Customer Reviews (1)

A Musicologist Analyzes Sir Arthur Sullivan
Perhaps the most detailed musicological study of all of the compositons - not just the operettas - of Sir Arthur Sullivan. This is a relatively slim book, but it is packed with musical examples, analysis and commentary. This is definately a book for those with a musical education, a music theory book and dictionary or perhaps simply a Ph.D. in Musicology, is a good companion for reading Hughes' book.

The book analyzes Arthur Sullivans style, breaking it down into chapters dealing with musical forms such as melody, harmony, word setting, orchestration, etc. Copious examples in musical notation and snippets from scores, many from very obscure non-Savoy operas. (E.g. quotes from "The Zoo" which was still officially lost at the time of the original edition).

Hughes takes a very objective style, unusual for a books on Sullivan which tend be limited to the more prosaic descriptions of his operettas. He takes Sullivan to task for some of his failings (e.g. harmon! y) and praises him where appropriate (e.g. melody and word setting).

A unique and very detailed tome! ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:CHAPTER IIIFIRST PUBLIC SUCCESS (1861-1866) Charles Dickens—First Visit to Paris—Rossini—Organist St. Michael's and at Covent Garden Opera—Visits Ireland —Germ of English Comic Opera. ON his return from Leipzig Sullivan added several numbers to his " Tempest" music, and it was produced at the Crystal Palace Concert on April 5, 1862. This was his dclmt. His previous successes were in the direction of scholastic achievement, and had brought his name before the public in but a minor degree. The winning of the Mendelssohn scholarship, of course, appealed mainly to a more or less intimate musical circle, and so far, the by no means unenviable reputation which he had gained, more especially as being a conscientious worker, and a young man of considerable promise, had been confined to his immediate associates, andthose concerned in the direction, or criticism, of the work done at the Conservatorium in Leipzig. The production of the " Tempest" proved a veritable triumph for the youthful composer. The musical critics were enthusiastic, and it is no exaggeration to say that, like the poet, Sullivan woke up the next morning to find himself famous. Sir George Grove and Mr. Manns, who conducted the concerts at the Crystal Palace, decided to repeat the performance on the following Saturday. On that occasion there was a record attendance. All musical London would seem to have gone down to hear it. After it was over Charles Dickens, who had gone down with Chorley, waited in the artists' room until Sullivan came out, and with a characteristic grip of the hand, said: " I don't profess to be a musical critic, but I do know that I have listened to a very remarkable work." This was the beginning of a firm friendship between them, and one which was only severed by death.It is from this ... ... Read more

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A full biography of a composer whose work extended far beyond the operettas for which he is known today. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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Explores the drama behind the trajectory of the opera, Ivanhoe, and Arthur Sullivan's venture into Grand Opera. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fantastic resource on Ivanhoe
The scarcity of good scholarly material on this wonderful opera is greatly relieved with the availability of this book. Mr. Dailey has provided an insightful look into this often neglected opera, which, when it premiered was an unrivaled success. This is the perfect companion to the work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Everything from Soup to Nuts..
The Benford Lexicon, now in a new edition, is simply put, an absolutely essential work for anyone who wishes to understand Gilbert and Sullivan. By using this book, the shellac of years of tradition can be stripped off of performances, and the true wit and beauty of Gilbert, as reflected in the Music of Sulivan, can shine through. It also is quite helpful to the audience member in understanding some of the clever, although now not fully topical, references in these works. (Capt. Shaw, Army-Navy Stores, Knightsbridge, Camberwell a Bower, Peckham an Arcadian Vale... and so forth..)

A Must-Have Resource for All Savoyards
This book is the first place I turn to with any language question in the wonderful world of Gilbert & Sullivan.Mr. Benford writes clearly and consisely, with a delightful (and occasionally wince-inducing) wit.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
English Only. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

listen up
this is a wonderful score, one ranking atop the mikado in my mind.(...) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Enjoyable Look into the D'Oyly Carte's Past
As an avid Gilbert and Sullivan fan, buying a copy of this book was logical.Aside from it, I only had Martyn Green's Treasury of Gilbert & Sullivan and assorted vocal scores.This needed to be remedied.Though I don't believe the DOC Picture History is an absolutely necessary buy G&S fans, I'll certainly enjoy it for some time.

Good things about it:
* Lots of excellent pictures from every era of the company's existence up to its close in 1982
* Brief information about the photos
* Good introductions to the various eras (Early Years/Lytton/Green/Pratt/Reed)

Things that could have been improved, etc.:
* Why, oh why, did they choose a photo of Martyn Green as King Gama for the heading to his era?Not very flattering
* Many of the pictures in this book are available on the web, if in generally lower quality

It can be lived without, but the Official D'Oyly Carte Picture History will continue to give me pleasure for years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Interesting Book on First Night Performances
This is more than just a book containing the libretti from the first Night of each of G&S's brilliant operettas. It also contains historical essays placing each of the operettas in it place in time and discusses, to the extent known the reasons for the changes. It also contains a separate box holding facsimiles of the programs from Opening Night. (An interesting bit of trivia is that the opening night program for a particular Opera does not feature characters from THAT opera, but rather from an earlier oprea. Thus, for example, the Program for Ruddigore (the Witches Curse) has a picture from Iolanthe on the front cover, and pictures from Pirates and Iolanthe on the program pages). The true value in the work is the libretti. They show the works, as performed on opening night, which allow a modern performer to see how the standard script has changed over the years. ... Read more