Book Description
At last, it’s the ultimate history of the spectacular Star Wars saga, lavishly illustrated and in full color for the first time.
With the completion of Episodes I, II, and III, the epic story that’s captivated millions can now be told in its entirety, from the time of the primordial Knights of the Old Republic and the Clone Wars to the birth of the Empire, from the destruction of the Death Star to the adventures of the New Jedi Order.
Beautifully illustrated by Mark Chiarello, Tommy Lee Edwards, and John Van Fleet, Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology offers the comprehensive and official chronicle of that extraordinary galaxy so far, far away. Herein you’ll find
• the most exciting and climactic events from all epochs of Star Wars–those explosive turning points in the shaping of the galaxy
• a gripping account of the controversial Clone Wars–the treachery that fueled them and the terrifying aftermath
• profiles of the key players in the history of the Star Wars galaxy, along with all the most popular heroes and villains from every movie, book, comic, TV special, game, and cartoon
Follow Anakin Solo’s perilous journey as he wrestles with the dark side; behold the black soul of each Dark Lord of the Sith, from Darth Sidious to Darth Vader; experience the fiery space battles that decided the fates of entire planets; and witness the ferocious invasion of the seemingly invincible Yuuzhon Vong.
The training of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the invasion of Naboo, the capture of Princess Leia, the Battle of Yavin, the lightsaber death duel between Organa Solo and Beldorion the Hutt–all of the key events are captured and preserved for all time in this drama-filled Stars Wars chronicle.
Customer Reviews:
I dont give 5 stars reviews.......2007-08-29
I almost never give a 100% review to anything. Movies, Games, books, whatever. THIS is THE essential chronology for Star Wars. Its written like a history book for star wars which I find completely fascinating. As well it has a galaxy map which brings so much insight to events surrounding the lore of star wars. There is nothing I don't like about this book and if there is a more complete chronology out there I would like to know about it.
Good Start To Star Wars.......2007-06-26
I would have been alot happier with this book, if the author, while describing the Star Wars history, gave a reference to each event as it took place in each book and movie.A lot of what takes place in the history of Star Wars are the poorly cross referenced serial novels that make up 90% of the Star Wars Universe.If the author just gave the title of each book,as it takes place in the Star Wars Universe, and then gave a description of the events in each book,(and movie)- this book would have been great.Instead he attempts to tell a very complicated story as it evolved,and, fails to tell us where we can find each event in the library.
I have read most of the Star Wars books (so I know where the events take place)and find that there are very few authors, that write just Star Wars novels.They are newspaper writers and novelists,journalists that will write Star Wars Novels from an outline given to them by LucasFilms.Charactors get lost, decriptions of familar places change from author to author.In fact I find that very few of the books are correctly cross referenced.Each author has his own version of Star Wars history.
This book is no different,it gives you an outline of what happened,but nothing more.If you compare the writers that wrote this saga, to,Tolkien and Lord of the Rings, you'll find the cross references of the books, make the Star Wars writers look like fools,running an errand.The Star Wars Movies may be the greatest science fantasy series of all time.But the books are always disapointing.Tolkien spent decades inventing his books.Most of these books are written in the space of 3 or 4 weeks.Can you imagine if these books had been written with the same passion that LOR was?
In short,buy this book, but don't expect a complete overview of the saga.
Fantastic.......2007-01-26
This is the best New Essential Guide I've seen. It is comprehensive to say the least. Unlike some other guides, they waited until the saga was complete. It covers absolutely everything up to the Swarm War (Dark Nest Trilogy).
The illustrations are unique and beautiful.
Everything you want to know about Star Wars history is right there, organized and easy to read.
The history of the "Star Trek" universe up to 36 A.B.Y........2006-04-29
Now that George Lucas has completed Episodes I, II, and III of the "Star Wars" saga, it is time to take a moment and put together all of the pieces into a comprehensive chronology that account for everything in the "Star Wars" universe from the Pre-Republic Era to the Killik Expansion (so the chronology goes 35-36 years beyond the end of the original "Star Wars" movie). The six movies are at the heart of everything, but there are all those novels, comic books, and graphic novels, not to mention references to historical events that can be fleshed out. Putting everything in order is what "Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology" is all about. With text by Daniel Wallace, with Kevin J. Anderson, this "new" version is updated for "The Phantom Menace," "Attack of the Clones," "Revenge of the Sith," and the new Jedi order. It also has dozens of full-color illustrations by Mark Chiarello, Tommy Lee Edwards, and John Van Fleet, who distinct styles certainly complement each other.
Ever since the hologram of Princess Leia named Obi-Wan Kenobi as her only hope and mentioned the Clone Wars fans of "Star Wars" have been trying to expand their knowledge of that galaxy far, far away in a time long ago. The history of the "Star Wars" universe is divided into a dozen parts: (1) Tales of the Ancient Republic; (2) The Fall of the Republic, which includes films I-III; (3) The Empire and the New Order; (4) Profiles in History of Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and the Skywalkers; (5) The Galactic Civil War, which covers the original trilogy; (6) Birth of the New Republic; (7) Empire Resurgent; (8) The Return of the Jedi Knights; (9) Uprisings and Insurgencies; (10) A Lasting Peace; (11) Generations of Jedi Knights; and (12) The New Jedi Order. The attempt by Wallace, with Anderson, is to write history rather than tell stories, although the result falls pretty much somewhere in between. If you want to now what happened before, in between, and after the two movie trilogies, then this chronology certainly does tells you what you need to know.
