Book Description
The Cold War contains a selection of official and unofficial documents which provide a truly multi-faceted account of the entire Cold War era. This volume presents the different kinds of materials necessary to understand what the Cold War was about, how it was fought, and the ways in which it affected the lives of people around the globe. By depicting the experiences of East Berlin housewives and South African students, as well as those of political leaders from Europe and the Third World, The Cold War emphasizes the variety of ways in which the Cold War conflict was experienced. The significance of these differences is essential to understanding the Cold War: it demonstrates how the causes of the clash may have looked very different in Santiago from the way they looked in Seoul, New York, Moscow, or Beijing. The book examines the entirety of the Cold War era, presenting documents from the end of World War II right up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. A final selection of source material goes on to illustrate the impact of the Cold War to the present day. Again, the emphasis is global: there are documents on the aftermath of the Cold War in Africa and Europe, as well as on the links between the Cold War and the dramatic events of 11 September 2001. By providing a truly international glimpse of the Cold War and its various actors and subjects, The Cold War helps cut through the often simplistic notions of the recent past and allows the reader to explore the truly global impact of the East-West confrontation that dominated international relations in the second half of the twentieth century.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2005-05-05
This is an excellent opening book that provides a very good balance between variations and verbal explanations. Most importantly: The authors do not shy away from making clear judgements about the different lines - which one is good or bad, which one drawish, etc. This exercise is in fact the only justification for producing an opening book in the age of the databases.
a milestone in chess openings books.......2003-11-10
Gambit strikes again: here it is one more opening book you - >2000 chess player - can't live without. The book presents 288 pages, divided along 11 chapters, an introduction and an index of variations. The first chapter is a strategic introduction highlighting 8 situations who are peculiar to this defence: it will be very useful to the lower rated players. Respect to the typical Gambit presentation, the introduction is the novelty here, it says that this British publishing house intends to gain the attention of lower rated players usually attracted by the more simple frame presented by Everyman books: as a fact the detailed explanation part isn't confined to the introduction, but all along the book you'll find words explaining what's goin' on.
The two finnish authors talk about the state of the art in all the main variation not forgetting the so-called Nimzo-Indian Hybrid who is actually very popular among White players desiring to avoid main theoretical lines, you'll find 40 pages about it.
As usual with Gambit opening books, we have plenty of stuff, tons of games and analysis. You won't find complete games, of course: this is the gambit style who allows their authors filling books with a lot of strictly opening theory, you can find complete games anywhere.
Overall this is a great book and it will be the starting point for every chess player interested into the QID for many years to come, a rare accomplishment in the era of huge databases.
Average customer rating:
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A Jussi Bjorling Phonography (Musik I Sverige, 6.)
Harald Henrysson
Manufacturer: Svenskt Musikhistoriskt Arkiv
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 9185172103 |
Customer Reviews:
Essential reference.......2000-01-31
This is the one basic and essential reference on the studio andperformances recordings of Jussi Bjorling. Henrysson documents all thestudio sessions and live performances and X-references each selection to the vinyl, tape or CD on which it appears.
Despite the enormous number of CD's currently available ( Amazon has about 150 items, for example) the number of things recorded is relatively small, so this book is really the only way to keep from being covered up with duplicates.
It is possible to locate a particular session or go the other way, and find out what's on a record. Items recorded in the studio are numbered in sequence; live recordings have a year prefix, followed by numbers in sequence for that year.
This is as close as it gets to a critical biography of Bjorling and certainly makes listening to all the wonderful things currently available much more fun.
