Pittsburgh Opera Season 2012 - 2013

Opera d'Oro, 2011 (1966).
Scotto, Pavarotti, Paskalis; Giulini, Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro comunale of Florence

Deutsche Grammophon, [1985?] (1980).
Cotrubas, Domingo, Cappuccilli; Giulini, Vienna State Opera Chorus and Vienna Philharmonic

Mula, Alvarez, Servile; Wilson, The Arturo Toscanini Orchestra and Chorus (recorded outdoors in Siena, Italy)

Cotrubas, Domingo, MacNeil; Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

English translations by William Weaver; with the original Italian.
Libretto of Rigoletto by Francesco Maria Piave based on Victor Hugo's play Le roi s'amuse.

Berger explores Verdi's operas in chronological order, provides biographical information on the composer and discusses his view of the art of Italian opera from the baroque era to the present. His chapter about Rigoletto 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.

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, "The High Noon," discusses the musical details of Rigoletto. Verdi described his own work as "revolutionary," and indeed some elements of form and orchestration are. Budden highlights the cabaletta and canzone forms that Verdi employs and the fabulous use of the orchestra in the Act 3 tempesta (storm).

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.

Richards' book details the sociological elements at play in Verdi's operas. Specifically he focuses on patriarchal practices such as codes of honor and how these practices affect personal and political relationships. The characters of Rigoletto and his daughter, Gilda illustrate the ideas of patriarchal control, a daughter who violates the honor code to be with her lover and the jester who exacts vengeance upon the court society that he belongs to himself.

Harmonia Mundi France, 2007.
Weisser, Regazzo, Pasichnyk, Pendatchanska, Tarver; Jacobs, RIAS Kammerchor, Freiburger Barockorchester

London, 1997.
Terfel, Pertusi, Fleming, Murray, Lippert; Solti, London Voices and London Philharmonic Orchestra

Decca, 2005 (1990).
Perry E., Perry H., Labelle, Hunt, Freeman; Smith, Arnold-Schönberg-Chor; Wiener Symphoniker

Raimondi, van Dam, Moser, Te Kanawa, Riegel; Maazel, Orchestra and Chorus of the Paris Opera

Libretto of Don Giovanni by Lorenzo da Ponte, inspired by a libretto by Giovanni Bertati, translation by J.D. McClatchy.

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 Don Giovanni finds Mozart enjoying his success after the premiere of The Marriage of Figaro. A trip to Prague results in a commission which becomes Don Giovanni. The commission is for a comedy but instead the company receives a work rich in comedy and drama.

This collection of essays treats Don Giovanni as an artistic work that had great impact on nineteenth century philosophers, playwrights and composers from Goethe to Pushkin to Wagner among others. The various authors discuss how themes of romanticism in nineteenth century art were influenced by the characters and relationships that Mozart and da Ponte created in the previous century. An interesting read.

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. Avoiding in-depth musical analyses, Melograni instead weaves the 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.

Rushton's work is part of the Cambridge Opera Handbooks series, an invaluable set of works for the opera "fan" and scholar. A synopsis of the opera and analyses of the libretto and musical themes are presented, but the other essays are quite intriguing and include discussions about the Don Juan character in literature before and after Mozart's opera and Don Giovanni as a philosophical idea.

Deutsche Grammophon, [1994?] (1977).
Auger, Varady, Davies, Rinaldi; Barenboim, English Chamber Orchestra

Nuova Era, 1992 (1990).
Mazzuccato, Baiano, Cosotti, De Simone; Cavallaro, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana

Dynamic, 2009.
Forte, Laplace, Caputo, Cassi; Antonini, Orchestra, Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Liège

Image Entertainment, 2002 (1986).
Resick, Daniels, Kübler, Nicolai; Griffiths, Orchestra of Drottningholm Court Theatre

Kimbell's work describes the history of Italian opera from its origins through the early twentieth century. His discussion of opera seria, accompanied recitative and the parlante style mentions Cimarosa, especially as a first master of parlante (according to Rossini). Cimaraosa's operas are sprinkled throughout this work as one of the eighteenth century's successful opera composers.

