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Opera Explained Cavalleria rusticana

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 16 min

Cavalleria rusticana is the short opera that has all the elements of a grand opera compressed into a single highly dramatic time span. The story of love, lust, blood-feud and betrayal played out against the pageantry of the Easter celebrations in a Sicilian village delivers an emotional wallop because of the youthful vigour and musical wealth of its great score which includes the glorious Easter ... Read more

$13.99 CAD

Cavalleria rusticana is the short opera that has all the elements of a grand opera compressed into a single highly dramatic time span. The story of love, lust, blood-feud and betrayal played out against the pageantry of the Easter celebrations in a Sicilian village delivers an emotional wallop because of the youthful vigour and musical wealth of its great score which includes the glorious Easter
... Read more
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Opera Explained La Bohème

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour

La Bohème is one of the three operas the others are Carmen and Aida believed to be the most popular ever written. In the case of La Bohème the reason is that it virtually defines the term ‘romantic’. The poignant story of Mimì and Rodolfo is told in music of such tender beauty, allied, as always, to Puccini’s intuition of what works in the theatre, resulting in an opera that readily appeals to our ... Read more

$11.99 CAD

La Bohème is one of the three operas the others are Carmen and Aida believed to be the most popular ever written. In the case of La Bohème the reason is that it virtually defines the term ‘romantic’. The poignant story of Mimì and Rodolfo is told in music of such tender beauty, allied, as always, to Puccini’s intuition of what works in the theatre, resulting in an opera that readily appeals to our
... Read more
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Opera Explained Die Fledermaus

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 19 min

Die Fledermaus is one of the few operatic works to which the phrase ‘never a dull moment’ can be truthfully applied. From the explosive opening of the famous overture reminiscent of a volley of champagne corks through the surging energy of the ‘Fledermaus Waltz’ and the many comic numbers, of which the accelerando trio is the finest, up to such huge concerted numbers as the ‘Duidu’ finale to Act ... Read more

$13.99 CAD

Die Fledermaus is one of the few operatic works to which the phrase ‘never a dull moment’ can be truthfully applied. From the explosive opening of the famous overture reminiscent of a volley of champagne corks through the surging energy of the ‘Fledermaus Waltz’ and the many comic numbers, of which the accelerando trio is the finest, up to such huge concerted numbers as the ‘Duidu’ finale to Act
... Read more
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Opera Explained Don Giovanni

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 19 min

Don Giovanni has long been regarded as Mozart’s supreme theatrical achievement. The subject seems unpromising the last day in the life of the notorious womaniser Don Juan but the skill of the librettist allied to the genius of Mozart at the very peak of his powers has created a work which is not only highly entertaining but reflects an incredible understanding of the human condition. ... Read more

$13.99 CAD

Don Giovanni has long been regarded as Mozart’s supreme theatrical achievement. The subject seems unpromising the last day in the life of the notorious womaniser Don Juan but the skill of the librettist allied to the genius of Mozart at the very peak of his powers has created a work which is not only highly entertaining but reflects an incredible understanding of the human condition.
... Read more
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Opera Explained Madama Butterfly

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 5 min

Madama Butterfly runs the gamut of operatic emotions. The title heroine has a fragility wonderfully expressed in her entry music, deep sexual instincts as shown in the love duet, and immense tragic stature in her last hours. The fate of Madama Butterfly married to an American sailor and then abandoned engages our emotions, as it obviously did Puccini’s to a degree equalled by few other opera ... Read more

$11.99 CAD

Madama Butterfly runs the gamut of operatic emotions. The title heroine has a fragility wonderfully expressed in her entry music, deep sexual instincts as shown in the love duet, and immense tragic stature in her last hours. The fate of Madama Butterfly married to an American sailor and then abandoned engages our emotions, as it obviously did Puccini’s to a degree equalled by few other opera
... Read more
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Audiobook

Opera Explained Il trovatore

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 19 min

Il trovatore has been ruthlessly parodied. It is a tale of murder and mayhem, burned babies, roasted hags, would-be nuns, strolling minstrels and bad baritones. And indeed the libretto does call for a willing suspension of disbelief. The reward is in the music, a score as prodigally melodic as only the mature Verdi could write: the ‘Anvil’ Chorus, the ‘Miserere’ scene, two great tenor arias, a ... Read more

$13.99 CAD

Il trovatore has been ruthlessly parodied. It is a tale of murder and mayhem, burned babies, roasted hags, would-be nuns, strolling minstrels and bad baritones. And indeed the libretto does call for a willing suspension of disbelief. The reward is in the music, a score as prodigally melodic as only the mature Verdi could write: the ‘Anvil’ Chorus, the ‘Miserere’ scene, two great tenor arias, a
... Read more
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Audiobook

