2015-2016 Opera Season Recommended Listening and Reading List A collaboration of Pittsburgh Opera and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Music Department, with special thanks to Rebekah Hill and Julie Hanify. Please note that there are other books, videos, DVDs, and CDs beyond this list available at the Carnegie Library and for purchase at your favorite store. Call numbers indicate holdings of the Music Department, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, unless otherwise indicated. (For more information about borrowing materials, call Music, Film, and Audio, 412-622-3105, or visit the website at http://www.carnegielibrary.org/locations/music/)

The Music Department at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh offers an extensive collection of materials pertaining to opera, from composer biographies, studies of operas, and histories of opera, to opera libretti, opera scores, and performances on CD, VHS, and DVD. The items listed below constitute a small selection to whet your appetite as you look forward to the live performance. Enjoy!

Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi, 1813–1901 CD / DVD CD

Nabucco, Deutsche Grammophon, 1983. Cappuccilli, Dimitrova, Nesterenko, Domingo, Terrani; Sinopoli, Chorus and Orchestra of Deutschen Oper Berlin COMPACT DISC Op Ver 39834

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Nabucco, EMI, 1986 (1978). Manuguerra, Scotto, Ghiaurov, Luchetti, Obraztsova; Muti, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra COMPACT DISC Op Ver 14519

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Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi, 1813–1901 CD

Nabucco, Decca, 2011 (1965). Gobbi, Souliotis, Cava, Prevedi, Caral; Gardelli, Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Opera Orchestra COMPACT DISC Op Ver 42553

DVD Nabucco, Deutsche Grammophon, 2005 (2001). Pons, Guleghina, Ramey, Jones, White; Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (DVD) M1500. V48 N3 2005x DVD Nabucco, Kultur, 2003 (1987). Bruson, Dimitrova, Burchuladze, Beccaria, Pierotti; Muti, Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala (DVD) M1500. V48 N3 2003x DVD Nabucco, CMajor, 2012 (2009). Nucci, Theodossiou, Zanellato, Riberio, Chiuri; Mariotti, Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro regio di Parma (DVD) M1500. V48 N3 2012x

Libretto The Complete Verdi Libretti: In Four Volumes with International Phonetic Alphabet Transcriptions, Word for Word Translations, Including a Guide to the I.P.A. and Notes on the Italian Transcriptions, by Nico Castel; Libretto by Temistocle Solera qML49.V45 C372 1994 vol. 3

For further reading Verdi with a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera by William Berger. New York: Vintage Books, 2000. Berger explores Verdi’s operas in chronological order and also provides biographical information on the composer and his view of the art of Italian opera from the baroque era to the present. His chapter about Nabucco includes commentary (interspersed throughout a synopsis of the opera) that describes musical motifs and elements of staging. The final section of Berger’s book gives the author’s recommendations of recordings, films, and other books about Verdi. ML410.V4 B29 2000 Verdi, 3rd edition by Julian Budden. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. In addition to his invaluable 3-volume set about Verdi’s operas, Budden’s biography of the composer is a wonderful resource. Budden offers a complete sketch of Verdi’s public and private life. The chapter, “From Oberto to Ernani,” discusses the musical details of Nabucco. Budden argues that the ensembles featuring main characters and the music of the chorus (including the famous “Va, pensiero”) are the elements that make this opera great. ML410.V4 B9 2008 Pittsburgh Opera Recommended Listening and Reading List 2015-2016

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Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi, 1813–1901 Verdi: A Biography by Mary Jane Phillips-Matz. Oxford, England; New York: University Press, Press, 1993. Written with the full collaboration of the Verdi family, this biography explores the rich life of Verdi the composer, Italian nationalist, and intensely passionate friend/husband/farmer. ML410.V4 P43 1993. Experiencing Verdi: A Listener's Companion by Donald C. Sanders. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2014. Sanders writes his book with the opera lover and novice in mind. He provides a survey of 12 of Verdi’s operas, including Nabucco. His combination of biographical material, a synopsis of the opera, and simple music analysis is an easy format to read. Sanders also provides a glossary of music terms used in his musical analyses and a suggested listening list. A perfect book to read before you go to see the opera at the theater! ML410.V4 S34 2014

Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791 CD & DVD Are these items checked out? Not to worry, the Main Library in Oakland owns 3 other CD versions and 4 additional visual presentations of the opera! CD

Così fan tutte, Harmonia Mundi France, 1999 (1998). Gens, Fink, Oddone, Güra, Boone, Spagnoli; Jacobs, Kölner Kammerchor, Concerto Köln COMPACT DISC Op Moz 24216

