Featured Verdi Opera:
- The Complete Operas Of Verdi (A Da Capo Paperback)
- The New Grove Guide to Verdi and His Operas (New Grove Operas)
- La Traviata: Black Dog Opera Library
- Macbeth (Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series)
- Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera
- Seven Verdi Librettos (English and Italian Edition)
- Il Trovatore (Black Dog Opera Library)
- Aida: Black Dog Opera Library (Book & Audio CD)
- Verdi – His Music, Life and Times (Softcover) (Limelight)
The Complete Operas Of Verdi (A Da Capo Paperback)
In this volume, every Verdi opera is explored from four points of view: Verdi’s life at the time each was written; the story, and the way it links with the music; the libretto and librettist, and Verdi’s relations with his publishers; and the music itself, analyzed with examples from the score.
Rating:
(out of 2 reviews)
List Price: $ 20.00
Price: $ 15.97
The Complete Operas Of Verdi (A Da Capo Paperback) Reviews

I came to this site as the result of the last Texaco Metropolitan Opera broadcast. A listener had submitted a three-part question based on her study of Charles Osborne’s Complete Operas of Verdi. She referred to it as a three volume work. I immediately became excited as the edition that I own is a single work. I therefore imagined that there was a new edition. It did occur to me, however, that as this listener is in England, she might just be in posession of a different version of the same book (which I now presume to be the case).
I have owned a copy of this work for over ten years. Having read the work from cover to cover several times, I cannot begin to guess how many times I have referred to individual chapters for reference. Mr. Osborne writes in a style which is easy to read for the Opera fanatic, as well as the scholar. The work contains chapters on each of Verdi’s operas (including those which are relatively obscure in The United States). He gives background on the original sources as well as the contemporary historic events of the time.
I reccommend this book without reservation.
Buy The Complete Operas Of Verdi (A Da Capo Paperback) now for only $ 15.97!
The New Grove Guide to Verdi and His Operas (New Grove Operas)
Each entry in this New Grove series of composers and their operas is based on articles in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, that feature information on the lives of individual composers, their works, their librettists and interpreters, and the places where they performed. These unique books compile the meticulously researched articles into organized narratives, designed to make finding information as easy as possible without sacrificing readability. Each volume is completely up-to-date, and includes a suggested listening guide and an eight-page glossy insert containing relevant illustrations. Each volume is a must-own for lovers of opera and classical music.
Giuseppe Verdi is the most famous Italian composer of opera. While he was sometimes criticized for writing music considered too “simple,” his works have endured, and are still performed throughout the world today. This concise volume is a handy guide to the Verdi’s life and operas, revising the original New Grove articles and adding a new introduction, a new section on modern Verdi productions, and an updated bibliography.
List Price: $ 18.95
Price: $ 4.99
La Traviata: Black Dog Opera Library
The Black Dog Opera Library is one of the most popular, informative, and budget-friendly ways to enjoy all the great operas. Each book in the series includes a history of the opera, a synopsis of the story, a complete libretto in its original language as well as in English, and dozens of photographs and drawings depicting great scenes, singers, performances, and more. Each book also includes an excellent Angel/EMI recording of the entire opera on two CDs, as well as commentary from experts in the field who guide you through the music as you listen. All of this for less than twenty dollars!
List Price: $ 19.95
Price: $ 9.95
Macbeth (Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series)
A complete guide to Verdi’s MACBETH which includes the STORY SYNOPSIS, PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS in the opera, STORY NARRATIVE with ONE-BAR MUSIC HIGHLIGHT EXAMPLES, and an ESSAY providing background about the opera and its composer, analysis, and insightful commentary.
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(out of 1 reviews)
List Price: $ 9.75
Price: $ 9.75
Macbeth (Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series) Reviews
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Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera
Everything you could possibly know about Verdi and his operas, from the brilliant and humorous author of Wagner Without Fear.
If you want to know why La traviata was actually a flop at its premiere in 1853, it’s in here. If you want to know why claiming to have heard Bjorling’s Chicago performance of Il trovatore is the classic opera fan faux pas, it’s in here. Even if you just want to know how to pronounce Aida, or what the plot of Rigoletto is all about, this is the place to look. From the composer’s intense hatred of priests to synopses of the operas and a detailed discography of the best recordings to buy, it can all be found in Verdi with a Vengeance. William Berger has given another improbable performance, serving up a book as thorough as it is funny and as original as it is astute, an utterly indispensable guide for novice and expert alike.
Rating:
(out of 9 reviews)
List Price: $ 16.00
Price: $ 62.43
Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera Reviews

