P. Craig Russell's Opera Adaptations Set (The P. Craig Russell Library of Opera Adaptations) by P. Craig Russell

The P. Craig Russell Library of Opera Adaptations #1-3

by P. Craig Russell

Combining three beautiful volumes into one elegant set, this collection captures classic adaptations in stunning comic art, from The Magic Flute, Richard Wagner’s Parsifal, “The Clowns” from Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, and Pelleas and Melisande to Strauss’ Salome, Maeterlinck and Dukas’ Ariane and Bluebeard, and “The Godfather’s Code” from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. Two songs by Mahler—“The Drinking Song of Earth’s Sorrow" and “Unto This World”—are also featured.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Comix, Music

Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Philip Craig Russell was the first mainstream comic book creator to come out as openly gay. Since 1972 his work has won multiple Kirby, Harvey, and Eisner Awards, and Cartoon Crossroads Columbus presented him the Master Cartoonist Award in 2019.

Reviews

[Michael Fiala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutní skvost. Russell je génius, pomalu každé jeho okénko se rovná uměleckému dílu, precizní linka, téměř secesní zdobnost, fantastická estetika... všechny příběhy mě bavily až pohltily, a to jde prosím o operu.

[David Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all a gret piece of work, successfuly translating some of the greatest opera to comics and not losing a lot. A must have for people who want to quickly learn the contents of operas - and in two cases even fully working, chilly stories. Great read.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

P. Craig Russell's art always amazes me how he can illustrate a sense of magic and wonder through thick lines in his artwork. What also is remarkable about his books is his nuanced understanding of how to adapt a story (whether it is an opera, children's stories, novels, short stories or more) in the medium of a graphic novel. He takes advantage of panels and the space on a page so that they never become monotonous, and they always add some kind of visual storytelling alongside the dialogue. Some graphic novels could just be read through the dialogue, but he makes the visuals in his books so irresistibly gorgeous and fundamental to the stories he tells, that they become (in a way) the more definitive edition of a story.

My favorite opera is Pagliacci (technically an operetta), since the framed narrative of the story telling a story within a story with thriller elements and the universal theme of the conflict between what you present to others versus how you truly are and feel inside always resonates me each time I watch the opera. I had, reasonably, high expectations for the adaptation. And Russell somehow made the root of the story just as (if not more) sincere as the original music and various performances of the opera.