Book Description
Henry Kissinger dominated American foreign relations like no other figure in recent history. He negotiated an end to American involvement in the Vietnam War, opened relations with Communist China, and orchestrated detente with the Soviet Union. Yet he is also the man behind the secret bombing of Cambodia and policies leading to the overthrow of Chile's President Salvador Allende. Which is more accurate, the picture of Kissinger the skilled diplomat or Kissinger the war criminal? In The Flawed Architect, the first major reassessment of Kissinger in over a decade, historian Jussi Hanhimaki paints a subtle, carefully composed portrait of America's most famous and infamous statesman. Drawing on extensive research from newly declassified files, the author follows Kissinger from his beginnings in the Nixon administration up to the current controversy fed by Christopher Hitchens over whether Kissinger is a war criminal. Hanhimaki guides the reader through White House power struggles and debates behind the Cambodia and Laos invasions, the search for a strategy in Vietnam, the breakthrough with China, and the unfolding of Soviet-American detente. Here, too, are many other international crises of the period--the Indo-Pakistani War, the Yom Kippur War, the Angolan civil war--all set against the backdrop of Watergate. Along the way, Hanhimaki sheds light on Kissinger's personal flaws--he was obsessed with secrecy and bureaucratic infighting in an administration that self-destructed in its abuse of power--as well as his great strengths as a diplomat. We see Kissinger negotiating, threatening and joking with virtually all of the key foreign leaders of the 1970s, from Mao to Brezhnev and Anwar Sadat to Golda Meir. This well researched account brings to life the complex nature of American foreign policymaking during the Kissinger years. It will be the standard work on Kissinger for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
yet again, a horrid book about Kissinger.......2006-04-22
For once I'd like to see a scholar write a book about this man that is based on some primary source scholarship. Books based on newspaper clippings and speculation make for trashy books, not works of true scholarship. Really, don't bother with this book.
Fair, balanced, and insightful.......2005-07-02
After reading the recent 'partisian' criticisms of the Nixon years (written by such researchers as the anti-war activist Jeffrey Kimball, Nixon's political detractors such as William Bundy, and demagouges such as Christopher Hitchens and Anthony Summers) it was refreshing to read a dispassionate analysis of one of the Nixon Administration's most powerful (if not the most powerful) figures, Henry Kissinger. However, the book is not merely a biography but a broad glance at American foreign policy during the Nixon years.
One of the foremost reasons as to why recent scholarship and works on the Nixon/Kissinger years have failed is due to the fact that most scholars did not fully engage the historical literature and their sources. Dr. Hanhimaki uses a broad range of sources but never does he take any of them at face value. But rather, he includes other contradicting sources and compares them and allows the reader to come to their own conclusion. Other scholars often cite one source and try to force the reader to prescribe to the author's viewpoint. The fair evaluation of sources is one of the vital ingredients of first rate scholarship.
Although I disagree with a number of the author's conclusions, the book is soundly researched and judiciously written. This book should be required reading for any student of the cold war, diplomatice history, international relations, or the Vietnam War.
Book Description
This book equips the reader with everything he or she needs to know to play Black in a game of chess. Two experienced Finnish players have described an exciting repertoire based on the move 1...d6 in reply to whatever White's first move happens to be. Black's strategy is hypermodern and dynamic: White is encouraged to seize space, while Black develops his pieces rapidly and actively, waiting for the ideal moment to attack and destroy White's central bastions. The variations advocated have been proven in top-level play and have quick-strike potential if White is at all careless or imprecise. The repertoire is based around the Pirc Defence and the variations 1 d4 d6 2 c4 e5 and 1 d4 d6 2 Nf3 Bg4, which fit seamlessly together with 1...d6 systems against White's various flank openings.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but not a complete repertoire for black........2006-07-14
I bought this book mainly to use 1..d6 against 1.d4. There are few books about this opening, in contrast to Pirc (1.e4 d6), where there are some alternatives. This book does not cover 1.d4 d6 2.d5, for example variants like 1.d4 d6 2.d5 e5 3.e4. And it is strange because the line with d5 as a third move is covered the book: 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.d5. But I strongly believe that 1.d4 d6 2.d5 also has some independent lines, from this line. I have not found any other chess books covering 1.d4 d6 2.d5. Instead of covering some lines of Pirc, this book should have covered the 2.d5 variant. Pirc could be learned from other chess books.
