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Video: Analysis of Don Giovanni
This video from San Diego Opera Talk series provides a useful analysis of the opera Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte. Nick Reveles talks through some of the dramatic and musical elements of the opera, providing insight into some of the themes of the work and the effects that Mozart and […]
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Mozart, Don Giovanni: Best Recorded Version
I like a mix of different approaches with my favourite classical works. For Don Giovanni, the opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, there are three clear choices, which critics (at least in the UK and Europe) unanimously highlight. 1. Don Giovanni: The Traditional Account Don Giovanni performed by the Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Carlo […]
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Mozart’s Don Giovanni: Resources and Links
The following links offer useful resources for analysis of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. Analysis The Nowhere Man – the mystery of Don Giovanni, by Nicholas Lezard Mozart’s Don Giovanni: An Enlightenment Hero? by John Kerns Don Giovanni, man or idea, by Kenneth LaFave Søren Kierkegaard’s Interpretation of Mozart’s Opera Don Giovanni : An Appraisal and […]
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The Culture Club: Theme for March-May 2009
March-May 2009 This time we’re looking at the Don’s – Giovanni and Juan (although we’re saving Quixote for a future session). These two are based on the same story, the legend of Don Juan, which probably first saw light of day as the play El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra (The Trickster of […]
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Samuel Johnson’s Truth
Every serious artist must take a position with regards to truth. Samuel Johnson’s position is fascinating, because it seems to involve vast contradictions and yet manages to resolve them in a world view that is consistent. Adherence to truth is a fundamental tenet for Johnson, as we see throughout his own writings and his conversations […]
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Quotes by Samuel Johnson
I finally finished Bowell’s Life of Johnson. At 1402 pages, this is probably the longest book I’ve ever read, but it was worth every minute. While a couple of the members of The Culture Club were unhappy with its weight, and thought it needed serious editing, there were three of us who thought its great […]
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Samuel Johnson and the End of Certainty
Johnson’s character betrays striking contradictions, which are particularly interesting because they represent his age, a turning point in human ideas that was so profound it continues to resonate with us today. What marks Johnson is the contrast between what might be called his ‘weighty assertiveness’ and on the other hand his radical scepticism. Or to […]
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The Culture Club: Theme for January-February 2009
The theme for these two months is Samuel Johnson, plus a bit of Schubert. Apparently these two were Samuel Beckett’s favourite artists (but that’s a coincidence). There’s a lot of stuff here, so we’re allowed to skim the Boswell for the best bits about Johnson! Samuel Johnson The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia (prose) […]
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Campaign to make Jeremy Prynne the new poet laureate
Charlotte Higgins is only joking, in her piece on the Guardian Culture blog: Jeremy Prynne for poet laureate! But I think it’s a great idea. He may write obscure and difficult poems, but wouldn’t it be refreshing to get the nation scratching its head on a regular basis? And after all, he is the most […]
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The Hitchcock Blonde
I’ve just discovered (how did it take so long?) a brilliant culture blogger named Molly Flatt. She writes with great wit and style about all aspects of the arts and literature on her blog Hitchcock Blonde, as well as contributing to the Guardian Books Blog. Here’s a taster of her fine prose: In my imagination, […]