The dating convention employed in the chronology uses the Battle of Yavin as its zero point, treating the destruction of the first Death Star and the dawning of "a new hope" for the people of the galaxy as the symbolic beginning of the current society. Therefore events preceding that point in time are indicated B.B.Y., and those afterwards as A.B.Y. The only real complaint here is that you have to go to the "Star Wars" web site to track down the extensive list of historical resources, so unless you are as well versed in the various "Star Wars" novels, comic books, and computer games as you are in the twin movie trilogies, you are not going to know where Wallace and Anderson are getting all of the puzzle pieces. So you have a couple of hoops to jump through to even find out whether there is a story about the Battle of Dreighton or the death of Zsinj to track down let alone to read. There is a four-page index, so that if you already know about the Kaiburr Crystal or want to see everything there is to know about Chewbacca or Mon Montha, you can find what the chronology has to say about them.
The back of the book includes a map of the galaxy, so you can find Hoth and Bespin in the Outer Rim, trace the Corellian Run and the Perlemian Trade Route, and distinguish the Core Worlds from the Colonies and those of the Inner Rim. "Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology" is one of seven volumes in this series of reference books, the others being: "Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Characters," "Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Droids," and "Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons" (all of which are also written by Wallace), along with "Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Weapons & Technology," "Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Vehicles & Vessels," and "Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Alien Species." At face value this volume is the best of the bunch because it is the most useful in terms of putting all of the pieces together. Of course, if you are interested in adding your own stories to the "Star Wars" galaxy, you would probably need the entire library to make sure you have yourself covered. You would not want to have R2-D2 colored the wrong way or something.
Amazing........2006-04-07
The authors have done an EXCELLENT job of compiling the VAST amount of information presented in both the films and the expanded universe. They have seamlessly and consistently intertwined the information to create what is the equivalent of a history textbook of the Star Wars universe. The information is concise, while being thorough and informative. This book is perfect for those like myself who love everything about Star Wars, but don't want to set and read every single novel and comic or play every single video game. This book is also perfect for those who have read everything, but may need their memories refreshed. So, in conclusion, I guess you could say this book is perfect for ANY fan!
Book Description
The History And The Hardware
How exactly did the Empire come into being? Who are those strange beings who patronize the cantina at Mos Eisley Spaceport? And what exactly makes the Millennium Falcon one of the fastest ships in the galaxy?
The saga that was born with the line "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." needs no introduction, but the intricacies of the epic tale go far beyond a simple phrase. It is a vast universe that provides the setting for Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi; strange creatures known as Jawas deal in used droids, while moisture farmers eke out a living on a harsh and arid desert planet. Rebel forces use whatever material they can muster, bringing it to bear against a vast and technologically advanced Empire that possesses weaponry capable of destroying an entire world in the space of a heartbeat.
The Star Wars Technical Journal takes an in-depth look at the many and varied elements that comprise the rich Star Wars tapestry, including:
-- The spacecraft, from TIE Series fighters to Star Destroyers
-- The exotic locales, including Tatooine, Hoth, and Cloud City
-- Histories of the Empire and the Rebel forces
...and much, much more.
Through comprehensive entries, extensive photographs, detailed schematics, rare production artwork, character designs, and six eight-page fold-out blueprints, the secrets of the species, the technologies, and the inner-workings of the Rebel and Imperial forces unfold.
Through months of meticulous research, Texas author Shane Johnson reviewed hours of film and radio drama, hundreds of pages of technical material and media materials, roleplaying rules, production art, and everything else available covering the Star Wars canon. A talented technical illustrator as well, he also produced the schematics needed to properly cover the technical details that went into producing the adventure of a lifetime. His other credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Journal and Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise.
Based on Starlog magazine's Star Wars Technical Journals.
Customer Reviews:
This is a good book.......2001-03-18
Well its diagrams are great, most books just give you some lame art. The reason that the book contains many model pictures is because Johnson had the original models from Skywalker ranch (hence the 'Skywalker tour') If you knew what was going on you would not have a problem with this book
Star Wars Technical Journal.......2000-01-25
This is a wounderfull book for the hard core Star Wars fan. It gives technical maps of everything you would want a technical map on. If you want to know how the sublight drive on the Millenium Falcon works, or the parts of a light saber down to the power cell, this is the book to get. Please help to get this book back in print, it is really worth it!
A little cheesy........1998-12-05
This book did provide pictures of many of the ships in the movie, but most of them were closeups of models instead of cut-scenes from the movie. The difference is like watching your kid play w/ action figures instead of watching a really cool movie. The text kept refering to "the Skywalker Tour," what's up with that?
The force is strong in this book.......1998-11-17
This is a most have in the star wars saga, bealive me when im telling you that this book tell's you everything about the star wars univers, if you want to learn the basic stuff about star wars, don't think, just buy it.
A must have for any Star Wars fan!.......1998-08-22
The facts are out! This book gives a wider understanding on various aspects of the Star Wars Universe. A great addition to any collection and a helping hand to the confused. BUY IT!! I really recommend it.
Average customer rating:
- Outstanding, but an update is overdue!
- OK if you ignore obsolecence
- Must have for Star Trek fans
- Good, but...
- In desperate need of review!!
|
The Star Trek Encyclopedia
Michael Okuda ,
Denise Okuda , and
Debbie Mirek
Manufacturer: Star Trek
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The Physics of Star Trek
ASIN: 0671536095 |
Amazon.com
This new version of the Star Trek Encyclopedia is a reissue of the 1997 edition, plus a 128-page supplement of additional material that updates Deep Space Nine to the end of its run and Voyager to midway through season five. It also covers the movie Star Trek: Insurrection. The supplement is as meticulously detailed as the rest of the volume, listing such fascinating trivia as chadre kab (Seven of Nine's first meal), 'Kahless and Lukara' (a Klingon opera), and voraxna (a Cardassian poison), as well as all the new characters and species. Appendices include illustrations of starships, cast and crew listings, a historical timeline, and a bibliography. All photographs and illustrations (except for a few historical shots) are in color. The encyclopedia was devised in part to help production staff on the various Star Trek TV series to keep up with the ever-increasing level of detail generated by over 30 years of creative effort. It is an excellent reference volume and, whether you want to settle an argument or write a novel, this book will answer your questions. But beware: the extensive cross-referencing leads to curious time-distortion effects, in which the unwary reader, dipping in to settle a single query, encounters an irresistible urge to browse further, during which hours of normal time can pass in the wink of an eye. --Elizabeth Sourbut
Book Description
From 'audet IX to Zytchin III, this book covers it all. This is the ultimate reference book for all Star Trek fans!