William Beger’s “Verdi with a Vengeance” is a triumph of music writing: accessible, informed and passionate. For the newcomer to the breadth of works by the great composer, this guide is a godsend, as Mr. Berger lays out the history of each opera, the story behind its plot and, most important, what makes each one special. He doesn’t preach, but his enthusiasm makes a reader — and a potential listener — hungry to hear and see the works he so vividly describes. Mr. Berger is a master of the telling detail: he lets you know what to look and listen for in particular arias, and how these moments affect the drama. “Verdi with a Vengeance” should also delight Verdi aficionados, since Mr. Berger is so familiar with all aspects of the composer’s art, his research is so deep, that he reveals new aspects of the operas (and the Requiem). His prose is free of musicological jargon, though conversant with the language of music. Mr. Berger can describe economically the emotion music can convey, and he can give a sense of the intellect behind the notes. He is a writer of wit and nuance, masterfully evoking a mise-en-scene within an opera or limning the characteristics of hammy singers. This is a book both to be savored at length and dipped into for fresh insights before attending any performance of Verdi. It is a rare book that manages to be learned as well as breezy, humorous and deeply felt.

This short guide to Verdi’s life and works is in indispensable gem for anyone wanting to learn more about Italy’s greatest operatic composer! Berger gives a succincly informative sketch of the complex composer’s life. He adds chapters on Verdi books, CD’S, Videos, staging of Verdi operas and a helpful glossary of operatic terms.
The most helpful and longest part of the book deals with a brief synopsis of each opera in the Verdian canon from the obscure “Oberto” to the Master’s final comic masterpiece “Falstaff.” Berger lists the characters of each opera, makes witty comments on the big arias and scenes in each opera and also provides historical information on the production of each opera.
I had earlier read Berger’s excellent “Wagner Without Fear” and was so impressed with his writing that I eagerly turned to Berger’s guide to Verdi. I understand he is now working on a similar guide to the life and operas of Puccini which will be received by this reviewer with gratitude.
If you are a novice to operatic enjoyment or a seasoned Verdian
this work will be a delight. I highly recommend it for your consideration!
Buy Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera now for only $ 62.43!
Seven Verdi Librettos (English and Italian Edition)
Verdi, like most great opera composers, attached supreme importance to the words he was setting to music. The listener, to understand the opera fully, should understand the situations, the shades of emotion, the nuances of characterization described in the music. William Weaver’s translations of seven of the greatest Verdi operas are designed for maximum fidelity to the immediate word. Eschewing artistic renderings, Mr. Weaver offers, on facing pages, exact translations and the corresponding Italian text. The operas chosen for this edition represent Verdi’s major achievements in each of the significant periods of his creative life: the first trio of masterpieces, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, and La Traviata; Un ballo in maschera and Aida from the middle period; Otello and Falstaff, the great late works. The music student as well as the opera buff will find this volume a very useful guide to Verdi’s world. .
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(out of 1 reviews)
List Price: $ 18.95
Price: $ 11.79
Seven Verdi Librettos (English and Italian Edition) Reviews
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Il Trovatore (Black Dog Opera Library)
The Black Dog Opera Library is the most popular, informative, and budget-friendly way to enjoy all the great operas. Each book contains a history of the opera, a synopsis of the story, a complete libretto in its original language as well as in English, dozens of photos, and a world-class Angel/EMI recording of the entire opera on two CDs. All of this for under twenty dollars!
- ISBN13: 9781579126193
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
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List Price: $ 19.95
Price: $ 8.00
Il Trovatore (Black Dog Opera Library) Reviews
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Aida: Black Dog Opera Library (Book & Audio CD)
The Black Dog Opera Library is one of the most popular, informative, and budget-friendly ways to enjoy all the great operas. Each book in the series includes a history of the opera, a synopsis of the story, a complete libretto in its original language as well as in English, and dozens of photographs and drawings depicting great scenes, singers, performances, and more. Each book also includes an excellent Angel/EMI recording of the entire opera on two CDs, as well as commentary from experts in the field who guide you through the music as you listen. All of this for less than twenty dollars!
Rating:
(out of 1 reviews)
List Price: $ 19.95
Price: $ 6.88
Aida: Black Dog Opera Library (Book & Audio CD) Reviews
Buy Aida: Black Dog Opera Library (Book & Audio CD) now for only $ 6.88!
Verdi – His Music, Life and Times (Softcover) (Limelight)
This book relates the life and experiences of composer Giuseppe Verdi, from his birth in 1813 to his death in 1901. Besides documenting Verdi’s life and the music he created, it also goes further in discussing the times and culture in which he was living in 19th century Italy, both socially and politically. “A complete life-to-death biography, wonderfully comprehensive on both life and art, wonderfullly sensible, and splendidly gotten up.” – The Boston Herald
- 526 Pages
- Published by Limelight Editions
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(out of 1 reviews)
List Price: $ 22.95
Price: $ 14.94
Verdi – His Music, Life and Times (Softcover) (Limelight) Reviews
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