This is the first book-length examination of Bartók's 1911 opera Duke Bluebeard's Castle, one of the twentieth century's enduring operatic works. Writing in an engaging style, Leafstedt adopts an interdisciplinary approach to the opera by introducing, in addition to music-dramatic analysis, a number of topics that are new to the field of Bartók studies. These new areas of critical and scholarly terrain include a detailed literary study of the libretto and a gender-focused analysis of the opera's female character, Judith. Leafstedt begins with a short introductory chapter that places Duke Bluebeard's Castle within the context of Bartók's early composing career, his discovery of folk music, and its impact on his later work. The book goes on to explore the composition's troubled history, its failure to win two early Hungarian opera competitions, and the three versions of the ending that resulted, discussed here in depth for the first time. The core of the book is devoted to the musical and dramatic organization of the opera and offers an analysis of the seven individual door scenes, including a detailed analysis of scene six, the "lake of tears" scene, illustrating the work's complex tonal organization and dramatic structure. A separate chapter places this darkly psychological version of the Bluebeard story within the broader context of European history and literature. Throughout the book, Leafstedt draws on original Hungarian source material, much of it newly translated by the author and available here for the first time in English, and he includes a generous selection of musical examples. Inside Bluebeard's Castle is an ideal starting point for research in twentieth-century music, Hungarian cultural history, and opera studies, as well as an invaluable guide for anyone interested in Bartók's only opera.

Cattleman Jack Harding has information he thinks will lead him and his Aboriginal friend, Sam Wundura, to the fabled Lasseter’s Reef which he must find if he is to recover his family birthright, Belowra Downs station. The Land Council has given him permission to search Native Land. The Local Aborigines haven’t. Neither has Brett Hamilton of ASIO’s Domestic Operation Unit who cannot allow the Reef ever to be discovered. It is a matter of vital national importance that the location of Lasseter’s Reef remains secret. Hamilton despatches an SAS patrol led by a psychopathic sergeant to ensure Harding fails without the Aborigines knowing. But can the sergeant follow orders? Harding is in for a hard time and when he thinks things can’t get worse … they do.

Enjoy this collection of twisted fairy tale retellings by USA Today bestselling author Nicole Zoltack where Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast all feature their villains as the heroes. What if the evil stepmother had a reason for locking Cinderella away? What if Sleeping Beauty was cursed to protect her kingdom? What if the beast truly was a beast? Find out in this collection of twisted fairy tales. Included is a never before published, brand new twisted short story, the Cost of Intemperance, a twisted retelling of Twelve Dancing Princess. KEYWORDS: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast, fairytale fantasy, fantasy romance, romantic fantasy, slow burn romance, supernatural powers, magic, come into powers, dark fantasy romance, clean fantasy, king, prince, royal, historical fantasy, Free Royal, Raven Kennedy, Kelly St. Clare, Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti, C.N Crawford, Elise Kova, Robin D. Mahle, Elle Madison, D.K. Holmberg, Cordelia Castel, Kay L Moody, Alisha Klaphe

In the future the outcome of baseball games means everything... Mysterious aliens have visited human worlds and now they too request to play. The rules have changed, the stakes have increased. Americans have but one last hope to save their country from falling.

Panoramic, authentic, explosively dramatic—this is the breathtaking new series The First Americans, which began with Book I, Beyond The Sea Of Ice. Now the heroic great hunter Torka, his woman Lonit, and his adopted son Karana emerge from a land forbidden to all men, a land where mountains walk and spirits speak. Across the fierce glacial tundra Torka leads his people—survivors of a horrifying natural disaster—to a winter camp where many bands gather to hunt the great mammoth. There he and his followers encounter an evil more dangerous than the wild lands—the magic man called Navahlk, who vows cruel destruction of the bold hunter Torka. To survive they must draw upon the courage of one brave boy who will grow to manhood and see with his mind’s eye where the sun’s light has led them—to the dawn of man on the American continent.

“A family account of the life of Tashunke Witko, their great Sioux relative . . . For the first time, the Clown family members tell their oral history.”—True West The Edward Clown family, nearest living relatives to the Lakota war leader, presents the family tales and memories told to them about their famous grandfather. In many ways the oral history differs from what has become the standard and widely accepted biography of Crazy Horse. The family clarifies the inaccuracies and shares their story about the past, including what it means to them to be Lakota, the family genealogy, the life of Crazy Horse and his motivations, his death, and why they chose to keep quiet with their knowledge for so long before finally deciding to tell the truth as they know it. This book is a compelling addition to the body of works about Crazy Horse and the complicated and often conflicting events of that time period in American History. “For the first time the first-hand account of Crazy Horse is told . . . The stories were faithfully passed down through the generations . . . It includes Crazy Horse’s account of the last moments of Custer and the near-killing of Maj. Marcus Reno by Crazy Horse’s father.”—Capital Journal “After many years of keeping quiet, the family of Lakota warrior Crazy Horse decided to tell their story of his life and legacy . . . The truth behind the history of Crazy Horse—an iconic Native American warrior—until recently has been kept hidden for more than a century.”—The Monroe News