Leslie Dunton-Downer – författare

Immerse yourself in more than 400 years of the world''s most celebrated operas and discover the fascinating stories behind them. Explore the lives of singers such as Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, and Jonas Kaufmann. Meet composers like Mozart, Wagner, and Britten, and the librettists with whom they collaborated to create the magical blend of words and music that make up opera.From its origins in the 17th-century courts of Italy to live screenings in public spaces today, Opera: The Definitive Story follows the history of opera from Monteverdi''s L''Orfeo in 1607, to Cosi fan Tutte, La Bohème, and modern operas such as Brokeback Mountain. It explains musical terminology, traces historical developments, and sets everything in cultural context. It also explores the great opera houses of the world, such as La Scala, Milan, the Met in New York, and the Sydney Opera House. Opera: The Definitive Story is the essential book for anyone who wants to understand and enjoy the constantly evolving world of this beloved art form.© 2022 Alan Riding; Leslie Dunton-Downer © 2022 DK Audio

Unravel the history, themes, and language of Shakespeare''s plays, poems, and sonnets with this guide to his life and works.Comedy and romance, history, and tragedy, Shakespeare''s canon has it all. Some 400 years after they were written and first performed, his works still remain fresh and relevant today.Shakespeare: his life and works is an accessible and lavishly illustrated celebration of the Bard himself and his 39 plays, great sonnets, and narrative poems. Themes, plots, characters, and language are brought to life with act-by-act plot summaries, resumes of main characters, and in-depth analysis of Shakespeare''s use of, and influence on, the English language. Entries also explore Shakespeare''s plays, poems, and sonnets in the context of his life and the world of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre, and reveal his sources and inspirations, further enriching your experience of his work, be it on the page, stage, or screen.Shakespeare: his life and works is the perfect gift for existing Shakespeare fans, and anyone looking to find out more about the work of the world''s most celebrated playwright.© 2021 Dorling Kindersley © 2022 DK Audio