A History of Opera
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.23 (906 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0393348954 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 656 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-07-30 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"A singular and rewarding history of opera" according to GDP. An important question to ask when selecting a history of opera to be purchased is, "How am I intending to read it?" (a sub-question may be, "Will I ever really read it?"). That is, will it primarily sit on a shelf and be consulted before some performances (i.e., used as a reference book), or will it be consumed as a single text, with an eye to a br. Bravissima! Anne Mills An impressive and worthwhile overview, studded with precise insights and new perspectives. I was particularly struck with the authors' use of the movie "Diva". It includes a memorable aria from "La Wally": the authors use this to illustrate the power of song even divorced from any context. I also appreciated the fact that there are no musical quote. Understanding opera I developed a love for opera only about 20 years ago and have gradually not only built up a list of favorites, but also am now able to enjoy operas that at earlier stages I found too difficult. This book tells me why. More, by showing me how the art form has evolved, and why, I now have a much better appreciation for what is happening in good opera
“The best single volume ever written on the subject, such is its range, authority, and readability.”Times Literary Supplement Why has opera transfixed and fascinated audiences for centuries? Carolyn Abbate and Roger Parker answer this question in their “effervescent, witty” (Die Welt, Germany) retelling of the history of opera, examining its development, the musical and dramatic means by which it communicates, and its role in society. 24 pages of illustrations. Now with an expanded examination of opera as an institution in the twenty-first century, this “lucid and sweeping” (Boston Globe) narrative explores the tensions that have sustained opera over four hundred years: between words and music, character and singer, inattention and absorption. Abbate and Parker argue that, though the genre’s most popular and enduring works were almost all written in a distant Eu
Opera fans who wish to go beyond program notes will appreciate the care and scholarship that went into this rich and elegant history. --Carolyn Mulac . Succeeding chapters discuss opera’s origins, major composers, and styles at length. This is not a dry recitation of musical facts but a collection of interesting, well-reasoned discussions supported by abundant references to contemporary writings, critical studies, biographies, and other sources. The opening chapter sets the stage with an overview of a number of operatic issues, including words and music, the question of reality onstage, and popularity and conventions in staging. From Booklist “A history of opera is not lightly undertaken in this Age of Information, particularly when it attempts to survey the entire 400-year period.” Abbate and Parker are up to the task and
He is the author of Leonora’s Last Act and Remaking the Song and was a founding coeditor of the Cambridge Opera Journal. He lives in Hampshire. . She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.Roger Parker, professor of music at King’s College London, writes on opera and music in London. She writes on film, philosophy, and opera and has also worked as a translator and dramaturge. Carolyn Abbat