Arabic Phonology: An Acoustical and Physiological Investigation (Janua Linguarum, Ser Practica : No 61)

This book is dedicated to the late Dr. Gordon E. Peterson whose untimely death occurred before its publication. I cannot too warmly express my appreciation to Dr. Gordon E. Peterson who allowed me to work at the Communication Sciences Laboratory at the University of Michigan and who helped me beyond measure. Also I am extremely grateful to Dr. June E. Shoup, of the Communication Sciences Laboratory, who spent many hours both in helping me prepare the data and in very carefully proofreading the first six chapters. Special acknowledgement goes to Mr. Ralph Fertig, also of the Communication Sciences Laboratory, for his excellent work on the mounting and lettering of the spectrograms and to Dr. Kenneth Moll of the University of Iowa both for assisting me in making the X-ray films and for the tracings of these films. I also extend my appreciation to all of the informants who assisted meespecially to my brother, Mr. Salim H. T. al-Ani and to Mr. A. M. al-Mahmood. My deepest gratitude goes to my wife for her valuable assistance in the preparation of this book. Finally, thanks are due to the Canada Council under whose auspices it was possible for me to complete the research work.

This book considers the story of Nero and Octavia, as told in the pseudo-Senecan Octavia and the works of ancient historiographers, and its reception in (early) modern opera and some related examples of other performative genres. In total the study assembles more than 30 performative texts (including 22 librettos), ranging chronologically from L'incoronazione di Poppea in 1642/43 until the early 20th century, and provides detailed information on all of them. In a close examination of the libretto (and dramatic) texts, the study shows the impact and development of this fascinating story from the beginnings of historical opera onwards. The volume demonstrates the various transformations of the characters of Nero and his wives and of the depiction of their relationship over the centuries, and it looks at the tension between "historical" elements and genre conventions. The book is therefore of relevance to literary scholars as well as to readers interested in the evolution of Nero's image in present-day media.

Format Paperback Subject Literary Collections Publisher Walter De Gruyter Inc