Bravo!: The Case for Italian Musical Mastery

by Guy Graybill

The 1,000-year-old story begins, basically, with the work of a humble monk from the city of Arezzo. And this story has no ending. If, on one hand, we will never know the music of the Egyptians, of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1620062089
• ISBN13: 9781620062081
• Release Date: March 2014
• Publisher: Sunbury Press, Inc.
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Bravo - A Title & A Review

This book ignited an interest in the history of Italian music that I didn't know I had as well as furthering the pride I have in my heritage. It is more than a reference book, it tells a story. Artists are referenced from all walks of life and this brings out many interesting facts. From the papal origin of Gregorian Chants to the numerous influences Italian artists and instrument makers had not only on Europe but also on the Catholic faith and the entire world, this book should be used as a travel guide to a comprehensive history & tour of Italy. That the author is not Italian himself leads to the book's objectivity and the subsequent enjoyment of the reader. The agenda is one of knowledge and enjoyment. The journey starting with a monk from Arezzo through the 21st Century is both informative and entertaining. A good read.

The Italians' contributions to music are unrivaled!

How many people in the entire world ever even gave a fleeting thought to the contributions the Italians might have made to music? Guy Graybill had a seed thought----and ran with it! The result is BRAVO!, a book that is scholarly, informative, yet captivating. It is obvious that Graybill did a great deal of research. He unearthed enough obscure trivia to make the book intriguing, without allowing it to be bogged down by trivia. Some books are so exhaustive and detailed that they are actually forbidding. Sometimes the pages just LOOK daunting, with nothing to break up the solid, seemingly endless columns of fine print! BRAVO! is broken up with excellent photographs and sketches, in addition to a well-defined outline. Using a pleasant conversational style, the author has made BRAVO! deep enough for the serious reader, but, without sacrificing scholarship, shallow enough to intrigue the person who thought he wouldn't be interested! The timeline of BRAVO! goes back thousands of years before Christ, yet is as current as NOW. It covers every conceivable aspect and form of music. The author distilled just the essential and the interesting, all the while proving his premise that the Italians made overwhelming and UNRIVALED contributions to music! The person who "eats and sleeps" music, as well as the one who simply enjoys listening to it, will enjoy reading BRAVO!

History and Music Combine to Make a Big Hit!

Historian Guy Graybill undoubtedly loves music as well as history. So if you are a fan of either, I am certain you will want to consider his latest book, Bravo! Greatness of Italian Music, published by the Dante University Press. I must say immediately that I very much enjoyed this writer's brilliant presentation of what many will see as a major historical text with indepth, well-documented information on his chosen topic. This is very true! But there were subtle small touches that added to my personal delight, such as: · His use of Acts rather than the common "chapter" to separate his material. · His choice of highlighting both Sinatra and Pavarotti on the cover to show the breadth of his content. · His inclusion of small asides of personal opinion and/or tidbits of humor that normally would never appear in a significant research effort; for instance his personal comment about ballet: "What perversity resides within the masculine soul that drives men to create ways to physically hobble females?" (p. 144) · And, finally, the inclusion of many historical pictures as well as many beautiful hand-drawn portraits from the Dante University Press. Do not doubt that this book will become a major reference for students of music! The back cover states, "The Italians were so busy creating and performing superb music that they neglected to tell the great epic story of their wondrous achievement." Indeed, the author has "demonstrated...the Italian contribution to music is overwhelmingly superior." (p. 234) His Curtain on that same page provides 14 areas of music in which Italians excel! Obviously, creation of fine instruments, operas, and symphonies are just a few. Let me illustrate by just highlighting names that many of you will readily recognize: Gregory who composed the Gregorian chants; Stradivari, makers of stringed instruments; Paganini; Monteverdi, opera's first genius; Verdi; Caruso; Pavarotti; and, one of my favorites, Andrea Bocelli, who is involved in both opera and more modern music and even has his singing in a commercial--how cool is that! If you don't recognize those involved with classical music, how about: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Mario Lanza, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Jim Croce, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Frankie Lane, Jerry Vale, Sonny Bono, Jerry Colonna, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, and, of course, Frank Sinatra. Just imagine! I've highlighted only those individuals whose name you will probably recognize. I believe you will realize that this book is well beyond a students' text! Anybody who is interested in music will find the personal stories and biographical information on these individuals fascinating! From Italians and Italian-Americans, there has been "more music lost" than has been created by others! That's a powerful statement, isn't it? Graybill has the statistics--the numbers, to back this up if that will interest you. I think anybody who stops to think about the great music they've come to love, they will realize the imp