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Così fan tutte, London, 1996 (1994). Fleming, von Otter, Scarabelli, Lopardo, Bär, Pertusi; Solti, London Voices, Chamber Orchestra of Europe COMPACT DISC Op Moz 15101

DVD Così fan tutte, Decca, 2005 (1990). Larson, Felty, Kuzma, Kelley, Maddalena, Sylvan; Smith, Arnold-Schönberg-Chor, Wiener Symphoniker (DVD) M1500.M84 C5 2005x DVD Così fan tutte, Opus Arte, 2004 (1989). Dessì, Ziegler, Scarabelli, Kundlak, Corbelli, Desderi; Muti, Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro alla Scala (DVD) M1500.M84 C5 2004x Pittsburgh Opera Recommended Listening and Reading List 2015-2016

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Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791 Libretto Seven Mozart Librettos: A Verse Translation by J.D. McClatchy (Libretto of Così fan tutte by Lorenzo Da Ponte) New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2011. ML49.M83 O64 2011

For further reading Understanding the Women of Mozart's Operas by Kristi Brown-Montesano. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007. Brown-Montesano’s work digs into the female characters of Mozart’s operas, the true emotional centers of his stage works. The last two chapters of her book explore Fiordiligi, Dorabella, and Despina: three women intertwined by a seduction plot. Brown-Montesano explores the music, libretto text, literary sources, and historical factors in her attempt to reveal the journey of these characters. ML410.M9 B8195 2007 Mozart and His Operas by David Cairns. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. Cairns’ unique biography traces Mozart’s life and creative output through his operas. Cairns discusses how Mozart matures as an artist with each opera and writes about how his strength as a composer of great theater influences his instrumental works as well, particularly his piano concertos and string quartets. The chapter that highlights Così fan tutte discusses how Mozart and his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, seem to be at odds with one another about the characters in the opera, especially the women. Though the work is a comedy, the opera leaves the audience with many loose ends, perhaps not even a truly happy ending. ML410.M9 C253 2006 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography by Piero Melograni. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Written during the 250th anniversary year of Mozart’s death, Melograni’s biography is a wonderful addition to the many volumes written about the composer. Instead of in-depth musical analyses, Melograni weaves texts of Mozart’s letters throughout his narrative to create a thoroughly enjoyable account of the artist’s life. This biography is a great read for the music lover or novice. ML410.M9 M4313 2007 Mozart's Così fan tutte: A Compositional History by Ian Woodfield. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 2008. Woodfield uses the autograph score to reveal how Mozart composed this opera and how the work evolved and changed before its premiere. Woodfield suggests an interesting hypothesis: Mozart considered not crossing the lovers’ pairings but rather to have each man seduce his own fiancée. This could possibly explain the opera’s ending as we know it—the original couples are reunited even though the seductions show new possibilities. ML410.M9 W755 2008 Pittsburgh Opera Recommended Listening and Reading List 2015-2016

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Little Women by Mark Adamo, 1962-Present CD / DVD CD

Little Women, Ondine, 2001 (2000). Novacek, DiDonato, Tappan, Lloyd, Shelton, Yuan; Summers, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra COMPACT DISC Op Ada 17129

DVD Little Women, Naxos, 2010 (2000). Novacek, DiDonato, Tappan, Lloyd, Shelton, Yuan; Summers, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra (DVD) M1500.A58 L58 2010x

Libretto The CD recording of Little Women in our collection contains the libretto (by Mark Adamo) in the program notes.

For further reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 2007. FICTION Alcott [shelved in the First Floor Fiction section of the Main Library] Re-read the classic Victorian novel of the March girls: Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth. markadamo.com The official website of the composer includes a works list, biography, a press page (links to reviews and interviews with the composer in print and on camera), a page with links to his essays and other writings, and a page of his works currently in print (scores and recordings). Adamo’s writings include a complete course of Little Women that he created for Opera America’s distance learning program. hometheaterhifi.com/volume_8_3/feature-article-mark-adamo-interview-8-2001.html The online audio/video journal featured an interview with Adamo a few days prior to the commercial release of the Little Women recording. He talks about his work as a composer, his private life, and the creative process behind his first “hit” opera.

27 by Ricky Ian Gordon, 1956–Present CD / DVD CD

27, Albany Records, 2015 (2014). Blythe, Futral, Lebow, Greenhalgh, Brevik; Christie, St. Louis Symphony COMPACT DISC Op Gor 45257

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27 by Ricky Ian Gordon, 1956–Present DVD Currently, no commercial DVD release is available.

Libretto The recording of 27 in our collection contains the libretto (by Royce Vavrek) in the program notes.

