Naxos' series of explanatory CDs on operas serves an important function for anyone seriously interested in understanding the genre and specific works. Its target audience is likely to be friends of opera lovers who may press one of these CDs into their hands in the hope that a very thorough introduction to the opera will inspire them to attend a performance, watch a DVD, or listen to a CD. For the motivated person, this introduction could be persuasive. About a third of the text, by Thomson Smillie, is devoted to Mozart's ...
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Naxos' series of explanatory CDs on operas serves an important function for anyone seriously interested in understanding the genre and specific works. Its target audience is likely to be friends of opera lovers who may press one of these CDs into their hands in the hope that a very thorough introduction to the opera will inspire them to attend a performance, watch a DVD, or listen to a CD. For the motivated person, this introduction could be persuasive. About a third of the text, by Thomson Smillie, is devoted to Mozart's biography and the background to Don Giovanni, and the remainder is a summary of the opera itself. The text is well organized and well written, including just enough information, peppered with relevant and entertaining anecdotes. There are plenty of musical examples. Someone who knows the opera may be annoyed that no arias or ensembles are presented complete, but the examples offer enough music to orient the novice, so when he or she hears the music in its context in the opera, its...
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