Added to this edition are 128 new pages. This addendum highlights the latest episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®, Star Trek: Voyager® and the newest feature film, Star Trek: Insurrection™.
The thousands of photos and hundreds of illustrations place the Star Trek universe at your fingertips. Planets and stars, weapons and ships, people and places are just part of the meticulous research and countless cross-reference that fill this book.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding, but an update is overdue!.......2007-06-17
I bought this book in 2003, and it covered most of the bases then, but only the movies through 1998 ("Insurrection" IIRC; "Nemesis" is not covered.), and the 5th season of Voyager. It just covered the last season of DS9. And of course it has none of the "Enterprise" series.
There have also been events such as the Paramount auction of all the series and movie paraphernalia since then, and that could be a chapter all by itself.
I came on Amazon today expecting to see a new and updated version for sale, and was disappointed that the old edition is still all that's available.
Michael and Denise Okuda know everything there is to know about ST, and are the perfect people to update this. If I were shopping today for the first time I would say wait for the new edition, but buy a used paperback 1999 just to see what it's all about.
Keeping my fingers crossed that someone sees the demand for an updated version!
OK if you ignore obsolecence.......2007-04-19
Nothing on the end of Voyager's Delta Quadrant wanderings? Nothing on Enterprise's backstory additions and newly-created anachronisms? Both this book and the related Star Trek Chronology need serious revamping. I appreciate the Okuda's insider Trekker style, but this reeks of willful blindness!
Must have for Star Trek fans.......2007-03-04
The COMPLETE encyclopedia of Star Trek info. A must for those fans who want to ensure an exhaustive Star Trek knowledge base.
Good, but..........2007-02-08
Hi! I am from Italy. I have bought "Star Trek Encyclopedia" and I like it very much, but this book stops at 1999: it is not updated whith last Voyager's seasons (fifth, sixth and seventh), the whole Enterprise's cycle and "Star Trek: Nemesis".
In desperate need of review!!.......2006-10-03
1999? It's 2006!! Come on, folks!! Excellent book that needs an update!!
Book Description
Discover who’s who and what’s what in the Star Wars universe with this beautifully illustrated guide–now in full color for the first time.
When it comes to extraterrestrial life-forms, there’s more to science fiction’s most famous galaxy than just Jawas, Wookiees, Ewoks, and Hutts. From the skylanes of Coruscant to the worlds of the Outer Rim, an untold number of species populate those planets far, far away. And if you confuse Gungans with Gamorreans, or don’t know a bantha from a tauntaun, you definitely need the in-depth data that only this revised, expanded, and updated guide can deliver.
This comprehensive overview includes beings from all six of the classic movies–plus the novels, cartoon series, comics, and video games. It’s an even bigger cross section of species than what you’ll find in the Mos Eisley cantina. And each entry, from acklay to Zabrak, from amphibians to vacuum-breathers, features everything you need to know, including
• complete physical description and official designation, so you can tell your sentients from your non-sentients, and your humanoids from your insectoids
• homeworld: from dry and dusty Tatooine, stormy and waterlogged Kamino, to arctic Hoth, and countless other strange and varied worlds
• phonetic pronunciation: Askajian, H’nemthe, Iktotchi, Ssi-ruu, and Xexto/Quermian aren’t as easy to say as they are to, er, spell
• notable appearance: a listing of one of the more significant appearances of each species in the teeming Star Wars storyline
Plus, this brand-new edition includes a glossary of crucial descriptive terms and a completely original, full color illustration for each of more than one hundred individual species. It’s a big galaxy, and someone has to organize it. Count on Star Wars®: The New Essential Guide to Alien Species–and don’t leave your homeworld without it.
Customer Reviews:
Expanded Second Edition.......2007-01-12
Now how are you going to understand the joke unless you know these species. And how are you going to know these species without the guide book.
This guide book is a description of the alien species found in the Star Wars. Generally each species gets two pages. On the left hand side wil be a drawing illustrating a representative of the species. On the tight is a description of the species, their home habitat, and other pertinent information about them. Overall, about a hundred species are so described, with another few dozen more given a third of a page or so of description.
This is the second edition of the book: revised, expanded and with color images of the alien species as requested by the readers of the earlier edition.
Of particular interest is the entry on 'Humans.' It remarks that we are really quite wide spread across the galazy. I guess that mean we've still got a chance.
New Essential Guide To Alien Species.......2007-01-12
Glad to see the newer version. They did leave out the Selkath and Rakata from Knights Of The Old Republic. Hopefully they will be added to the 3rd version (if there is one).
Star Wars .......2007-01-11
My husband is a BIG Star Wars fan! He received this book along with the updated Guide to Droids. He has all the Essential Guides & likes to keep up to date on the latest Aliens. I would recommend this book to add to your collection of Star Wars Books. Kind of like a "program" guide
Incomplete.......2006-12-20
Now while I did enjoy the new info, pics, and the fact that it has finally been released, it is still lacking. Some species should have been depicted and further explored such as the Muun, Gen'Dai, Sith (species), Vagaari, and the like. It was lacking.
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE.......2006-11-03
If you've ever wondered what the differences were between a tauntaun and a bantha, well than this is the book for you! Lavishly illustrated with complete bios and histories on the denizens of the STAR WARS universe, you'll spend hours exploring a galaxy far, far away!
