Michael William Balfe

Rezensionen / Stimmen

'Ashgate are to be applauded for having included this title in their music series... William Tyldesley's elegant written biography covers all facets of Balfe... [Tyldesley's] clear and detailed descriptions of the appearance of the material he has been working from makes it unnecessary for anyone to consider a need to look at the sources further... This biography replaces the previous one. The reader feels he is present during the searches and William Tyldsley's lively descriptions make the reading of his intriguing bigoraphy a joy.' MusicWeb 'Highly recommended for anyone interested in Victorian music and operas before Gilbert & Sullivan.' The Delian 'This book is excellent on the analysis of Balfe's operas and other works... a valuable addition to musical scholarship...' Opera Now 'As the first full-length study of Balfe and his English opera, [...], William Tyldesley's monograph addresses a long-standing need for a more comprehensive look at this important figure... In making all this information readily available, Tyldesley has rendered an enormous service for scholars of the era.' Opera Quarterly 'The author examines each of the operas in great detail and his enthusiasm for Balfe's work shines on every page. He has succeeded in presenting a biographical and musical portrait of the composer which has been long overdue. Altogether a worthy tribute.' Dublin Historical Record 'Tyldesley's book tackles the important task of beginning to redress the incorrect myths and legends generated from contemporary and late nineteenth-century works on Balfe and the lack of modern scholarship on an important figure in British music and opera.' Notes 'The main contribution of William Tyldesley's biography that should interest historians is its intriguing narrative of how Balfe moved around the continent, first as a singer [...] and then as a composer, from Rome to Naples to Paris, gaining the support of Cherubini and Rossini along the way... Tyldesley has done the first