A Night At The Ballet

A Night at the Ballet will take piano students on a fascinating journey into the exciting world of ballet. It presents the stories and music from some of the most beloved ballets in history. Along with appealing late elementary and early-intermediate arrangements, you will find instructions for organizing a ballet-themed recital, interesting highlights of ballet history, an explanation of ballet terms, brief composer biographies and more. In addition, fun activity pages are included for each of the seven ballets explored.

“Delightful and anti-reverential”—Sunday Times (London) With an encyclopedic knowledge of opera and a delightful dash of irreverence, Sir Denis Forman throws open the world of opera—its structure, composers, conductors, and artists—in this hugely informative guide. A Night at the Opera dissects the eighty-three most popular operas recorded on compact disc, from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur to Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. For each opera, Sir Denis details the plot and cast of characters, awarding stars to parts that are “worth looking out for,” “really good,” or, occasionally, “stunning.” He goes on to tell the history of each opera and its early reception. Finally, each work is graded from alpha to gamma (although the Ring cycle gets an “X”), and Sir Denis has no qualms about voicing his opinion: the first act of Fidelio is “a bit of a mess,” while the last scene of Don Giovanni “towers above the comic finales of Figaro and Così and whether or not [it] is Mozart's greatest opera, it is certainly his most powerful finale.” The guide also presents brief biographies of the great composers, conductors, and singers. A glossary of musical terms is included, as well as Operatica, or the essential elements of opera, from the proper place and style of the audience's applause (and boos) to the use of subtitles. A Night at the Opera is for connoisseurs and neophytes alike. It will entertain and inform, delight and (perhaps) infuriate, providing a subject for lively debate and ready reference for years to come.

Reminiscent of the screwball farces during the golden age of cinema, this romping musical teams Felix T. Filibuster, the greatest detective in the world, up with Pinchie the silent butler, and his Italian friend and coworker, Pepponi. The trio, along with a classic comedic cast, try to prove that Clyde Ratchette is trying to swindle the wealthy Mrs. Stuffington, who has just invested a bundle in the production of The Nutcracker Suite. The mishaps, jokes, musical numbers and mayhem lead to a farcical climax that incorporates elements of The Nutcracker Suite into its craziness. A guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Explore seven operas with piano arrangements, historical information, and fun activities.

Includes favorite orchestral themes arranged for piano, along with information about the traditional symphony orchestra, its history, and biographical data on prominent composers and their best-known works.

Desiree Rabbit dreams of being a famous ballet dancer in her hometown of Paris, France, but is continually told there are no bunnies in the ballet, yet after taking classes she wins over her classmates and has a chance to shine.

A delightful introduction to opera, Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera teaches elementary school children what opera is by showing how it is made. "Who writes the words?", "Who makes an opera happen? "Who is backstage?"--these questions and more are answered with easy-to-understand explanations and are illustrated with whimsical watercolors by the author. From composer, choreographer, and costume designers to the conductor, lighting and special effects crew, and, of course, the singers, the excitement builds as Anne Siberell explains each person's role in producing an opera. Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera reveals details of the most famous operas' plots and characters along the way and includes synopses of 27 popular operas, a glossary, suggestions for further reading, and an index.