Book Description
Created by American Idol’s Simon Cowell, the classical supergroup Il Divo burst out of nowhere to conquer the music world. With its lush orchestral arrangements and romantic sweep, the group’s debut CD enchanted listeners everywhere—to the tune of four million copies sold. But where did these four hugely talented and incredibly photogenic young men come from? And how did this multilingual “popera” group end up becoming one of the biggest sensations of our time? Music journalist Allegra Rossi celebrates her idols with an in-depth biography that’s sure to please the band’s legions of fans. Filled with never-before-seen photos, it provides a complete chronicle of the lives and work of singers David Miller, Sébastien Izambard, Urs Buhler, and Carlos Marin: the truly divine quartet.
Customer Reviews:
Informative.......2007-07-24
I enjoyed it very much as it makes you feel as if you know them.
Romancing the world.......2007-07-23
As a new devotee to Il Divo I was anxious to know more about the lads. It did answer the question that I had been looking for in numerous websites. How tall the boys were, as seeing them on stage in concert is deceptive. It covered the formation of the band, interviews they had given along the way and highlights of their careers before Il Divo. As the book was written in 2005 there is a gap until now, mid 2007. The photos were great. There are even some of the guys out of their wonderful suits. By this I mean in casual clothes. I would have liked to to have known more "intimate" (as Carlos would put it) details e.g. expand on their likes and personal goals to truly capture (for this reader) the essence of Il Divo romancing the world!
Ramancing the world.......2007-07-22
I got this book one afternoon after work and spent the next few hours reading from start to finish. This is a keeper for all those die hard Il Divo fans out there. Great photos of the boys before Il Divo and shock upon shock even some information I did not know. Lovely presentation. Would make a great gift for a newbie.
Everything You Wanted To Know About IL Divo.......2007-05-09
WOW! what a book. It tells how the group was formed and the fantastic concerts they have performed around the world.
This is a must! Everyone should buy this book!
Congratulations to the authors.
superbly interesting.......2007-05-07
I'm an avid IL DIVO fan. I love their style. I love their kind of music. They are superbly fabulous. They are the perfect concoction of musicians. I'd like to congratulate Mr. Simon cowell, to his superb ideas in forming this kind of group of musicians. To me, IL DIVO is number one, they are the best of the best. Anything that pertains IL DIVO, always catches my attention and interest. Reading their biography, is knowing more each one of them. I'm hoping, that in the future, Amazon.com will be selling more items regarding Il Divo.
Average customer rating:
- 4 and 1/2 for Being TOO SHORT!
- Think outside the opera box
- Brilliantly
- Concise Examination of a Master Composer
- Brilliant
|
Aspects of Wagner (Oxford Paperbacks)
Bryan Magee
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Perfect Wagnerite
ASIN: 0192840126 |
Book Description
The man whom W.H. Auden called `perhaps the greatest genius that ever lived' has inspired extremes of adulation and loathing. In this penetrating analysis, Bryan Magee outlines the range and depth of Wagner's achievement, and shows how his sensational and erotic music expresses the repressed and highly charged contents of the psyche. He also examines Wagner's detailed stage directions, and the prose works in which he formulated his ideas, and sheds interesting new light on his anti-semitism. This new edition has been extensively revised. It includes a fresh chapter, `Wagner as Music'.
Customer Reviews:
4 and 1/2 for Being TOO SHORT!.......2007-05-28
Magee ended up outdoing himself in his later work "The Tristan Chord". And this is worth overall 4.5 stars for the same reasons: balanced, eminently insightful writing and just enough quirkiness to keep the interest at a high level throughout.
I guess it says alot for this book that I knocked off a half star entirely for its brevity. You end up wanting MORE at the end. Maybe I should have just relented and given this one 5 huh?
Think outside the opera box.......2006-08-28
Even though this book is years old, the ideas remain fresh and challenging. Questions of pacing in performance (maybe the dreaded longueurs are not necessary), and origins of Wagner's antiSemitism (an interesting twist on the privilege of the cultural outsider).
An easy read, something to discuss at intermission.
Brilliantly .......2006-08-21
This may seem odd, but to those of you interested enough to read reviews of this short book of essays on Wagner written nearly 40 years ago, my first advice is to read (no, run!) to Byran McGee's "Tristan Chord," published only a couple years ago, which in my humble opinion is one of the two greatest analytical works of Wagner's operas published in the last century. (The other is Deryck Cooke's "I Saw the World End"--an analysis of the "Ring" first published in 1979.)
McGee in that longer book and in this shorter collection of brief essays exemplifies the finest qualities of the English in his Wagner criticism: common sense, plain language, brilliant argumentation. He is such a relief from scholars (sorry, particularly German scholars) who think that opaque or convoluted rhetoric suggests depth. That's a [...]. Mr. McGee by comparison is fresh air...and his brilliance is self-evident.
This is a short book, six essays, each well defined on various aspects of Wagner. Two are clearly the most interesting: first, McGee's analysis of why Wagner's music excites such passion (pro or con)--i.e., what makes that music so affecting, so transcendant, so "dangerous" to many of us. He explores our guilty pleasure in Wagner better than any author has ever done. And second, his book offers a very interesting essay on the reasons for the flowering of Jewish intellectuals who so dominated and contributed to late 19th and early 20th century culture after over a thousand years of Jewish irrelevance to wider Western culture.
Those two essays make the book definitely worth acquiring and reading. The other essays are fine, if less sparkling. But I cannot emphasize enough: if you have any interest in Wagner, you must acquire Mr. McGee's "Tristan Chord." It is the best overall key to understanding Wagner's operas in print today.
Concise Examination of a Master Composer.......2005-02-08
More than any other figure in the classical Canon, Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) has provoked a dichotomy of passion in regards to his music, character and legacy. Bryan Magee's *Aspects of Wagner*, a series of concise, articulate essays about the composer and theorist, confronts both sides of the polarization, examining the essential components that inspire such adulation, probing with unusual insight the negative connotations ever associated with mere mention of the name.
