A Midsummer Night's Dream (Overture Opera Guides in Association with the English National Opera (ENO): Benjamin Britten

Lavishly produced and elegantly set, with a wealth of material which will interest opera lovers, academics and general readers. Includes articles by some of the leading music specialists in the world. Includes more than twenty-five black-and-white and colour pictures printed on glossy paper, ideal as a gift. Contains a thematic guide, and an up-to-date bibliography, select discography and website guide. A Midsummer Night's Dream was Benjamin Britten's seventh major opera and had its premiere in 1960. Britten and his partner Peter Pears adapted Shakespeare's much-loved comedy, using (with the exception of only one line) Shakespeare's own text, as well as cutting and simplifying the play. This newly commissioned opera guide has an essay which explores the unique process of the opera's composition, including passages of recently published material from Britten's own correspondence. Other essays examine the magical sound world that Britten created for this work, as well as documenting Britten's own response to productions of the opera during his lifetime. A further essay assesses the place of the work in relation to the rest of Britten's oeuvre.Contents: Night s Caressing Grip: The Evolution of the Dream, Andrew Plant A Midsummer Night s Dream: The Music, Philip Reed Reinventing the Dream: A Midsummer Night s Dream on Stage, David Nice Britten s Dream: An Introduction, Philip Brett A New Britten Opera, Benjamin Britten A Midsummer Night s Dream: Libretto adapted from William Shakespeare by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears