from the rest of Oberto. Toye notes that, in spite of its weaknesses, the opera: still compels attention. For instance, the energy of the finale of the first act, at times surprisingly classical in feeling, is remarkable; and the same is true to an even greater extent of the quartet in the second act, certainly the best music in the opera and a fine piece of ensemble writing in which, towards the end, the curious will find an amusing reminiscence of Schubert['s] "Marche Militaire." Recordings 2012 Michael Hofstetter conductor, Theater Gießen – Germany, Oberto: Adrian Ganz, Leonora: Franceska Lombardi, Cuniza: Manuela Custer, Riccardo: Norman Reinhardt, Imelda: Naroa Intxausti, Concert Version Stadttheater Giessen, OEHMS Classics OC959 2CDs See also The historical Cunizza da Romano, whose life was as at least as interesting as this fictionalised account. References Notes Cited sources Budden, Julian (1984), The Operas of Verdi, Volume 1: From 'Oberto' to 'Rigoletto' . London: Cassell. . Kimbell, David (2001), in Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam. Parker, Roger (1997), "Discovering a New Musical Voice", booklet accompanying the Philips CD. Parker, Roger (1998), "Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio", in Stanley Sadie, (Ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Vol. 3. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc. Toye, Francis (1931), Giuseppe Verdi: His Life and Works, New York: Knopf Other sources Baldini, Gabriele (1970), (trans. Roger Parker, 1980), The Story of Giuseppe Verdi: Oberto to Un Ballo in Maschera. Cambridge, et al: Cambridge University Press. Chusid, Martin, (Ed.) (1997), Verdi’s Middle Period, 1849 to 1859, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. De Van, Gilles (trans. Gilda Roberts) (1998), Verdi’s Theater: Creating Drama Through Music. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press. (hardback), Gossett, Philip (2006), Divas and Scholar: Performing Italian Opera, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Martin, George, Verdi: His Music, Life and Times (1983), New York: Dodd, Mead and Company. Osborne, Charles (1969), The Complete Opera of Verdi, New York: Da Capo Press, Inc. Parker, Roger (2007), The New Grove Guide to Verdi and His Operas, Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press. Pistone, Danièle (1995), Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera: From Rossini to Puccini, Portland, OR: Amadeus Press. Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane (1993), Verdi: A Biography, London & New York: Oxford University Press. Walker, Frank, The Man Verdi (1982), New York: Knopf, 1962, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Werfel, Franz and Stefan, Paul (1973), Verdi: The Man and