After my opinion there are number of wrong suggestions in this book, showing that you may not trust this book without going through the variants with a computer. An example from chapter 33 page 263, the variant 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 where an alternative variant for white instead of 4.dxe5 is 4.Nf3. The variant suggested is 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 8.Re1 Qc7 etc. But hey, what if white plays 6.Ng5 instead of 0-0. It looks like a beginner move, threatening to win the pawn on f7 and the queen. The only escape (as I see it) is to give a pawn away with 6..d5. No way, this variant is good for black!
One of the main line covered in this book are 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.Nf3 e4 4.Ng5 f5 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Nh3. But the book doesn't gives any analysis if white respond with 6.Nd5 instead of 6.Nh3. Should black allow white to exchange the Bishop on e7, despite that the pawn on d6 later easily could be attacked and that white probably later in the game will control the diagonal a1-h8? To avoid this, black can of course play 5...c6 instead of 5...Be7. But that variant is only covered with 3 pages in the book; well you could hope to get into the main line covered in the book.
1..d6 is good choice and this book covers the main lines, but to be sure, you have to supply with your own knowledge about the variants above.
A terrible book.......2005-10-21
After I read other people's review, I bought the book. But after I read the book, I feel disappointed. You can not learn much from the book. If you follow the book, you will lose, especially some pirc lines.
Excellent........2004-02-19
It has been a year since I wrote my initial review for this book and during this time I have continued to be impressed by the repertoire. Having grown accustomed to the lines stemming from 1.d4 d6 I find them now to be very effective - players of the white pieces seem to be totally unprepared for this system. However the major revelation for me has been the 'endgame system' against 1.e4, found in chapter 33 of the book. This system is presented as an alternative to the pirc for those seeking to avoid having to learn lots of pirc theory. I have found it very useful to use this system while learning the main lines against 1.d4, 1.c4 etc, as it is very easy to learn and solid. What this means is that you can quickly adopt this defence to 1.e4, then work through the rest of the book, then decide whether you wish to adopt the pirc or something else. Another really practical benefit of this repertoire is that it seems to cross so many typical white repertoires, and white players quickly lose their way. Take a look at an average white repertoire book and see how scanty the coverage of 1 ...d6 is. All the more reason to play d6 as black!
******************
For the average chessplayer choosing a dependable opening repertoire presents a difficult task. We know that in order to play the opening well we need a sensible set of variations - but which to choose? The main openings entail so much theory that it seems impossible to absorb them without devoting huge amounts of time to the task. Well in this book two masters propose an interesting and dynamic set of interlocked variations against any white opening that won't take years to learn. Of course this is nothing new - many repertoire books for the black pieces exist. However this one is different from most in that the systems given are very solid, sound and logical.
This is not to say that they are to everyones taste. In fact, while I admire the way this book succeeds so well in its aims I don't feel entirely comfortable with the Pirc (the mainline against 1e4) and find the lines against 1d4 interesting but a little awkward somehow. However this is entirely subjective; given the thoroughness with which the authors treat their material I have no doubt that the lines are solid.
So lets look at the book. Thick, attractively presented, nice layout. The material is VERY complete - these guys take writing a repertoire seriously. Tons of variations but also enough explanation to guide the reader. Besides no book can make a claim to completeness without being laden with variations. In a repertoire book the whole idea is that you never need purchase another opening book and this seems true here. There is a nice move index at the back.
Other reviewers have commented on the actual moves against the various white openings so I won't bother listing those. Suffice to say that because 1.e4 is so popular (at least at amateur level) you had better like the Pirc.
One noteworthy feature of the book is the inclusion of a couple of 'second string' systems along with the main repertoire. While the reader would probably be better off sticking to the main lines its nice to have the option and they make useful surprise weapons.
I really can't fault this book. It is a shining example of how a repertoire book should be written. Its all here: a totally self contained and solid system against any white opening. You won't be able to learn it all in a short time. Work is required but that is true of any improvement in ones chess play. I think five stars for a quality book which delivers exactly what it promises and shows what an opening repertoire book should be like.
Best Book For Black Side.......2002-06-08
Maybe not explosive but well written and easy to understand. A lot of diagrams which helps if you don't have the time to play the set ups out on a chess board. A great book to help you get stronger playing the black pieces.
