The Great Operas: The Romantic Legends upon which the Masters of Song have Founded Their Famous Lyrical Compositions.

VERDI, Giuseppe [Introduction]. Edited by James W. Buel.

$975.00

Item Number: 134504

London, Paris, Berlin, and Philadelphia: The Societe Universelle Lyrique, 1899.

The Educational edition of this collection of the great operas. Elephant folio, 10 volumes bound into five in full pebbled leatherette for Oliver C. Safir with gilt titles to the spine and front panel and his gilt ownership name to the front panel of each volume, profusely illustrated with numerous full-page and in-text mezzo and sepia tinted illustrations. From the library of Oliver Craus Safir, and later his son, American journalist William Safire. William Safire was an important American author, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He joined Nixon’s campaign in the 1960 Presidential race, and again in 1968. Following Nixon’s 1968 victory, Safire served as a presidential speechwriter for both Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew. He was a frequent guest on Meet The Press, describing himself as the voice of “libertarian conservatives” and authored several political columns, most notably his weekly column “On Language” which appeared in The New York Times Magazine from 1979 until the month of his death in 2009. He authored two books on grammar and linguistics: The New Language of Politics (1968) and what Zimmer called Safire’s “magnum opus,” Safire’s Political Dictionary. Safire later served as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board from 1995 to 2004 and in 2006 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. In very good condition.

Italian composer Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini, whose works significantly influenced him. His operas remain extremely popular, especially the three peaks of his 'middle period': Rigoletto, Il trovatore and La traviata.