For further reading rickyiangordon.com The official website of the composer provides a biography, a works list, discography, a press page (links to profiles and reviews/previews), a publications page, and audio/video clips. thevitalvoice.com/tag/ricky-ian-gordon This online publication (with headquarters in Saint Louis) published a brief article before the premiere of 27 by Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Gordon expresses how he always felt he would write something about Gertrude Stein. Paris Portraits: Stories of Picasso, Matisse, Gertrude Stein, and Their Circle by Harriet Lane Levy. Berkeley, Calif.: Heyday, 2011. As a personal friend of Gertrude Stein’s companion, Alice Toklas, Levy gives the reader an inside view of the couple’s relationship and the many salon evenings at their Paris residence with friends like Picasso and Matisse. Levy was so immersed in this circle of artists that she became an avid art collector and a lifelong fan of Matisse. DC705.L48 A3 2011

The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, 1792–1868 CD / DVD Are these items checked out? Not to worry, the Main Library-Oakland owns 5 other CD versions and 5 additional visual presentations of the opera! CD

The Barber of Seville, Deutsche Grammophon, 1992. Battle, Domingo, Lopardo; Abbado, Coro del Gran teatro La Fenice; The Chamber Orchestra of Europe COMPACT DISC Op Ros 20538

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The Barber of Seville, Testament, 1998 (1952). De Los Angeles, Bechi, Monti; Serafin, Orchestra sinfonica di Milano e coro COMPACT DISC Op Ros 20301

DVD The Barber of Seville, Deutsche Grammophon, 2005 (1972). Berganza, Prey, Alva; Abbado, Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan (DVD) M1500.R86 B234 2005bx Pittsburgh Opera Recommended Listening and Reading List 2015-2016

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The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, 1792–1868 DVD The Barber of Seville, Virgin Classics, 2010 (2009). Didonato, Spagnoli, Flórez; Pappano, Royal Opera Chorus, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Note: Joyce DiDonato performs the entire role of Rosina in a wheelchair as she had broken her leg during rehearsals.) (DVD) M1500.R86 B234 2010x **Note about searching: In order to achieve the best results, you may wish to use a title search in the original language: Barbiere di Siviglia. You’ll be sure not to miss any of our holdings!

Libretto The Barber of Seville/Moses; Libretto by Giuseppe Sterbini, based on the play by Pierre Beaumarchais; English translation by Edward J. Dent, London: J. Calder; New York: Riverrun Press, 1985. Includes several essays, a guide to musical themes in the opera, and a side-by-side Italian and English translation. Also includes the libretto to Rossini’s opera, Moses. ML49.R85 B32 1985

For further reading The Bel Canto operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini by Charles Osborne. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1994. Osborne’s overview gives the reader information about Rossini’s most popular opera. He outlines the musical elements and discusses the quite chaotic opening night. ML390.O82 1994 The Cambridge Companion to Rossini by Emanuele Senici, editor. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Janet Johnson’s essay about Barbiere focuses on the opera as a comedy of intrigue, a work driven by its rapid pace, wit, and tangled confusion. The essay, “Singing Rossini,” presents the composer’s definition of bel canto singing and illuminates his love for the contralto voice (e.g. Rosina, this opera’s heroine), a voice he called the “norm.” Do you think Rossini would have enjoyed Bugs Bunny dressed as a woman in the classic cartoon, “The Rabbit of Seville”? He sounds like a contralto, doesn’t he? ML410.R8 C17 2004 Life of Rossini (translated and annotated by Richard Coe) by Stendhal. New York: Orion Press, 1970. If there were such a term as “superfan” in the nineteenth century, Stendhal would have been a Rossini groupie. A harsh critic of Rossini’s work at first, Stendhal became a fierce champion of his music and created the first biography of the composer. The author praises Rossini’s ensemble writing in The Barber of Seville, especially the Act Two quintet and the trio during the storm scene. Reading a firsthand account of a performance during Rossini’s lifetime is quite fascinating. ML410.R8 B513 1970 Pittsburgh Opera Recommended Listening and Reading List 2015-2016 7

The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, 1792–1868 Rossini (Master Musician’s series) by Charles Osborne. London: J.M. Dent, 1986. Osborne’s biography has a chapter outlining Rossini’s time in Rome in 1816, the year of Barbiere’s premiere. Later, Osborne explores the work in detail in an entire chapter, focusing on many of the stylistic aspects of the opera buffa and Rossini’s musical language. He is quick to point out how radical this opera was to the audiences of the 19th century. ML410.R8 O83 1986x