Good book: Yes---- Explosive Repertoire: No.......2002-03-25
This is a typical high quality GAMBIT book. It has the sort of things I like in an opening book, i.e., a discussion of the strategical ideas for both sides and a conclusion about each variation. The authors have even included some statistics from their databases which includes number of games, scoring %, elo and performance elo for white for many of the chapters. I checked the results with my Big DataBase 2002 (over 2 million games) and found essentially the same numbers.
The repertoire consists of playing 1...d6 after any white first move. The material is divided among 33 chapters covering various variations. Interestingly 1 d4 d6 2 c4 e5 is scoring 56% for Black! That got my attention. 1.d4 d6 2. Nf3 is met with Bg4, the Hodgson Variation, which appears to be scoring averagely for Black.
Against 1 e4, the main line is the Pirc Defense. My guess is that you will also play a lot of Pircs from 1 d4 d6 2 e4 as well. Recognizing that many players won't want to play the Pirc, the authors offer a couple of alternatives. One is the Czech system 1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 c6 which does quite well unless White plays 4 f4, the current main line where white is scoring 59%. Finally, and more promising, is the so-called endgame variation 1 e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 (or f3) e5 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Qxd8 Kxd8. This endgame is actually quite favorable for Black who wins a slight majority of the games. I should also point out that if the earlier mentioned 1 d4 d6 2 c4 e5 (which got my attention) is continued with 3 dxe5 dxe5 4 Qxd8+ Kxd8 then Black is scoring 67%! Of course White doesn't have to play 3 dxe5, but probably many players will because they erroneously think that forcing Black to forego castling is to their advantage.
All other openings (except 1 f4) are met with 1...d6 2...e5 and 3...f5. These are not mainstream openings and there are not a large number of games in the databases however Black is doing quite well in the games I found.
Apparently the authors did not participate in producing the title to this book. They describe the repertoire as "... Most of the lines are more positional than tactical in nature but they leave a lot of space for creativity and aggressive play by Black. Players who like sharp theoretical and concrete tactical battles where home preparation plays a key role should prefer systems like the Dragon, Najdorf or Grunfeld. For players who don't like endings, our repertoire is hardly optimal although the many endings discussed usually take a rather queenless middlegame nature."
In summary this is a very competent handling of a complete opening repertoire. It is also a repertoire that scores very well (admittedly the Pirc scores only averagely but some alternate systems with ...d6 score better). If you are already a Pirc player, this repertoire seems ideal. If your overall winning strategy is to win in the endgame or you just want to improve or work on your endgame, this is a good repertoire, and a good book for you.
Book Description
During the 1970s disco was the sound track to the lives of millions. Its hedonism, drive, and sweet, catchy melodies made dancers worldwide experience the bliss of complete abandon. This book traces its entire history, from the underground dives of New York to the glittering clubs of Rome. Along the way, the book provides instruction on how to do the hustle and the bus stop; explains the gay subculture central to disco; explores disco fashions, movies, clubs, and drugs; and tells the fascinating stories behind not only the American hits but the Eurodisco masterpieces, the soft-porn divas, and the mysterious producers behind the shimmering sound.
Customer Reviews:
Joel Brodsky photography is most appropriate here...........2007-04-02
All other reviews aside, what I appreciate most about the book are the photographs by Joel Brodsky, appropriately chosen for this project, as he is known for creating the photos for hundreds of album covers....
Almost the fully story.......2007-01-19
A brilliant well researched, and entertaining account of disco - ok I have seen some of the other reviews bemoaning about some of the exclusions, however dont let that put you off. I guess the 'whole story' still needs to be written but this is a first class valiant attempt.And puts the whole era (which I was to young to appreciate) into perspective. It deserves an extra star just for the chapter on Amanda Lear, finally getting the recognition she is due.
Definately recommended for all disco lovers.
Giving Disco Its Due.......2001-01-24
As a child of the '70s who was not disco shy back in the day, I thought I knew disco ... that is until I read an earlier edition of this book. The wonderful world of Eurodisco is at SNF's core, a world that remained quite underground in the U.S.A. Thus, this ain't the Bee Gees, folks (nor Disco Duck), and cover chanteuse Donna Summer is only a starting point.
