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Major new book on Petipa by Roland John Wiley

Sebastian
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Sebastian

Sebastian

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After years of rumour Roland John Wiley’s major new study of Petipa and his ballets has just been announced for publication next month:
 
 
Professor Wiley, known for his lifetime’s devotion to ballet scholarship of the highest order, looks here to have reached a new high point. The price is not untypically steep for an academic work of this scale but no doubt libraries are already placing their orders. This is very exciting!

 
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bridiem

bridiem

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16 hours ago, CHazell2 said:

Yes, I saw that. It's a bit steep for what it is. However academic books are usually highly priced than other books - I wonder why that is. Hope that it is a good book.

 

I think there'd be a number of factors: academic books are often many years in the researching/writing (not that that will always be reflected in the author's advance/royalties!); the print run is likely to be small; and the target market is likely to be institutions with a budget for such publications (which may be essential for their own research or library) rather than ordinary members of the public.

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Diandri

Diandri

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Wow, Amazon is listing it at £189 for pre-order which is fairly eye-watering.

 

There's also yet another book forthcoming about Diaghilev by critic Rupert Christansen called Diaghilev's Empire & scheduled for October in hardback, sounds interesting, but surely the subject matter must be close to exhaustion by now? Preorder is £26.

 

Also, a new Lynn Garafola book La Nijinska: Choreographer of the Modern due 1st June in hardback at £30, it appears to be bountiful in photos & illustrations & at over 500 pages looks a very worthwhile addition to dancelover's shelves.

 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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Having pre-ordered this expensive tome, I now received an email from Amazon that publication is delayed, without providing a new date. So I checked   amazon.com and saw this:

 

This title will be released on  August 16, 2022.  Oh, phooey!

 

 

 

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Sebastian

Sebastian

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5 hours ago, Jeannette said:

Having pre-ordered this expensive tome, I now received an email from Amazon that publication is delayed, without providing a new date. So I checked   amazon.com and saw this:

 

This title will be released on  August 16, 2022.  Oh, phooey!

 

 

 


I see the publishers have also updated their announcement to August:

 

https://anthempress.com/the-petersburg-noverre-marius-petipa-in-russia-hb

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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Release day pushed even further out, to 15 November 2022. Still US$250 on USAmazon.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Noverre-Marius-Petipa-Russia/dp/1839984163/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1C3DDZK7WJACJ&keywords=Marius+Petipa+Wiley&qid=1659534244&sprefix=marius+petipa+wiley%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-1

 

So what’s going on?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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Your upbeat reporter here! :)  

 

This book is yet again postponed. The newest anticipated publishing date for R.J. Wiley’s Petipa is - tahdah! - March 7, 2023.

 

US Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Noverre-Marius-Petipa-Russia/dp/1839984163/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1V9AKXSV5UV2N&keywords=Petipa+Wiley&qid=1668624764&sprefix=petipa+wiley%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1

 

The price is still $250.

 

 

 

 

 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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On 16/11/2022 at 14:52, Ian Macmillan said:

He's probably still writing and/or revising it.  (I undertook a project some years ago that led me down various rabbit holes and delayed publication well beyond the original target date.)


Right. My understanding is that the number of primary sources (documents) from Russia is tremendous. It’s taking much longer than originally anticipated….lots to sort and refine into a well-honed tome of just 250 pages.  It will surely be well worth the time.

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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This is becoming a multi-year process. I hope I’m still alive when it comes out! 😉 

 

Now scheduled to be released on 13 June 2023, as per the US Amazon site…but the price has not gone down:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Noverre-Marius-Petipa-Russia/dp/1839984163/ref=m_piup_s_dr_sccl_16/144-5094400-0926954?pd_rd_w=cbNNK&content-id=amzn1.sym.659f5fbf-be3a-4043-bedb-d41d1c952847&pf_rd_p=659f5fbf-be3a-4043-bedb-d41d1c952847&pf_rd_r=0P382SV3MPF6SXEAETZ0&pd_rd_wg=XvE9r&pd_rd_r=ee7d4c45-aaf0-4a27-8be1-c4672e6e33f0&pd_rd_i=1839984163&psc=1

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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In the US, no new date cited…”temporarily unavailable…” So when was it “available”? Were the $250 pre-orders returned (cancelled) to those who selected it?

https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Noverre-Marius-Petipa-Russia/dp/1839984163/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=XS77NEV3PWOQ&keywords=petipa+Wiley&qid=1686805306&sprefix=petipa+wiley%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

 

My $250 pre-order from spring 2022 was deleted a long time ago.

