Dimensions
127 x 196 x 18mm
In this dazzling work, Pulitzer Prize winner and lifelong opera devotee Garry Wills explores the writing and staging of the three operas that Verdi adapted from Shakespeare: Macbetto (Macbeth), Otello (Othello), and Falstaff. An Italian composer who could not read a word of English but who adored Shakespeare, Verdi devoted himself to operatic productions that incorporated the playwright's texts. Wills delves into the fast-paced worlds of these men and the hands-on life of the stage that at once challenged them and gave flight to their brilliance. With fascinating portraits of the artists and their entourages, Verdi's Shakespeare takes readers on a spell binding Journey through opera, music, literature, history, and the nature of genius itself.
'Wonderfully illuminating . . . No lover of Verdi – or Shakespeare, for that matter – will want to miss it.' Opera News
'Scholarly yet personable . . . a banquet succulent enough to make Shakespeareans and Verdians of all who partake of it.' Booklist (starred review)
'[Will's] detailed depictions of the operas' subtleties, sublimely rendered for opera fans, endlessly elucidate the work of these 'creative volcanoes.'' Publishers Weekly