If, like me, you thrill at the thought of discovering obscure musical delights, making new musical connections and exploring a secret scene that -- 30 years on -- has barely been uncovered, this book will rev your engines.
It also works overtime to dispel those pesky rumors that disco sucked; that it put musicians out of work; that it was homogenous, mindless, faceless; and that it is dead. The authors also do an admirable job of connecting disco genres to their various geographic and demographic sources, as well as connecting the music and movement to larger themes such as art, fashion, theory, lifestyle and even interior design.
The book is very particular to its authors and their biases (or, at least, personal histories), but that makes it a lively and thought-provoking read. Couple this book with the wonderful Last Night a Deejay Saved My Life, and you have a crash course in the secret music of the night!
I wasted my money again!.......2000-10-04
I purchased the first edition of this book and was very unhappy after reading it and seeing just how much history was left out. The authors did not go into much detail regarding the disco disc jockey's, disco television shows, nor disco radio.
When I heard through discomusic.com that a revised version of this book was out I was thrilled. I thought maybe they cleaned it up and made history right. WRONG AGAIN! They just rehashed the first edition and added a few more photos...and some more wasted words on songs.
No mention of IDRC (International Disco Record Centre and Eddie Rivera), no mention of Disco Step-by-Step Dance show, the first all disco television show, no mention of the New York Record Pool, no mention of Soap Factory Television, a quick blurb of Dance Fever .... slight mention of American Bandstand and Soul Train.
Oh well .... believe me I will not spend another nickel on the next revision...if there ever is one.
Don't get me wrong. This book does have a lot of information and for newbies it is fine but for someone who lived through the disco era I am very disappointed that more research did not go into it so that it would cover the entire realm.
I wasted my money again!.......2000-10-04
I purchased the first edition of this book and was very unhappy after reading it and seeing just how much history was left out. The authors did not go into much detail regarding the disco disc jockey's, disco television shows, nor disco radio.
When I heard through discomusic.com that a revised version of this book was out I was thrilled. I thought maybe they cleaned it up and made history right. WRONG AGAIN! They just rehashed the first edition and added a few more photos...and some more wasted words on songs.
No mention of IDRC (International Disco Record Centre and Eddie Rivera), no mention of Disco Step-by-Step Dance show, the first all disco television show, no mention of the New York Record Pool, no mention of Soap Factory Television, a quick blurb of Dance Fever .... slight mention of American Bandstand and Soul Train.
Oh well .... believe me I will not spend another nickel on the next revision...if there ever is one.
Don't get me wrong. This book does have a lot of information and for newbies it is fine but for someone who lived through the disco era I am very disappointed that more research did not go into it so that it would cover the entire realm.
Average customer rating:
- A splendid biography of the 20th Century's greatest tenor
- Fascinating
- A Brilliant Achievement
- A work of historical significance to opera lovers.
- An excellent book a must for any Jussi Fan!
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Jussi (Opera Biography Series, No 7)
Andrew Farkas , and
Anna-Lisa Bjorling
Manufacturer: Amadeus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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Nicolai Gedda: My Life and Art (Opera Biography Series, No. 12)
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Voices of Firestone: Jussi Bjorling
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Three Legendary Tenors (Caruso, Gigli, Bjorling)
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Jussi Bjoerling: Opera Arias Great Recordings of the Centrury
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Voices of Firestone: The Great Tenors / Bjorling, Corelli, Tagliavini, Tucker, Peerce, Gedda, McCracken, Thomas
ASIN: 1574670107 |
Book Description
This is the first English-language biography of the beloved Swedish tenor, incorporating recollections by his widow, information from the family archives, and material from operatic archives the world over. A chronology of his performances is also included.