Opera Explained Pelléas et Mélisande

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 18 min

Dating from the last decade of the nineteenth century, Pelléas et Mélisande points the way into the twentieth century. The score is hauntingly beautiful, but there is more to the work than shifting panels of elusive, impressionistic sound. Debussy retains the text of Maeterlinck’s play, and the linguistic subtleties of the French text are matched perfectly by the musical detail. Taking a little ... Read more

$13.99 CAD

Dating from the last decade of the nineteenth century, Pelléas et Mélisande points the way into the twentieth century. The score is hauntingly beautiful, but there is more to the work than shifting panels of elusive, impressionistic sound. Debussy retains the text of Maeterlinck’s play, and the linguistic subtleties of the French text are matched perfectly by the musical detail. Taking a little
... Read more
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Audiobook

Opera Explained The Magic Flute

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 10 min

The Magic Flute almost defines a masterpiece, because it can be enjoyed on every level. It is a superb fairy story, complete with dragons, demons, a handsome prince, and a lovely maiden seriously in need of rescue; it is a political satire, social commentary, and psychological drama; it is full of tunes from the playful to the heart-stopping, jolly songs, and deeply spiritual outpourings. It is, ... Read more

$11.99 CAD

The Magic Flute almost defines a masterpiece, because it can be enjoyed on every level. It is a superb fairy story, complete with dragons, demons, a handsome prince, and a lovely maiden seriously in need of rescue; it is a political satire, social commentary, and psychological drama; it is full of tunes from the playful to the heart-stopping, jolly songs, and deeply spiritual outpourings. It is,
... Read more
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Audiobook

Opera Explained Così fan tutte

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 18 min

Così fan tutte contains some of Mozart’s most sublime music. On one level, the opera is purely a social anecdote about young people falling in and out of love; but Mozart was a supreme sensualist and a great humanist, and invested the tale with all his understanding of humanity and young love. In this title, David Timson refutes the charge that Mozart squandered his genius on a work full of ... Read more

$13.99 CAD

Così fan tutte contains some of Mozart’s most sublime music. On one level, the opera is purely a social anecdote about young people falling in and out of love; but Mozart was a supreme sensualist and a great humanist, and invested the tale with all his understanding of humanity and young love. In this title, David Timson refutes the charge that Mozart squandered his genius on a work full of
... Read more
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Audiobook

Opera Explained The Flying Dutchman

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 7 min

The Flying Dutchman is the perfect opera with which to approach the operatic mountain that is Richard Wagner. It is short, has a great story (the legend of the Dutch captain doomed to sail forever unless redeemed through love), and the striking score has many pre-echoes of Wagner’s later great music dramas. It contains wonderful tunes in its arias, ensembles, and big choruses, and the orchestral ... Read more

$11.99 CAD

The Flying Dutchman is the perfect opera with which to approach the operatic mountain that is Richard Wagner. It is short, has a great story (the legend of the Dutch captain doomed to sail forever unless redeemed through love), and the striking score has many pre-echoes of Wagner’s later great music dramas. It contains wonderful tunes in its arias, ensembles, and big choruses, and the orchestral
... Read more
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Audiobook

Opera Explained The Barber of Seville

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 18 min

The Barber of Seville is Rossini’s most popular opera. Its effervescent overture (written originally for another work!) presents a perfect platform for the amusing plot in which the barber, Figaro, stage-manages a romance between Count Almaviva and Rosina, and puts to flight the old suitor, Dr Bartolo. ‘Largo al Factotum’ is one of the most popular arias in opera nearly 200 years after its first ... Read more

$13.99 CAD

The Barber of Seville is Rossini’s most popular opera. Its effervescent overture (written originally for another work!) presents a perfect platform for the amusing plot in which the barber, Figaro, stage-manages a romance between Count Almaviva and Rosina, and puts to flight the old suitor, Dr Bartolo. ‘Largo al Factotum’ is one of the most popular arias in opera nearly 200 years after its first
... Read more
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Audiobook

Opera Explained L’elisir d’amore

by Thomson Smillie ...

Narrated by David Timson ...

Series series Opera Explained
Unabridged

1 hour 17 min

L’elisir d’amore, or The Elixir of Love, has remained popular for almost two centuries because of a touching tale and a galaxy of comic characters adapted from the traditional commedia dell’ arte. Above all Donizetti poured into the score all the warmth and tenderness of the Italian temperament. His melodic invention never ceases to charm whether in the jolly rustic choruses, the exhilarating ... Read more

$13.99 CAD

L’elisir d’amore, or The Elixir of Love, has remained popular for almost two centuries because of a touching tale and a galaxy of comic characters adapted from the traditional commedia dell’ arte. Above all Donizetti poured into the score all the warmth and tenderness of the Italian temperament. His melodic invention never ceases to charm whether in the jolly rustic choruses, the exhilarating
... Read more