Opera Grant

The library was pleased to receive a grant from the Library Foundation to obtain operatic works on dvd and compact disk. This grant will enable us to develop our collection of great music for listening and viewing.
The Fox Cities is a cultural pocket for the arts. There is a core group of opera lovers in the area who attend performances of professional opera companies within a 200- mile radius of Appleton and enjoy previewing and getting familiar with an operatic work before they see the live performance. The library is an excellent place for them to find sound recordings and dvds of the works they plan to see or have enjoyed in the past.

Students of music approach and come to know operatic music through numerous means. There is the necessary time listening or watching performances. At times students want to hear the full opera, but often they are studying or planning to play a certain segment of the work. Hearing the combination of words and notes works brings the opera to life for the individual. The library has a variety of works for students to watch, listen to and analyze as they learn and grow familiar with this musical form.

In addition to local university operatic offerings, the PAC in Appleton has brought another venue for fine opera in the area. When local performances are scheduled, patrons rush to the library to check out recordings and dvds in anticipation of the coming performances. For anyone planning to attend a opera or just wanting to enjoy an operatic moment in private, the library has a selection of titles from which to choose.

Some of the new titles on dvd include:
Barber of Seville /Rossini
Macbeth /Verdi
Fidelio /Beethoven
Carmen/ Bizet
Salome /Strauss
Peter Grimes /Britten
Parsifal /Wagner
La Boheme /Puccini
Madama Butterfly /Puccini
Rigoletto /Verdi