A Short History of the Opera - Second Edition

by Donald Jay Grout

This edition aims to incorporate the results of recent research and to bring the history of opera forward to about 1960. The main divisions are chronological and based primarily on considerations of musical style. Revisions, more or less extensive, have been made in all chapters; a few judgments have been revised; new illustrations and musical examples have been provided.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction, Reference, Art

Hardcover

First published August 1, 1965

Reviews

[Ryan Bassette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broad and comprehensive? Yes. Grout delves deep into the most obscure from each of the represented periods; a hefty chunk of the operas mentioned don't even have singular performances extant (and yes, I checked on many/most). I came away with a greater appreciation for just how much opera has been, and continues to be, written.

And therein lies my critique: the book reads a bit like an appendix, ad nauseum recitation of who wrote what, dense with dates and locales, loads of musical examples --typically without specific musical context, literally just an arbitrary example from a work/composer -- strewn about. Despite this, it isn't quite encyclopedic either, as the author might spend only a single paragraph on the reader's favorite composer, even failing to mention that one opera his/her/they entire operatic imagination hinges upon beyond mere passing.

So I came away, mind stuffed with names of lesser known composers of opera and intriguing titles I will likely never have the pleasure of hearing/seeing, and a genuine appreciation for the depth and breadth of the sport, but a compelling historic narrative of opera as a distinct genre this was not. Ultimately, Grout tries to check too many boxes and genuinely fails to fully serve any of them effectively.

Better for having stuck through it, but a tedious slog it was -- and this coming from a passionate lover of opera.

[Loesje · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book feels like a mini encyclopedia. A lot of information crammed in 500 pages (the remainder of the book is bibliography).

I think this book is for lot of people not a good fit. But if you are a singer studying opera aria´s like the Ariae Antiche, and are looking for background information about forgotten opera´s to which they belong, then this might be a usefull resource. I found it hard to find information about as a lot of those opera´s haven´t been performed any longer, and just the aria is still well known.

The book also explained the different opera styles during the century and the differences between opera in several countries.

It is almost like a textbook

[Valerie Denney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my Opera Literature. Informative and must for anyone trying to understand the world and history of opera.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a reference book, this Grout/Williams text can be a good addition to a musician/scholar's bookshelf; however, as a classroom textbook I do not recommend it. While I am in no doubt that the research is comprehensive, there is too much information to cover in sixteen weeks. The book, A Short History of Opera is in its fourth edition and is neither short nor an exhaustive history of opera.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very comprehensive and detailed account of the history of opera. Complete with musical examples and the story of the development of an art form. I would only recommend this for people who are seriously trying to learn everything they possibly can about opera history. Probably best saved for reading in a college course.

[Cordelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a class, but I think it would be an excellent reference book for any opera enthusiast to read a chapter or two before seeing something new. I do not recommend trying to read it through because it is close to a thousand pages and much of it is not relevant to the modern opera viewer other than for context. But this is a very thoroughly researched text and I learned a lot from it.

[Tamsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had sold this book back to the bookstore before it was outdated. But since I didn't, I'll keep it and use it as a resource.

[Cheyenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read for my Theaters Arts class. Not quite my thing, but it was educational and different.