Thanks, Steven, for sharing this discovery. I am now a weekly subscriber to the LOA offerings, which are wonderful additions to my reading schedule.
Someday, if I win the lottery, I think I will buy a complete collection of all LOA titles. The books are beautiful editions. I hope that LOA can keep its promise of keeping their books "in print" permanently.
Steven, I have linked to your posting at my blog. Here is the link: http://novelsandstories.blogspot.com/2010/03/something-new-from-library-of-america.html
I love the LOA books and have a great many of them. I'm looking to rejoin and collect the rest because they make such a nice uniform edition and it becomes very easy for me to find certain things. For example, the Nathaneal West volume allows me to have all four major works in one volume. They're in the process of having a complete Philip Roth, and have a mostly complete Faulkner. Again, wonderful series with some interesting authors one might not otherwise find.
I have shelves and shelves and shelves of understanding whereof you speak--All of Henry James, All of Willa Cather, Herman Melville, Poe, Hawthorne, and a (probably too large) collection of William Dean Howells. Oh, yes, I understand completely and yet, I fly very close to that flame, thinking--I'll reup my subscription and get all the rest, in time. . .
What I should have said yesterday and failed to do so, is that while I appreciate the link and the attention, the original did come from the Whispering Gum site and he had some nice comments on the story du jour. My apologies for not making this clearer. And my thanks to you for the link.
There are so many wonderful things about the internet: there was a time when a scholar had to order through ILL and wait for weeks or months before he or she could set eyes on such works as Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini or Robert de Boron's Prose Merlin . No more. from Prose Merlin Robert de Boron Full wrothe and angry was the Devell, whan that oure Lorde hadde ben in helle and had take oute Adam and Eve and other at his plesier. And whan the fendes sien that, they hadden right grete feer and gret merveile. Thei assembleden togedir and seiden: "What is he this thus us supprisith and distroyeth, in so moche that oure strengthes ne nought ellis that we have may nought withholde hym, nor again hym stonde in no diffence but that he doth all that hym lyketh? We ne trowed not that eny man myght be bore of woman but that he sholde ben oures; and he that thus us distroyeth, how is he born in whom we knewe non erthely delyte?" Than ansuerde anothir fende and seide
I post this because whenever I recommend to anyone the Queen of Night, I always recommend it in the Lucia Popp rendition. It's a matter of personal taste, but what I love about this is that it is somewhat slower than the other versions and as a result, it would seem to me somewhat more difficult to perform and sustain--those high notes in which the Queen's voice becomes the Magic Flute itself are rounded, full, and deep while remaining light and airy. I have read some rather severe criticism of this ritardando; and while it may or may not reflect Mozart's intent, it is certainly within the options for staging. It creates a real vocal showpiece from what is already a magnificent example of same. It really is an amazing example of a virtuoso composition sung by a virtuoso voice. All of which should not be taken to mean that I do not truly appreciate the version posted earlier by Diana Damrau, it's just nice to see what a difference tempo can make. I think we can take
Thanks, Steven, for sharing this discovery. I am now a weekly subscriber to the LOA offerings, which are wonderful additions to my reading schedule.
ReplyDeleteSomeday, if I win the lottery, I think I will buy a complete collection of all LOA titles. The books are beautiful editions. I hope that LOA can keep its promise of keeping their books "in print" permanently.
Steven, I have linked to your posting at my blog. Here is the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://novelsandstories.blogspot.com/2010/03/something-new-from-library-of-america.html
Dear RT,
ReplyDeleteI love the LOA books and have a great many of them. I'm looking to rejoin and collect the rest because they make such a nice uniform edition and it becomes very easy for me to find certain things. For example, the Nathaneal West volume allows me to have all four major works in one volume. They're in the process of having a complete Philip Roth, and have a mostly complete Faulkner. Again, wonderful series with some interesting authors one might not otherwise find.
shalom,
Steven
Steven,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the LoA link. I just signed up for the story of the week.
Frankly I'm almost afraid to go browsing through the LoA offerings, if you know what I mean.
Dear Fred,
ReplyDeleteI have shelves and shelves and shelves of understanding whereof you speak--All of Henry James, All of Willa Cather, Herman Melville, Poe, Hawthorne, and a (probably too large) collection of William Dean Howells. Oh, yes, I understand completely and yet, I fly very close to that flame, thinking--I'll reup my subscription and get all the rest, in time. . .
Ah well.
shalom,
Steven
Dear RT,
ReplyDeleteWhat I should have said yesterday and failed to do so, is that while I appreciate the link and the attention, the original did come from the Whispering Gum site and he had some nice comments on the story du jour. My apologies for not making this clearer. And my thanks to you for the link.
shalom,
Steven
Steven,
ReplyDeleteI think I'll just atay with the short stories for awhile and maybe take a peek at the offerings around my birthday.