These aspects, in brief:
THEORY: After the success of Lohengrin, Wagner took a six-year break from composing to recharge the cylinders, theorize and re-examine the operatic form. The result of this sabbatical would shake the foundations of the Canon. For Wagner, no longer would drama be a means to a musical end - window-garnishing syntax to embellish the sonic - instead, music would be the means with which to express the dramatic ~emotion~ of the piece. Music would emphasize, shift and elucidate to the passage of the text, a notion that has proved indescribably influential: the whole of modern film-symphonic owes its debt to this innovation.
JEWS: A virulent anti-Semitist, repelled by the physical aspect of Jews and critical of their compositional abilities - "shallow and artificial" - Wagner espoused these opinions in the public forum and, in reality, reflected the mindset of mainstream German society during his time. Further propagated by Wagner's widow and offspring, these views influenced Hitler as a youth and were taken verbatim for his totalitarian platform. Wagner's demand for Judiasm to be eradicated, via renouncement of faith and conversion to Christian theism, was corrupted by the Nazi propagandists as a call for physical annihilation. More fuel for the critical fire! And yet, one of Wagner's closest companions, Hermann Levi, was a Jew, and conducted the premiere of Parsifal; moreover, Wagner's worldview of pacifism and assimilation doesn't jive at all with the Fascist manifesto - the Nazis took what was useful and abandoned the 'feel good' vibes. Bryan Magee doesn't really address any of this, however: rather, he theorizes as to ~why~ Wagner considered Jews inferior artists, especially in regard to the fact that three of the dominant geniuses of our modern culture were Jewish - Marx, Freud and Einstein. Magee points to the cultural repression of Judaism throughout hundreds of years, an isolationist subjugation that was only beginning to disintegrate by the start of 19th century; the flowering of Jewish intellect - and assimilation of Western culture - would take several generations to unfold. The resultant revolutionary thought of the triumvirate above, undeniable in their influence, stemmed from an outward contemplation and subsequent deconstruction of the adopted conventional standards. Indeed, Wagner's original essays are surprisingly insightful as to the underlying reasons for the artifice of Jewish composers of his day, though the eventual intellectual aptitude they would bring to the table undoubtedly eluded the composer.
IDOLATRY: As much the subject of abject idolatry as venomous refutation, Wagner is a love-or-hate figure, with little ground of compromise between. Magee theorizes that this is because the music, in harmonic construction and theme, gives expression to all that unconscious and repressed in the human mind, including Oedipal sexuality, unleashed eroticism, moral questioning and violence; the tonal qualities stir forth base, animalistic urges to the forefront, taboos further exemplified by the stage-work. The composer's emphasis on the undercurrents of the psyche predated modern psychology by fifty years: thus the subconscious ~rejection~ of many to his music, and its appeal to the more questing intellect.
INFLUENCE: A short list: Gustav Mahler, Anton Schonberg, Richard Strauss, Dvorak, Piotr Tchaikovsky, Claude Dubussy, Edward Elgar, Dmitry Shostakovich, Anton Bruckner; James Joyce, Bernard Shaw, Marcel Proust, D.H. Lawerence, Oscar Wilde, E.M. Forster, Thomas Mann, Virginia Wolff; T.S. Elliot, Baudelaire, Lytton, Ezra Pound; Nietzsche and Freud. When one contemplates the authority these people had over their disciples, the position of Wagner, in terms of all aspects of modern thought, truly staggers the mind, and lends credit to Magee's conclusion that "...Wagner has had greater influence than any other artist on our culture of the age."
PERFORMANCE: The greatest compositions can never reach true interpretation, according to Magee; each conductor brings something different to the performance, and only reaches an approximation of that on paper - even the creator fails to achieve a definitive performance! Magee also goes into depth about what is needed to properly stage a Wagner spectacle, and uses the model of Bayreuth's opera house, constructed by the composer himself, as the epitome surroundings. Wagner set the orchestra out-of-sight, so as not to distract the audience from the on-stage drama; he arranged the acoustics of the opera house to give emphasis to the words, with the music hovering beneath as counterpoint and ambient emphasis. Another issue in this essay is the conflict that arises in non-German speakers listening to Wagner. With the text so critical to the overall appreciation, and the differences of semantic inflection taken into account, there are two choices: learn German, or seek out the better translations that, although conforming to the grammar, sometimes lose the power of meaning.
MUSIC: Magee criticizes the (then) contemporary adaptation of Wagner's sound-cycles to politically-correct allegory. Wagner deliberately utilized myth and archetypes to simplify the narrative and give emphasis on emotional undercurrents; using it as critical commentary on current issues (1960's) was, to Magee, a debasement of Wagner's ideal. Magee also notes how difficult it is to write about the music ~itself~: thus the glut of media talking about every aspect of Wagner *except* that which he is most famous for, that which firmly set his place on the Romantic pantheon!
This book serves as an insightful analysis of Wagner, in all his complexities and contradictions. Recommended for the student of the classical Canon.
Brilliant.......2003-05-10
This penetrating essay on Wagner's works is deceptively brief. Magee's analysis is brilliant and right on target. He manages to say in a few well chosen words what other books ramble on about for pages. This book is well written, authoritative, and masterful. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Average customer rating:
- The AMAZING Taymor!