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Angela

Angela

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Jeannette, the author is 80 years old. Publishing houses normally announce new books only when they are complete and ready, so it may have to do with his age or other unforeseen events. This will certainly be an important book, so let's be patient 🙏

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capybara

capybara

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In the UK, novels (and sometimes other books) can be promoted for pre-order some 3 to 4 months ahead of publication. The publicity then tends to include ‘rave reviews’ from fellow authors or ‘notables’ who have been given advance copies.

 

I think that titles such as this one about Petipa are more usually ‘advertised’ only a month ahead of the date they are due to come out - i.e. once the book is fully ‘ready to go’.

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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7 hours ago, capybara said:

 I think that titles such as this one about Petipa are more usually ‘advertised’ only a month ahead of the date they are due to come out - i.e. once the book is fully ‘ready to go’.


One month is fine. Not two years ahead of time. I’m thinking that perhaps Prof Wiley is waiting for sources (or OKs) from Russia? 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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On 15/06/2023 at 04:34, Angela said:

Jeannette, the author is 80 years old. Publishing houses normally announce new books only when they are complete and ready, so it may have to do with his age or other unforeseen events. This will certainly be an important book, so let's be patient 🙏


Not to be too harsh, I’m a huge admirer of Prof Wiley. I have & adore his earlier tomes on the Tchaikovsky ballets, Lev Ivanov, and the history of 19th-C Russian ballet. As you can see, I was very excited at the beginning of this process.  I am simply gobsmacked at the very long time since the initial pre-order time (March 2022?) and now….and the multiple times that the publication date has been shifted. By now, we are going through two of my birthdays (late August) and two end-of-year holiday seasons. It’s just an odd timeline. Maybe the eventual publication will help me to make up for my many years awaiting the publication of Arlene Croce’s biography of Balanchine (just via rumor; the Croce bio was never on the pre-ordering track, that I recall).

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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THE GOOD NEWS: No change of date! It’s still coming on March 5, 2024.

 

However, it looks like this will be published in TWO volumes:

 

Vol 1 ($250):

https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Noverre-Marius-Petipa-Russia/dp/1839984163/ref=pd_aw_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_1?pd_rd_w=djky2&content-id=amzn1.sym.0e5c7f8b-153f-45ea-a1fd-9585fc3a0cd5%3Aamzn1.symc.2b06b7e8-a86c-4e6e-b02c-90d58278f4f1&pf_rd_p=0e5c7f8b-153f-45ea-a1fd-9585fc3a0cd5&pf_rd_r=4HP8Z8P67RNX49A8R3DC&pd_rd_wg=P1q06&pd_rd_r=8e0b7c18-a5ca-4707-9cfc-2385b58a795d&pd_rd_i=1839984163

 

Vol 2 ($250):

https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Noverre-Marius-Petipa-Russia/dp/1839990767/ref=pd_aw_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=djky2&content-id=amzn1.sym.0e5c7f8b-153f-45ea-a1fd-9585fc3a0cd5%3Aamzn1.symc.2b06b7e8-a86c-4e6e-b02c-90d58278f4f1&pf_rd_p=0e5c7f8b-153f-45ea-a1fd-9585fc3a0cd5&pf_rd_r=4HP8Z8P67RNX49A8R3DC&pd_rd_wg=P1q06&pd_rd_r=8e0b7c18-a5ca-4707-9cfc-2385b58a795d&pd_rd_i=1839990767

 

THE BAD NEWS: $250 + $250 = $500

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pulcinella

Pulcinella

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Each volume has 250 pages and is priced at £200. The recent biography of Balanchine, Mr. B, has 784 pages and is £35. I assume the price is having to account for all the time it took to do the research for the book, which I imagine was considerable.

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Ian Macmillan

Ian Macmillan

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At that price I fear it may be restricted to a very niche, academic market.  Some years ago I was persuaded to take on writing a centennial history of a RAF squadron on which I had served.  It took me fully three years of research to produce a 342 page volume that had to be very reasonably priced to ensure a worthwhile sales volume.  Had the hours of work involved been priced on any 'normal' economic measure, I doubt it would have sold much at all.  Nonetheless, one wishes both volumes well.

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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You beat me to the punch, Sebastian! Our favorite upcoming tome is now further delayed to 30 Sept 2024.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Noverre-Marius-Petipa-Russia/dp/1839984163/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3CIY4NOTD1E1A&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NHVp2T_hUswrsA9Ne_SOqnTNmAjJs-X6NyBKoEIxd30.c7ByAu8_kQQVXES5i163Gw8H6xrYXYW22xPg4bJjBoc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Petipa+book+by+Wiley&qid=1710463567&sprefix=petipa+book+by+wiley%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1

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