Shakespeare's plays have proven surprisingly resistant to successful adaptation to the operatic stage, in spite of many hundreds of attempts. Only Verdi's Macbeth, Otello, and Falstaff, Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, and Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream have secure places in the repertoire, with a few others, such as Thomas' Hamlet and Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor, hovering around the periphery. The Tempest has probably been set more often than any other play, and it has held special attraction for modern composers; ...
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Shakespeare's plays have proven surprisingly resistant to successful adaptation to the operatic stage, in spite of many hundreds of attempts. Only Verdi's Macbeth, Otello, and Falstaff, Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, and Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream have secure places in the repertoire, with a few others, such as Thomas' Hamlet and Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor, hovering around the periphery. The Tempest has probably been set more often than any other play, and it has held special attraction for modern composers; a sampling includes Frank Martin (1955), John Eaton (1985), Gavin Bryars (1993), Peter Westergaard (1994), and Thomas Adès (2004). Lee Hoiby's 1986 version has had a respectable performance history, with productions by the opera companies of Des Moines, Kansas City, Dallas, and Purchase College, whose performance is recorded here. Hoiby, a student of Menotti's, has a similar sensibility in terms of melody and harmony, but more of a conventional feeling for operatic structure. The...
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Add this copy of Tempest to cart. $12.59, like new condition, Sold by GoPeachy rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from JACKSONVILLE, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Albany Records.
