History of Opera for Beginners - (For Beginners (For Beginners)) by Ron David (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>Irreverent and passionate, this book is an ideal introduction for people who are convinced that opera is soley for those refined few who were born listening to arias. Written in short, humorous, and informative chapters, and laced with some of the opera world's juiciest anecdotes, this guide is sure to convert even the most ambivalent of music lovers. Line drawings.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><i>The History of Opera For Beginners</i> is a humorous, little book which starts with the radical assumption that Opera is just plain old music, rather than the highbrow, inaccessible music that everyone assumes it to be. The reader will learn the difference between Italian and German Opera and why you don't have to study a new language to enjoy Opera.</p><p><i>The History of Opera For Beginners</i> is an ideal introduction for people who are convinced that opera is solely for those refined few who were born listening to arias. Written in short, humorous, and informative chapters, and laced with some of the opera world's juiciest anecdotes, this guide is sure to convert even the most ambivalent of music lovers.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> From the Back Cover </b></p></br></br>Opera For Beginners is a humorous, irreverent little book that starts with the radical assumption that Opera is just plain ol' music. Not snob music. Not uppity music. Gettin' down music! Italian Rock'n'roll, R&B Gospel, let-it-all-hang-out music. "If you must know the truth", David writes, "in Detroit where I grew up, there weren't a lot of Opera houses. I was brought up on Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Elvis the Pelvis, the Drifters, Platters, Ella, Sinatra, Miles, Coltrane, Mahalia, Beatles, Stones, Aretha ... in other words ... Real music! Which is why I'm the perfect person to introduce you to Opera". The book builds from the similarity between specific Opera singers and "normal" singers (e.g., Maria Callas/Billie Holiday; Caruso/Mahalia Jackson; Benjamino Gigli/Smokey Robinson), points out the essentially Operatic styles of many pop singers, and the profound similarity between Opera and Gospel singing. (It's no accident that African-American sopranos are singing in Opera houses all over the world!). Opera For Beginners explains the differences between Italian and German Opera - it's more than just the language - and why you don't have to understand Italian, German, French or Rap to enjoy Opera. David's enthusiasm and wit are sure to entice many Opera-haters to give Opera a chance. And Paul Gordon's spot-on cartoons illustrate the text, carry on dialogues with it, wisecrack it, create stories alongside it, sprinkle it lavishly with motifs...enough!<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><b>Ron David</b>, a former editor-in-chief of the For Beginners series, is also the author of <i>Toni Morrison Explained: A Reader's Road Map to the Novels</i> (Random House, 2000). Previous works for For Beginners include <i>Arabs & Israel For Beginners, Jazz For Beginners</i>, and <i>Opera For Beginners</i>. Ron has been a guest lecturer on all of these subjects across the United States, and he has been awarded a NJ State Council for the Arts fellowship for his novel-in-progress, <i>The Lebanese Book of the Dead</i>. He lives in Kihei, Hawaii, with his wife, the designer Susan David.
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