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FDU PRESS
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| Scholarly Review |
 | The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer: Volume 4, 1857-1864, The Last Years
ISBN# 0838638457
Reviewed by: Keith E. Clifton, Central Michigan University
The Opera Journal, March 2005 |
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Robert Letellier provides a fascinating glimpse into the last period of Meyerbeer's life in this fourth and final volume. It soon becomes apparent that Meyerbeer continued to work a punishing schedule despite increasing health problems, all amply documented in the diary entries (frequent references to "colic," "fever," and other ailments will both unsettle and amuse readers. Like its predecessors, Volume 4 has a number of distinct sections, grouped by year and supported by extensive scholarly materials. Upon closer examination, a trend evident in the earlier volumes reveals itself again. Meyerbeer provides scant commentary on musical issues beyond the quality of individual voices and stage designs. Although keenly aware of his rivals and contemporaries, he rarely discusses their music in detail.
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