Sadie's book lists operas from A to Z in an encyclopedic format. The entry about Il Matrimonio Segreto is a brief yet informative essay about the opera's premiere, plot and compositional style. This opera had a greater success on the Viennese stage than any of Mozart's operas and was commended for its rich orchestration and use of the parlando vocal style as a comic device. The author of the essay concludes that Cimarosa's piece paves the way for Rossini and Donizetti.

EMI Classics, 2009 (2008).
Gheorghiu, Shkosa, Kaufmann, Capitanucci; Pappano, Orchestra and Chorus dell' Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilla

Decca, 1958 (1999).
Tebaldi, Cossotto, Bergonzi, Sordello; Serafin, Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Chorus

Sony Music Entertainment, 2011 (2009).
Racette, Zifchak, Giordani, Croft; Summers, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

Deutsche Grammophon, 1974 (2005).
Freni, Ludwig, Domingo, Kerns; Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Choir

Libretto of Madama Butterfly by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, from the play by David Belasco and short story by John Luther Long.
Includes side-by-side English and Italian and synopsis of the opera.

Budden, most known for his treatment of the operas of Verdi, seems equally at home with Verdi's fellow countryman. A brief biography gives way to in-depth analyses of all of Puccini's operas. In the chapter on Madama Butterfly, Budden describes the opera's creation, interprets the numerous musical motifs, and describes the storyline as one of "action that evolves steadily." The audience is drawn into a 3-year period of Butterfly's life, a span that begins with romance and ends in grief.

Osborne is the "go-to" man if you want detailed treatments of opera composers. He has also written books about the works of Mozart, Richard Strauss, Verdi and Wagner. Osborne's discussion of Madama Butterfly begins with an account of how the work was created and premiered. The middle section discusses the plot and characters, comparing Puccini's versions of the main characters and the opera's libretto to the source material of John Luther Long's story and David Belasco's play. Osborne believes that the opera vastly improves the source material- do you agree? The last section of his discussion outlines the work's musical motifs.

The author discusses the origins of the opera's libretto, the real-life woman who inspired the character of Cho-Cho-San, and the influence of the Japanese aesthetic on turn of the twentieth century Western artists like Puccini.

Wilson explores the debates about Puccini as a composer. Was he an Italian nationalist or an international artist? Did he modernize opera or did he continue its traditions? The chapter about Madama Butterfly is titled, "A frame without a canvas: Madama Butterfly and the superficial". The opera was a huge flop upon its premiere. Many critics believed that Puccini focused too much on style over substance. Wilson suggests that they were challenged by Puccini's modern score- an interesting argument.

London, 1993.
Bartoli, Matteuzzi, Corbelli, Dara, Pertusi; Chailly, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

Philips, 1988.
Baltsa, Araiza, Raimondi, Alaimo, del Carlo; Marriner, Ambrosian Opera Chorus and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields

Deutsche Grammophon, [1989?], (1972).
Berganza, Alva, Capecchi, Montarsolo, Trama; Abbado, Scottish Opera Chorus and London Symphony Orchestra

Deutsche Grammophon, 2010 (2009).
Garanca, Brownlee, Alberghini, Corbelli, Relyea; Benini, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

Deutsche Grammophon, 2005 (1982).
Von Stade, Araiza, Desderi, Montarsolo, Plishka; Abbado, Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala

Includes the libretto of La Cenerentola by Jacopo Ferretti, based on Etienne's Cendrillon, translation by Nico Castel.

Osborne's overview gives the reader information about Rossini's treatment of this fairy tale. He outlines the musical elements of this work which premiered hot on the heels (one year later) of his most popular work, The Barber of Seville.

Osborne's biography has a chapter outlining Rossini's time in Rome in 1816-17, the time period of the creation and premiere of La Cenerentola. Later, Osborne explores the work in a short chapter, focusing on the ideas of buffo comedy and pathos intertwined in the opera. He discusses some musical ideas in the work, including Rossini borrowing from himself: Angelina's final aria uses material from the count's final aria in The Barber of Seville.

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. It should be noted, however, that Stendhal did not have great affection for La Cenerentola finding it vulgar and uninteresting. Reading a firsthand account of a performance during Rossini's lifetime is quite fascinating.

Servadio's biography explores the life of this great composer from his grand triumphs to his battles with nervous illness. She interweaves his story through events of the Romantic era in Europe and paints a portrait of Rossini apart from his music. Rossini's previously unpublished letters contribute greatly to her sketch.