The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky, 1882–1971 CD / DVD CD

The Rake’s Progress, Deutsche Grammophon, 1999 (1997). Bostridge, York, Terfel, von Otter; Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, London Symphony Orchestra COMPACT DISC Op Str 13080

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The Rake’s Progress, Sony Classical, 1991 (1964). Young, Raskin, Reardon, Sarfaty; Stravinsky, Sadler's Wells Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra COMPACT DISC Op Str 24427

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The Rake’s Progress, Sony Classical, 1991 (1964). Langridge, Pope, Ramey, Walker; Chailly, London Sinfonietta Chorus, London Sinfonietta COMPACT DISC Op Str 87

DVD The Rake’s Progress, Arthaus Musik, 2005 (1975). Goeke, Lott, Ramey, Elias; Haitink, The Glyndebourne Chorus, The London Philharmonic Orchestra (DVD) M1500.S895 R3 2005x DVD The Rake’s Progress, Opus Arte, 2008 (2007). Kennedy, Claycomb, Shimell, Peckova; Ono, Orchestre symphonique et chœurs de La Monnaie (DVD) M1500.S895 R3 2008x

Libretto The Rake’s Progress: Opera in Three Acts; Libretto by W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman London; New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1951. ML50.S92 R3 1951

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The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky, 1882–1971 For further reading Igor Stravinsky, The Rake’s Progress by Paul Griffiths. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982. This collection of essays is part of the Cambridge Opera Handbooks series. Chapter 4 gives a wonderful synopsis of the musical pieces in the work. The essay by Stravinsky scholar Robert Craft discusses the two versions of the libretto. An intriguing essay, “In an operatic graveyard” details the climax of the opera when Tom realizes who Nick Shadow really is. This work will definitely prepare you for the opera! ML410.S932 G74 1982. Stravinsky Inside Out by Charles M. Joseph. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001. Joseph writes an intriguing biography that displays the dichotomy between Stravinsky the public persona and Stravinsky the private composer. He argues that Stravinsky’s preoccupation with his image and place in the musical canon often conflicted with his private life, including his relationships with his publisher, fellow composers, and his son. The premiere of The Rake’s Progress is an example of this conflict: Stravinsky booked his own European premiere in Venice instead of Central City, Colorado because more money was offered. A very interesting biography. ML410.S932 J68 2001 Experiencing Stravinsky: A Listener's Companion by Robin Maconie. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2013. Music historian Robin Maconie takes the reader through a chronological journey of Stravinsky’s works displaying how the composer moved through an eclectic palette of styles but yet seemed uniquely himself. The chapter about The Rake’s Progress details the bumpy creation of this work and argues that Stravinsky chose William Hogarth’s paintings as inspiration for his opera because they seemed to mirror his own life. Stravinsky was lured to Paris and Hollywood and was influenced by many artists just as Tom Rakewell is lured to London by the mysterious Nick Shadow. Maconie also includes a selected reading and listening list. ML410.S932 M26 2013 Stravinsky: The Second Exile: France and America, 1934-1971 by Stephen Walsh. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Walsh continues his portrait of Stravinsky begun in Stravinsky: A Creative Spring. He paints a portrait of the composer’s private life, a complex web of relationships with his wife and family, his mistress, and his colleagues, especially Robert Craft. In the midst of private turmoil, Stravinsky kept composing and Walsh talks of the compositional journey of The Rake’s Progress, a process even Stravinsky described as “a progress toward the mastering of, rather than by, the classical simplicity and elegance that had been its inspiration.” Despite his wish to embrace a neoclassical style with this opera, Stravinsky would later explore serialism and other modern styles, continuing to evolve as a composer until his death. ML410.S932 W355 2006

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Explore more about opera online! Oxford Music Online This resource combines the content of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, and The Oxford Companion to Music in one place. A valid Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh card is required. This link will get you there: carnegielibrary.org/research/music/databases.html Operabase operabase.com/index.cgi?lang=en This website allows you to search opera performance details of several international opera companies, including upcoming schedules. You can also find information on past performances of over 41,000 operas (from August 2014 onward), biographies of specific singers and websites of international opera houses. OperaGlass opera.stanford.edu/ A great resource for plot synopses of operas, libretti, discographies. and performance histories. Links to other opera websites are also listed. YouTube youtube.com Though YouTube is not a specific site for opera research, it really does have everything and anything as far as video and sound clips. If you use the titles of any of this season’s operas in a search, you will find several archived performances from stage productions, concerts, and more.

Visit the Pittsburgh Opera website: www.pittsburghopera.org Visit the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh website: www.carnegielibrary.org

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