The Complete Operas of Mozart - by Charles Osborne (Paperback)

About the Book

Charles Osborne provides detailed descriptions of the major operas by Mozart in a volume that serves as both a biography and a critical guide to the composer's oeuvre.

Book Synopsis

The major operas of Mozart--Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Cosìfan Tutte--are well known to music listeners everywhere, having secured a permanent place in the repertoire of companies throughout the world. But how much do you know about La Clemenza di Tito, Idomeneo, L'Oca del Cairo, Zaide? Charles Osborne here provides detailed descriptions of all of these and fourteen others in a volume that serves both a first-rate biography and an exhaustive critical guide to the Mozart oeuvre. Charles Osborne is obviously in command of the literature: He quotes copiously from the mountain of letters, contemporary journals, and the most recent scholarship dealing with the period. His fourfold approach--linking biography with musical, textual, and dramatic analysis--is uniquely satisfying for those seeking an integrated understanding of opera's many dimensions. With a plot summary and character listings of each work, The Completes Operas of Mozart can be read in one sitting for a panoramic sweep of Mozart's operatic genius or for reliable reference by the phonograph or radio.

About the Author

Charles Osborne, well-known British musicologist, critic, and broadcaster, is the author of The Concert Companion, Richard Wagner and His World, The Complete Operas of Verdi, The Complete Operas of Mozart, and other works.