International interest in new book
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| 27-August-2002 |
 New
York's Metropolitan Opera and the BBC's classical music program are among
the international organisations that have requested review copies of a
world-first book launched at the University of Wollongong on 14 August.
Retired professor
Dr Vincent Cincotta (pictured) launched his sixth book - Zarzuela - The
Spanish Lyric Theatre: A Complete Reference -- the world's first English
language reference book on Spanish musical theatre.
The genre became popular
in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, after Spanish ballet and
flamenco dance companies visited New York, and its popularity has endured.
Dr Cincotta was exposed to Zarzuela in New York, where he was born, lived,
studied and taught until he came to Australia in 1977 to lecture in Italian
and Spanish at the University of Wollongong's Department of European Languages.
He retired from the
University in 1995 to concentrate on research projects, and was made a
Fellow of the University in recognition for his enormous contribution
over 18 years.
During his half century
of passion for the Zarzuela, which he describes as "the musical theatre
of Spain -- their equivalent of My Fair Lady and West Side Story",
he has built up a vast wealth of knowledge and materials. In 1995 he was
instrumental in bringing to Australia the Antologia de la Zarzuela company
for 14 performances at the Sydney Opera House.
Dr Cincotta said a
great deal of international interest had been shown in the book, both
by prominent industry organisations such as New York's Metropolitan Opera
and the BBC who wanted review copies for their magazines, but also by
many universities across the United States, where Spanish is the second
language, and Graduate Schools in Spanish language and culture are common.
The 766-page book
is published by the University of Wollongong Press.
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