which, although largely ignored for over a hundred and fifty years, has now taken its place as part of the international operatic repertoire. A selection of the unique letters between Mozart and his father written during the opera’s composition is also included.