- Uh Oh, I'm now a fan of Julie Taymor
- A lush and sensual introduction to a gifted artist
|
Julie Taymor, Playing With Fire: Theater Opera Film
Eileen Blumenthal , and
Julie Taymor
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
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George Tsypin Opera Factory: Building in the Black Void
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LION KING, THE: PRIDE ROCK ON BROADWAY
ASIN: 0810938790 |
Amazon.com
To a mainstream theater world startled by the design and staging brilliance of The Lion King, Julie Taymor seems to have landed like a meteor. But as this handsome coffee-table volume attests, she's been a master of masks and puppets for 20 years, spending most of that time creating idiosyncratic visions in fringe theaters. But all of the elements have been brewing: the mythic puppets in Way of Snow, grotesque masks in The King's Stag, and the human/animal connection in Juan Darien are all evidence of Taymor's talent. Consider Playing with Fire to be her playbook for future endeavors.
Customer Reviews:
The AMAZING Taymor!.......1999-12-03
I had always understood poetry to be an experience involving words, but even experiencing the frozen images of Julie Taybor's work was an indescribably moving experience. I could absolutely understand by the images how much more ALIVE her creations would be when manipulated on the stage. Being exposed to the work of Julie Taymor has been one of the most important experiences of my year.
Uh Oh, I'm now a fan of Julie Taymor.......1998-03-20
I've just finished 'The Lion King, on Broadway' book. That's just whet my appetite to go out and 'put on a show'. This book was my next step and boy, I wasn't disappointed! 'Playing with Fire' is a truly splendid book, chronicalling the vocational, personal and thoroughly creative life of Ms.Taymor. The photos are dramatic as well as detailed and along with her conceptual costume sketches, the book is perfect for reference, inspiration and motivation for all you wannabe designers out there. I really admire this woman, what she has done with her life, the belief in herself and of how she surpasses herself with each new project. This book is a must for anyone who needs that extra motivational push once in a while when they are struggling as a designer, actor, or any vocation that involves loving what you do.
A lush and sensual introduction to a gifted artist.......1997-01-18
A big book overflowing with big ideas as conceived and breathed life into by America's most unique theatre artist. This is a volume to read, to reread, to spark your imagination and to put on your coffee table to look at the cool pictures. The only thing more you could wish for is if Julie herself could make a home visit when you bought the book
Book Description
This ravishing volume is the official companion to one of the blockbuster films of 2005, featuring the complete original screenplay and more than 150 stunning images from both the film and the theater productions worldwide. Forewords by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Joel Schumacher.
Customer Reviews:
great film!.......2007-10-03
I love the story. It is very interesting. Other people might love the story as well; It has a different version on what is the actual opera show has; and that makes the story more successful. I love the whole side of the story.... the characters, the set-ups, the pacing and the musics. Being a phantom opera fan, I am not disappointed. Well, infact the directors and the whole cast was very amazing. The story captures the all the things you cannot imagine on the phantom of the opera alone. I will always love the movie....
EXCELLENT.......2007-08-11
I cannot say enough about this book. If you loved the movie version of POTO than this is a MUST for you. IT goes into the history of the story and right up to the movie made in 2004. I've turned mine into a scrapbook. I've printed out pictures from the movie off the internet and have included them in many of the pages here. If you especially liked Gerard Butler as the Phantom...buy it!! You will not be sorry.
Very enjoyable...nice addition to your collection........2007-03-24
Being a die-hard phan (as most of you reading this probably are as well), I devour nearly anything related to our man in the mask. After seeing (and totally loving!) the 2004 movie with Gerard Butler, I bought this companion book as soon as possible. It contains very interesting background information from the Phantom's beginnings in the G. Leroux novel, continuing through almost every incarnation of him up to and including the 2004 movie. It was nice to read so much background detail. The last part of this book contains the screenplay. Before ordering this book, I had thought this section would read as more of a "novel" of the movie rather than a movie script itself, so I was a bit disappointed by that. The text is a little choppy at times, but it is interesting nonetheless and provides certain insights you cannot know simply from watching the movie. I would say this book is more of the fluffy, "coffee-table" material for casual reading. Very pretty throughout - nice pictures - an overall good addition to any phan's collection.
Fabulous book to accompany a fabulous story.......2007-02-01
This book is a must-have for any Phantom of the Opera fan. The Complete Phantom of the Opera by George Perry is more detailed on the story behind the musical, but as an updated version that includes info and pictures from the movie, this book is essential to any true "Phan".
A Phantom Memory.......2007-01-05
A must have book for anyone who loved the movie or the play. I have seen both ways and enjoyed the book just as much. This was a wonderful ensight into how the movie was made and all the work to make the movie possible.
Average customer rating:
- A fair and almost kind Bio by a nosey gossip columist
- Critic's Comments
- A biography worthy of the subject
- An interesting enigma
- Watching a street sweeper can be fascinating.
|
Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life
Jeannie Williams , and
Birgit Nilsson
Manufacturer: Northeastern University Press
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Fifty-Five Years in Five Acts: My Life in Opera
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ASIN: 1555534082 |
Amazon.com
Although Jeannie Williams was not able to get cooperation from Jon Vickers for her biography of the tenor, he should hardly be displeased with the result. Whenever she touches on the big battles Vickers fought in the opera world--and there are many, from an early dispute with BBC television that simmered for decades, to touchy relations with the Bayreuth Festival that restricted Vickers's appearances to just two summers, to his famous withdrawal from engagements as Tannhäuser--Williams is scrupulous in her presentation of every aspect of the dispute. What emerges from this life story is a great artist who is surprisingly simple, true to his beliefs from the very start, and dispassionately aware of the value of his gifts. Williams gives us a man who encompasses three of opera's most demanding roles (Otello, Tristan, and Aeneas in Les Troyens) in one season at the Metropolitan Opera, then is asked to stand by for Placido Domingo as he toys with Aeneas in the Met's centennial season. Lack of respect in his native Canada is a recurring theme: the great Tristan shares the bill with Phil Silvers at the Canadian National Exposition, and a fitting farewell tour is sabotaged by the Canada Council.
