Carmen - Hardcover

3.56

6,580 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1884822819 ISBN 13: 9781884822810

Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 1996

The Black Dog Opera Library is the best, easiest and most informative and budget-friendly way to enjoy four of the greatest operas of all time.

Finally available again, and packaged with gorgeous new covers, each book in the library includes the complete opera on 2 CDs, featuring world-class performances and orchestras; the complete libretto, plus its English translation; an exciting history of the opera; a biography of the composer; a synopsis of the story, broken down by act and scene; and dozens of photographs and drawings depicting performances, singers, sets, costumes, and more.

Carmen features Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni, and Kostas Paskalis, with Rafael Fru�beck de Burgos conducting the Orchestra of the Th��tre National de l'Op�ra.

Also available:

La Boh�me featuring Nicolai Gedda and Mirella Freni, with Thomas Schippers conducting the Orchestro e Coro del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma; La Traviata featuring Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda, and Rolando Panerai, with Aldo Ceccato conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; The Marriage of Figaro featuring Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Heather Harper, Judith Blegen, Geraint Evans, Teresa Berganza, and Birgit Finnil�, with Daniel Barenboim conducting the English Chamber Orchestra.

Listen. Enjoy. Learn.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

The story of Carmen, the fatalistic gypsy, and Don Jos�, her murderous soldier lover, is a perennial favorite of an overwhelming majority of opera lovers. Carmen has it all: vivid characters, wonderful tunes, stirring crowd scenes, and a setting that's just exotic enough without becoming outlandish. The Black Dog Opera Library has issued a fine introduction to this classic tragedy. This hardcover book (small enough to tuck into a handbag and take along to the opera) includes an essay that explores the opera's origins and performance history; a plot synopsis; a libretto in French and English, with a running commentary on the action; and, on two compact discs, a complete recording of the opera itself. It's a very attractive package for the price.

The recording, made in 1969-70, stars mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry as the eponymous gypsy; an incredibly intense Jon Vickers as Don Jos�; soprano Mirella Freni, in melting voice, as his would-be wife; and Kostas Paskalis as a dark-voiced Escamillo. Rafael Fruehbeck de Burgos conducts his soloists, the chorus, and the orchestra of the Theatre National de l'Opera in idiosyncratic fashion.

About the Author:

Georges Bizet was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.