![]() ![]() ![]() Tourism supports the economy of large parts of Italy, not to mention the United States. And a range of cultural activities can provide sufficient distraction for all concerned. A mountain refuge with an all-night discothèque will help control Massimo’s hormones, while a beach resort with tennis courts will allow Emma to keep in shape. There is no hope of resolving this dispute, only various degrees of compromise. ![]() If papà loves the mountain scenery, mammà looks forward to joining her friends at the sea if thirteen-year old Emma expects to hit the trail before daybreak, eighteen-year old Massimo wants only to ogle the procession of teen-age beauties in ever briefer bathing attire on their endless walks for his benefit, up and down the hot Adriatic sands. Some prefer sea breezes, swimming in the Mediterranean (less polluted than a decade ago), and quiet rest under an umbrella in one of the symmetrically arranged beach chairs that line Italy’s shores. The result has been nothing less than a re-birth for what was once the most popular music in the world, and this book is a wide-ranging and constantly stimulating illumination of the adventure of bringing that about.”-Will CrutchfieldĪn excerpt from Divas and Scholars Performing Italian Opera Philip GossettĮvery summer Italians find themselves engaged in delicate negotiations on which the happiness of a family depends: Should they spend their vacation at the seaside or in the mountains, mare o monti? Some believe in the virtues of clean air and brisk walks on carefully marked paths far above the heat and humidity of an Italian August. When some future historian has to describe in a few words the artistic renewal this repertory has enjoyed, I suspect two names will be culled from the hundreds who have contributed: Maria Callas for convincing the public that it was worth taking seriously, and Gossett for showing us all what it would mean to do so. “To call this book ‘a labor of love’ is simply to confirm expectations: Philip Gossett’s capacity for labor is legendary in every corner of the operatic profession, and his love for ottocento opera informs every sentence of his extensive writing about it and every bar of his meticulous editions. I am thrilled to have mine.”-Marilyn Horne “This is the book that is indispensable for opera performers, scholars, and lovers. Fortunately, this book provides a reference so now all musicians can benefit from his work.”-Renée Fleming I would never dream of approaching this repertoire without first consulting and coaching with him. In addition to his scholarly integrity, he is also a fine musician who can implement his own research by creating appropriate ornamentation for singers. His research and dedication to the task have enabled him to provide us, the performers, with a depth and breadth of knowledge about how to approach the specific stylistic challenges of this music. “Philip Gossett has made a tremendous contribution to the performance practice of Italian operatic repertoire from bel canto to Verdi. Now in my later years I’ve found in Philip Gossett my prophet.”-Bruno Bartoletti ![]() In my youth I was a pupil of and assistant to Tullio Serafin. And what a mine of information: for a professional musician such as myself, part two of this book ( Performing the Opera) was a welcome benefit, an indispensable guidebook. Singers, conductors, directors, musicologists, real or ideal characters are portrayed here with the right irony (and self-irony). Divas and Scholars is not only erudite: itÆs as entertaining and charming as a novel. Now I find out that he is also a tremendous storyteller. “I knew Philip Gossett was a great scholar. ![]()
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