Because she must rely on published interviews, Williams is constricted in her analysis of how Vickers developed his highly individual interpretations of his roles. Tellingly, a singing actress who could meet Vickers on his own terms, Teresa Stratas, offers the most revealing descriptions of how the singer worked. Through accumulation of details (Benjamin Britten twice walked out on Vickers's Peter Grimes; elsewhere we learn that Vickers found embellished Handel "old fashioned"), Williams gives us a sense of what made Vickers wild and gripping onstage. Birgit Nilsson contributed the lovely foreword. --William R. Braun
Book Description
The first biography of a legendary tenor.
Customer Reviews:
A fair and almost kind Bio by a nosey gossip columist.......2005-05-17
Folks, this man is my hero. As an artist he is near pearless. Anyone who loves great acting can find inspiration if not enjoyment in Opera from seeing or hearing the great singing actors of our history like Callas, Gobbi, and most especially Jon Vickers. Watch his live performance as Peter Grimes under Colin Davis and you will see what I mean.
Now to the subject at hand. Something should be remembered folks when you read the fact that he did not want to cooperate with this journalist from USA Today. He never really wanted full heartedly to be a 'professional singer'. He sang as a hobby why persueing a business career.
He married a lovely women and had five children with her; six mouths to feed. If he fought against overuse of his instrument, lack of quality from fellow singers and directors, and had the courage to insist for higher salaries in this most grueling of businesses, I would say the man had his reasons and one has to wonder how he made it out of this business with any sanity. How can anyone dare to judge a man's behavior when his wife of 38 years is dying from a long battle with cancer?
He says that he gave all his art to the glory of his God and that in it he found his purpose. I would say that if the stress of this self-inflicted goal made him a little difficult to be around or work with, then any of you who feel worthy to analize and judge him need to see if you could perform these works better then he.
How dare this woman not allow him to tell his story as he wishes or even force him to tell it at all. If she has the right to privacy then so does he. And don't give me any stuff about 'the people needing to know everything'. Most folks today cannot tell what is important or not. Critical thinking is the worst thing being inflicted on students and artists in today's society. This retired artist has a constantly growing following. One of the biggest in history. And the man is retired. We have his work documented. It is there for all to see. Let this man tell us his story in his own way and leave him in peace.
Have I read this book about my hero? Yes. It is more revealing than most fans realize. That is what is unfair about this. Provocative? Yes, but at the expence of an already great man by his simplicity that makes him great. View his art but leave his life to himself.
Critic's Comments.......2003-03-16
CRITICS' COMMENTS on Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life
Peter G. Davis, music critic, New York magazine, formerly of The New York Times:
""Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life ranks among the most impressive books I have ever read about an individual singer . ...If the man himself remains an intriguing enigma, that in no way lessens the achievement of this objectively written, painstakingly researched, immensely readable biography."
Antony Peattie, BBC Music Magazine:
"This major new biography gives an unusually full picture of the man, his voice, and his career ... One of the best studies of a singer that I have ever read."
Patrick J. Smith, Opera News:
"Jeannie Williams has done an excellent job in bringing back memories of an extraordinarily vivid singer."
Publishers Weekly:
"In this remarkably even-handed, unauthorized account, Williams engagingly depicts the conflicting aspects of a great artist's personality and howthey shaped his career."
A biography worthy of the subject.......2001-04-28
This is one of the finest biographies of a singer I have ever read. (And I've read a lot.) Jon Vickers was one of the greatest singers of the past 50 years, the supreme Siegmund, Florestan, Tristan, Aeneas and Peter Grimes of his time. (And no slouch as Otello, Canio, Samson and Parsifal, either.) He was a singer with a unique timbre, an iconoclastic temprement, and a burning sense of his artistic mission. Like many great artists, he could sometimes act a little crazy. He was stubborn, short-tempered (he did not suffer fools at all, much less gladly) and on occasion, downright irrational and almost violent. He was also a deeply spiritual man and great artist capable of giving performances of almost transcendant beauty and intensity.
Jeannie Williams gives a comprehensive picture of the great tenor, both his abundant virtues and his manifest warts. The book is well-reasearched and remarkably complete in its account of his career, considering that Vickers refused to participate or cooperate with the author. Vickers' deep Christian beliefs and convictions are treated respectfully and recognized as an integral part of what made him the artist that he was.
The most fascinating chapters are the ones on Vickers' notorious Tannhäuser cancellation in the late 70s (which left both Covent Garden and the Met in the lurch), and on his relationship with the opera "Peter Grimes." As to the former, Vickers maintained that he could not sing Tannhäuser because his religious convictions prevented him from finding any point of connection with the character, and because he found Tannhäuser "revolting." But every single person interviewed for the book, many of them wholly sympathetic to Vickers, believed that the real reason for Vickers' cancellation was because he could not handle the vocal demands of the part. The author allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusion about the incident. As for Peter Grimes, which many consider Vickers' greatest role, Williams affirms that the composer disliked Vickers interpretation intensely and resented Vickers' unilateral (and unauthorized) rewrite of some of the text. (Vickers later claimed that Britten had sanctioned the changes and that they had been made in collaboration with conductor Colin Davis, but according to Williams, they were entirely Vickers' doing.)
This is the very best kind of operatic biography - written by someone who deeply admires the subject but who does not allow that admiration to cloud her judgment or degenerate into fan-like gush. This will no doubt remain the definitive biography of Vickers for quite some time. Highly recommended.
An interesting enigma.......2000-09-26
Reviewing this book is frustrating. As a biography, it is very well written and as close to objective as humanly possible. This is no drooling, glossy fan book altho Ms Williams is certainly a fan of Mr Vickers (as I have been for many years). The paradox comes as we read of Mr Vickers nasty temperament that hides behind a cloak of being so "religious" while showing numerous instances of public rudeness to colleagues as well as to his public by signing contracts he had no intentions of fulfilling (such as his Tannhauser). If a truly great artist and human being as Lauritz Melchior frankly admitted the role of Walther lay too uncomfortably high for him, why couldn't Vickers admit the role of Tannhauser was too difficult for him. Instead he hides behind a hypocritical excuse of "religion" or "morality." How moral is Siegmund, one of hsi signature roles, who runs off with his sister (who is married to another character) AND has a child with her? Ms Williams shows us that Vickers was quite similar to a composer her served so well, Richard Wagner - a genius but a lousy person.
