- Giles, Peter. The History and Technique of the Counter-Tenor: A Study of the
Male High Voice Family.Aldershot, England: Scolar Press; Brookfield, Vt.:
Ashgate, 1994. xxiv, 459p. ISBN 0-8596-7931-4. ML1460 .G56.
Supersedes his The Countertenor(1982), although the earlier book is not men-
tioned in the later one. A valuable compendium of facts, including a historical
summary, an account of the revival, recordings made 1904–1934, voice mech-
anism, registers and range, and the falsetto family. Appendixes treat Nicholas
Morgan, Richard Elford, and John Saville in detail. With glossary of vocal
terms and a good index; footnoted but without bibliography. - Rosselli, John. “The Castrati as a Professional Group and a Social Phenome-
non, 1550–1850.” AM60 (1988): 143–179.
A thorough historical study and critical review of earlier literature. Attention
to all contemporary documents gives an accurate picture of the phenomenon,
which persisted for three centuries. The ambiguous attitude of the Catholic
Church contributed to the longevity of the practice; indeed, castrati were
heard in church more often than in opera during the 16th–18th centuries. - Ardoin, John. Callas at Juilliard: The Master Classes.New York: Knopf, 1987.
300p. ISBN 0-3945-6367-0. MT820 .C17.
Describes and illustrates with 950 musical examples how Maria Callas taught
her interpretations of 75 arias. - Thomson, Virgil.Music with Words: A Composer’s View. New Haven, Conn.:
Yale U.P., 1989. x, 178p. ISBN 0-300-04505-0. ML1406 .T5.
A brief exposition (76p.) of Thomson’s ideas about various elements of song-
writing and singing, including the union of poetry and music, operatic writing,
and coaching of singers. Examples of his own works, including three operas,
take up the rest of the book. Expansive index.
Stage Designers
- Atkinson, W. Patrick. Theatrical Design in the Twentieth Century: An Index to
the Photographic Reproductions of Scenic Designs. Bibliographies and
Indexes in the Performing Arts, 21. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1996.
475p. ISBN 0-313-29701-0. PN2091 .S8 T47.
A useful resource, locating photos of some 3,000 stage works (plays, musicals,
and operas). Arrangement is by title, with a designer index. The pictures are in
English-language books and periodicals. Aidais represented by 14 different
stage designs, Siegfriedby 12, Faustby 35. - Friedman, Martin.Hockney Paints the Stage.New York: Abbeville, 1983.
227p. ISBN 0-89659-393-7. PN2096 .H57 F75.
The catalogue of an exhibition presented at the Walker Art Center, Minneapo-
lis, 1983, consisting primarily of 250 fine illustrations. Hockney’s designs were
done for Glyndebourne and the Metropolitan; they include The Rake’s
Progress, Die Zauberflöte, and L’enfant et les sortilèges. Brief biography, inter-
views, and the artist’s own accounts of some of his work. An appreciation by
78 Opera