Customer Reviews:
A splendid biography of the 20th Century's greatest tenor.......2002-04-27
In a world where most opera biographies are either useless, gushy fan magazines or vicious, gossipy garbage, this loving yet warts-and-all account of the life of the great Swedish tenor Jussi Bjorling (1911-1960) is a standout. Although the book is written primarily by his widow Anna-Lisa, there is additional, exhaustive research and editing by Andrew Farkas (who also co-authored an Enrico Caruso biography with Caruso's son). Many of Bjorling's colleagues are also interviewed, and reviews of both his live performances and opera recordings are extensively quoted. As a supplement, there is also a 58-page listing of Bjorling's performances (933 in opera and nearly twice as many concerts and recitals) at the end of the book. The cover shows Bjorling as Romeo in `Romeo et Juliette', perhaps his greatest role.
Anna-Lisa Bjorling, who was married to Jussi for 25 years, was herself a fine soprano who often partnered her husband in concert. As of this writing she is still alive at 92. Although Anna-Lisa clearly loved Jussi very deeply, she is still capable of being objective about him when required. She is a wonderful writer, providing vivid portraits not only of Jussi, herself, and their children, but just about everybody they ever came into contact with, as well as of life in Sweden in general. After reading this book, I felt like Jussi and Anna-Lisa were old friends.
Bjorling had not only what was probably the most beautiful tenor voice to ever come out of a human throat, but also a nearly perfect technique, a superb sense of style, and the ability to truly stir the souls of his listeners. While he had a reputation for being a very poor stage actor, this was at least occasionally exaggerated. Although Bjorling died tragically young at the age of 49 of heart failure, he had a magnificent and very long career which lasted 45 years, 32 as a tenor. He is probably the only opera singer whose recording career (which began when he was 9!) lasted from acoustic to electric to LP to stereo recordings. He made his stage debut at 19 as Don Ottavio at the Royal Opera, Stockholm, after having studied first with his father, his principal singing teacher, and then at the Royal Opera School with the Royal Opera's director, baritone John Forsell. His career expanded to Europe and the rest of the world very quickly. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1938, and with the exception of the WWII years and several years in the 1950s due to fights with Rudolf Bing, he remained there until his death. He concentrated on about 10 or 15 Italian and French operatic roles, and was also an avid recitalist with several hundred songs in his `inventory'.
Unfortunately, Bjorling is nearly as famous in operatic circles for his alcoholism as for his glorious singing, and I think that is appalling. In fact, the one thing this book makes very clear is that although the disease was a tragedy for him personally and traumatic for his family, it had comparatively little effect on his actual career, at least outside Sweden. Working actually kept him from drinking. Anna-Lisa offers considerable proof that many of the stories about Jussi's drinking were exaggerations, gossip or outright lies, most tellingly in the true story of the cancellation of the `Un Ballo in Maschera' recording under Sir Georg Solti, which was a product of producer John Culshaw's malice. Nearly all his colleagues also defend him on this regard. As far as I'm concerned, the only people who have any right discussing Jussi's alcoholism are Anna-Lisa and his children, as they are the only ones who really had to deal with it. ....
Overall, Jussi comes across as a beautiful human being - simple, warmhearted and lovable, a wonderful husband and father, adored by almost everybody who worked with him or knew him. The book is full of stories about his kindness and generosity to colleagues. He was also an avid pike fisherman who loved westerns and was unbeatable at arm wrestling. He basically had only three serious flaws as a human being: impulsiveness that on occasion bordered on irrationality, stubbornness, and what Anna-Lisa calls, for lack of a better term, a deep inner restlessness - the inner demon that drove him to drink.
I only wish `Jussi' could have been longer. A year before it was published, I spoke with leading Bjorling authority Cantor Don Goldberg, one of the book's proofreaders. He told me that the first draft was 1100 pages. As the final copy is only 520 pages, I wonder what was cut besides the many laudatory comments from colleagues that were considered repetitive. I was surprised that there wasn't more information about Jussi's brothers once they reached adulthood, especially Gosta, who was so close to Jussi that they had an almost telepathic relationship. And while this book does full justice to such fundamental influences on Jussi's singing as his father, John Forsell (who emerges as quite a character!), and Tullio Voghera, I would have liked a bit more on Nils Grevilius, who conducted nearly every recording Jussi made before 1950. There is also virtually nothing about Hjordis Schymberg, the fine Swedish soprano who partnered Jussi over 100 times in Stockholm. More mention of his recordings besides the complete opera sets would have been welcome, although I am aware that his recordings are covered in the companion volume `A Jussi Bjorling Phonography'. Finally, while I am aware this would have added to the price of the book, there are so few color photos of Bjorling that I think they should have had one on the cover.