Watching a street sweeper can be fascinating........2000-09-13
The other day I watched a man sweeping the street where I live and it was fascinating. He took such care, and made great attention to all the little details. I was watching a great artist at work. I doubt if there is a book about him though. My point is, [if you've got this far], should these folk, like Vickers, Callas - certainly, Joan Sutherland, and to a lesser extent Rita Hunter, et al, be examined quite so thoroughly from the point of their human attributes? I mean, I'd like to be able to sing leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera, but I don't have a voice. I think I'm a nice person, though I do get hate mail for my reviews. So, again, another point, should we expect Vickers to be able to do what he did night after night and still be a nice person?
Dare I say it? I don't want to get too close to people whose performances I've enjoyed, because I have the idea that they may not be very pleasant people. Likewise, I have no real desire to read about their appalling behaviour. These people are only singers for heaven's sake. They need keeping in line, whether it's by Rudolf Bing, Joe Volpe, John Tooley or Wolfgang Wagner. Vickers had a great career, but like so many singers, including Callas, Bjoerling, di Stefano, Corelli, Christoff right down to Rita Hunter, once the personality disorder gets in the way of the talent you may as well not bother.
It's sad really, because there's no-one like Vickers around today. [I mean, I live in a city that thinks Andrea Bocelli is a great artist, but who am I among so many?] The fact that Britten walked out on Vicker's Peter Grimes tells me more about Britten than it does about Vickers. I would have taken it as a compliment.
Maybe more people should be like me: Go the performance, applaud the performer and don't bother to peer behind the little bushes they are hiding behind.
Book Description
First published to wide acclaim in Sweden (1995) and in Germany (1997), the autobiography of opera legend Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005) is finally available in an English translation. From her humble roots in rural Sweden to her artistic triumphs in Stockholm, Bayreuth, Milan, and the Metropolitan Opera House, this candid and utterly charming memoir reveals the personality behind one of the great voices of the past century.
Gracefully weaving together the private and professional, Nilsson chronicles her idyllic childhood in Vastra Karup, the early recognition of her unique natural abilities, and her first tentative steps into a wider artistic world. After achieving national acclaim in Verdi's Lady Macbeth, she went on to establish herself as the dominant Wagnerian soprano of her generation, appearing at the Bayreuth and Munich Festivals, and the Vienna and Bavarian State Opera Houses, creating, along the way, definitive performances of Sieglinde, Bruennhilde, and Isolde. The book details her rise to international stardom with behind-the-scenes recollections of her phenomenal triumph as Turandot at La Scala in 1958 and her headline-making Met premier in Tristan und Isolde the following year.
Nilsson's long and illustrious career (she performed until 1984), her celebrated professional and personal relationships, her friendships and rivalries, are all recounted with a down-to-earth wit and an engagingly odd admixture of ego and selfeffacement. She tells it all: the legendary quips, the often prickly relationships with Met impresario Rudolph Bing and conductor von Karajan, the infamous story of the stalker "Miss N," and the touchingly rendered relationship with her beloved husband, Bertil Niklasson.
What emerges from these pages is a diva in the old mold: a giant voice matched by an oversize personality, a professional who expected the same level of perfection from others that she demanded of herself, and a woman who loved and lived life with joy and good humor . . . and oh, that voice.
Includes 56 photographs and a discography.
Customer Reviews:
Nilsson as a Warm, Funny, Unpretentious Woman.......2007-09-13
This autobiography by Birgit Nilsson was originally published in Swedish in 1995 and in German two years later. This 2007 English translation of the German edition is by Doris Jung Popper, an American who was herself a former Wagnerian singer in Europe. It is for the most part in graceful, witty and seamless prose which catches the informal and down-to-earth way Nilsson spoke. We are taken from Nilsson's life as a farm girl in Sweden through her discovery locally, her schooling in Stockholm, her first breakthrough there and then internationally and her acclaim as the greatest Wagnerian soprano since Kirsten Flagstad. We get backstage stories about performances in New York, Milan, Stockholm, Vienna, London and, of course, Bayreuth. We read about her long happy marriage to Bertil Niklasson, a veterinarian. She shares funny and warm stories about her colleagues, not sparing those with whom she crossed swords -- most notably Rudolf Bing and, much more so, Herbert von Karajan, for whom she is particularly disdainful while admitting that he could draw magnificent music from his performers. She relates the details of her having to deal with her stalker, Miss N., a story well-known in opera circles but which may come as a surprise to some readers. One senses that Nilsson withholds some details in the interest of sparing the feelings of some opera world luminaries who are still with us. This reflects positively on her genuine concern for the feelings of others but might disappoint those who are looking for 'dirt.' There is a discography and a detailed chart outlining events in her life, as well as a compendious index. As well, there are over 60 black-and-white photographs from all periods of her life.
Warmly recommended.
Scott Morrison
For the Operafile, Wagnerite or Nilssonite, this is for you!!!.......2007-07-25
Nilsson writes a readable and enjoyable book about her career.
Those who have followed her will already be familiar with some of the stories but there are more details... One story she recounts which I had never heard or read anywhere was one that she tells of being pursued by a relentless stalker.
I myself worked with her professionally and can vouch for the fact that she was a warm and funny person who despite her self-assuredness onstage could express vulnerability when she was with you in a one-to-one setting. The book has moments that give the reader this sense.
She doesn't "tell all" but does "tell some" quite nicely. She was unique.
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