Stephen Johnson has narrated 2 audiobooks on Listento.it by 1 author, with an average listener rating of 5★ across 2 ratings. The most-rated is Ring of the Nibelung: Opera Explained.
Ring of the Nibelung: Opera Explained
Summary
Wagner’s Ring cycle is the most ambitious work in the history of music: four operas that combine to tell a single epic story. Based in legend, it has become a legend in its own right: a supreme challenge for conductors, singers, opera producers, and indeed for audiences. But for all its grandeur and complexity, The Ring is far more accessible than many music lovers think. This audiobook guide explains the basics of the plot, profiles the leading characters, and shows how Wagner’s revolutionary music adds fascinating layers of meaning and psychological insight, as well as providing some of the most stirring and intoxicating moments in the entire operatic repertoire.
©2007 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2007 Naxos AudioBooks
Wagner
Summary
Well over a century after Wagner's death, the man and his music are as controversial as ever. Praised for his profound insights into the workings of the human heart, he has also been condemned as a dangerous libertine, a proto-fascist and an arrogant bore. His vast four-part operatic Ring cycle has been elevated as one of the greatest achievements of western culture and dismissed as an unparalleled example of creative megalomania. This audiobook makes no attempt to gloss over the darker sides of Wagner's character, personally or artistically, but argues that the finer aspects of his vision transcend its flaws. It tells the story of an extraordinary life and charts Wagner's development, from unpromising beginnings into the creator of some of the most brilliantly innovatory and seductively beautiful music ever composed. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2013 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2013 Naxos AudioBooks