`Jussi' is essential reading for anyone with any interest in good music, let alone opera. It is the definitive biography of one of the most magnificent singers and human beings ever to appear on an opera or concert stage. If you haven't heard this man sing, remedy that immediately!
Fascinating.......2001-02-12
I had never heard of Bjorling until several months ago one late evening when the local classical music station played some of his arias. I had missed the intro to the work and couldn't figure out to whom this incredible and unique voice belonged; I knew I'd never heard anything remotely like it. You have to hear Jussi only once to want to listen endlessly to his voice. (Needless to say, my opera CD collection is expanding exponentially.)
So it was a great pleasure to discover this excellent biography, which illuminates not only his life but also the opera world from the 20s through the 50s. His early life and training from his father are particularly interesting if you wonder how such a great talent was discovered and developed. (The only question in my mind not answered is the extent to which his children inherited the incredible musical talent that was in his family for generations; that they perform is mentioned but never elaborated on.) The book is well documented with quotes from his peers, and the authors do a splendid job of presenting the entire person with his strengths and weaknesses in a very objective way that holds the reader's interest from beginning to end.
A Brilliant Achievement.......1999-07-14
Using painstaking research, Mr. Farkas helps readers understand the demons that followed this troubled musical genius. I always revered this extraordinary man; I now feel that I know him. Thank you, Mr. Farkas Carol P. (JBS member...attended Washington conference but never met you)
A work of historical significance to opera lovers........1998-11-22
That Jussi Bjorling was a man beset by demons from within, against which he frequently lost battles, is a revelation to those of us who only thought of him as the greatest tenor of the 20th century. Anna-Lisa does justice to his memory by openly discussing his problems. But of equal importance, she depicts a warm, friendly man whose life was his family and his singing. He was a loving and devoted husband and father, and, simultaneously, a consummate professional who took enormous pride in his craft. He achieved a level of success that will remain the standard for future generations of singers. The heights of adoration he engendered in his fans and colleagues, combined with the critical praise he enjoyed, will probably remain unequalled. His passing created a void that will NEVER be filled.
An excellent book a must for any Jussi Fan!.......1998-07-21
The legacy of Jussi Bjorling if for everyone, young and old alike. This great book provides the opportunity to get to know Jussi the man behind the voice. This book will complement any opera buffs collection of music and literature. Given that great voices come as a result of life experiences as well as training this book certainly helps us to understand Jussi like no other book could. Jussi Bjorling will be remember ed for years to come and hopefully this book will enable furture gernerations of music lovers in hundreds of years time to understand more about this great artist. (Unlike us who have very little to go on with regard to the great singers of hundreds of years ago).
Book Description
This major new global history of the twentieth century is written by four prominent international historians for first-year undergraduates and upward. Using their thematic and regional expertise, the authors have produced an authoritative yet accessible account of the history of international relations in the last century, covering events in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. They focus on the history of relations between states and on the broad ideological, economic and cultural forces that have influenced the evolution of international politics over the past one hundred years. Among the areas this book covers are:
* the decline of European hegemony over the international order
* the diffusion of power to the two superpowers
* the rise of newly independent states in Asia and Africa
* the course and consequences of three major global conflicts: the Great War, the Second World War and the Cold War.
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Strategies of Sanity and Survival: Religious Responses to Natural Disasters in the Middle Ages (SF Folkloristica)
Jussi Hanska
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Pilgrimage And Healing
ASIN: 951746357X |
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Kiasma - Steven Holl: Museum of Contemporary Art
Steven Holl
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Steven Holl: Losium World of Wine
ASIN: 9516824889 |
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