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The Birth of an Opera: Fifteen Masterpieces from Poppea to Wozzeck
The Birth of an Opera offers illuminating insight into how operas are written and the personalities, incidents, and musical circumstances that have shaped their composition. Through a deft compilation of primary sources―letters, memoirs, and personal accounts from composers, librettists, and performers―Michael Rose re-creates for his readers the circumstances that gave rise to fifteen operatic milestones. From Monteverdi and Mozart to Puccini and Berg, each chapter focuses on a well-known opera and tells the story that lies behind its creation. Rather than retreading familiar ground with pages of historical and musical analysis, Rose places each opera firmly in the context of the composer’s life and provides an engaging text in which the varied and colorful personalities involved are seen to discuss, comment, and contribute in one way or another to the progress of its composition. The reader will find Mozart with a new and flamboyant librettist tackling the risky enterprise of Le Nozze di Figaro ; Wagner confessing his hidden love for the woman who inspires him as he creates the passionate drama of Tristan und Isolde ; Verdi deep in Shakespearian discussion with Boito as they remodel the tragedy of Otello ; and Debussy coming almost literally to blows with Maeterlinck over the soprano to take the leading role in Pelléas et Mélisande . Throughout, Rose offers his readers the most direct possible link to events that have often become twisted or obscured by operatic myth, and in so doing he captures the bizarre interactions of chance, genius, practical necessity, and dogged determination that accompanied the making of some of opera’s most enduring masterpieces. 15 photographs
- GenresMusicHistoryNonfiction
441 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2013
9 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Michael Rose
217 books18 followersMichael Rose was raised on a small family dairy farm in Upstate New York. He retired after serving in executive positions for several global multinational enterprises. He has been a non-executive director for three public companies headquartered in the US. He lives and writes in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 7, 2013
Took me a while to get through this one.
There's a lot about this book I quite like. The overall approach of telling the "story of opera" in several short case-studies is very interesting, and the author uses primary sources in a very fantastic way. Block-quote snippets of letters and other first-person narratives from the involved parties, weaved in between standard prose from the author with his interpretation and commentary. I quite like this style!
However, the overall selection of operas featured is highly unbalanced. He has one opera from the beginnings in the 17th century, ZERO from the Baroque period, five from Classical period, a whopping eight Romantic period operas, and one Modern period opera. We Are Not Amused that the Baroque period got completely skipped, especially since he talks about in the first Classical chapter how Gluck reformed the excesses of the Baroque era. Michael Rose, you didn't tell us about the excesses of the Baroque era, how are we supposed to know that he reformed them!
Unless you already know opera, this book isn't going to be really readable, which is poor form overall.
There's a lot about this book I quite like. The overall approach of telling the "story of opera" in several short case-studies is very interesting, and the author uses primary sources in a very fantastic way. Block-quote snippets of letters and other first-person narratives from the involved parties, weaved in between standard prose from the author with his interpretation and commentary. I quite like this style!
However, the overall selection of operas featured is highly unbalanced. He has one opera from the beginnings in the 17th century, ZERO from the Baroque period, five from Classical period, a whopping eight Romantic period operas, and one Modern period opera. We Are Not Amused that the Baroque period got completely skipped, especially since he talks about in the first Classical chapter how Gluck reformed the excesses of the Baroque era. Michael Rose, you didn't tell us about the excesses of the Baroque era, how are we supposed to know that he reformed them!
Unless you already know opera, this book isn't going to be really readable, which is poor form overall.
May 26, 2016
It's taken me a while to finish this book, but it was well worth it.
I was given it by Tim Benjamin, a composer who lives locally, and with whom I've been lucky to work on his recent operas. I am not a terrific opera buff or fan, but working with Tim has allowed me to enjoy performances of what he's written. In particular, I went to the recording of one of last year's pieces, and hearing it recorded in short sections, sometimes three of four times, allowed me to appreciate the musical coherence of it, a coherence that an audience may not notice but which is, nevertheless, there and which makes the audience, unwittingly, able to enjoy what they may not consciously understand musically.
That is not an introduction to promote Tim's work (although if anyone checks out his website, that's a bonus!), rather something that's confirmed on several occasions by Michael Rose's book. I know nothing about Rose other than the fact that he 'is a musician and writer living in London'. The description rather modestly conceals, I suspect, a thorough knowledge and love of music, especially opera. In this book, Rose takes the reader through the processes by which 15 'masterpiece' operas came to see the light of day: he includes, among others, 'L'Incoronazione di Poppea', 'Idomeneo', Il Barbiere di Seviglia', 'Les Troyens', 'Otello', 'Pelleas et Melisande' and 'Wozzek'. Each chapter examines the origins of of one opera, from concept to the search for a librettist, to composition through varying degrees of collaboration between composer and librettists(s), to performance and reception.
Rose's narrative style is a combination of his own commentary and use of facts heavily interspersed with excerpts from letters, diaries, memoirs and other documents of those engaged with the emergence of great art - composers and librettists (obviously), but also friends, family, opera directors. publishers, patrons and critics. I especially enjoyed these pieces of, as it were, raw evidence which, on the whole, Rose allows to speak for themselves.
In particular, what I liked were the primary sources that discussed the relationship between words, music and drama as that is what my involvement with Tim has largely been about. There are several examples of librettists and composers falling out or making pernickety demands on each other. Strauss, for example, generally deferential to the older and already significantly successful Hoffmansthal, the librettist for 'Ariadne auf Naxos', finally put his foot down on one occasion when Hoffmansthal had chastised him for not understanding something he had done: ...'how was I to know that you might not think of something particularly brilliant for the ending if I told you that Artot [their leading lady] was to do it? Well then, do whatever you like about the ending, only do it soon, please! But as for Artot - as a young Mozart, say, at the Court of Versailles, or among the Philistines of the Munich Court.... I am not going to budge on this point, for artistic as well as for practical reasons.... So we stick to Artot, and it's got to be a delightful part! That's final!.
And then there was Puccini, whose demands on Adami and Simoni seem to me to have been infuriating, so much so that there were not a few nigh breaking-offs in relations between them on 'Turandot'. And there are interesting exchanges between Mozart and his father about the difficulties Mozart is having with Varesco's text for 'Idomeneo'. Rose comments neatly that Mozart 'knew instinctively what Varesco never understood: that music, whatever it may add, is bound to slow up words and action, and that the validity of opera depends always upon a proper relation between the idea and its musical expansion. And so he continued to jump at every opportunity to tighten and compress...'.
I think - and I know it's the part I've just finished, but nevertheless - the most interesting section regarding the words/music/drama challenge lies in Rose's chapter on 'Wozzek'. Berg was faced with what was an acknowledged difficulty for atonal composers - the evident problem of composing at length for the voice. I can't pretend to understand why this should be, but Berg found a way to overcome it, in part, if I'm right, in acknowledging the fragmentary character of the Buchner play 'Wozzek' is based on (pp 377-378), and finding a contemporary musical take on traditional forms to suit each act and scene. In spite of this, clearly the approach worked (for those who did not consider Berg's art an 'Augean stable'). Hans Heinsheimer, a representative from Berg's publishers, recalls:
'Did we, who applauded and screamed so bravely until the lights went out and the iron curtain came down - did we really understand the new, great and revolutionary aspect of the work? A few perhaps, but most of us not. What was it, then, that moved us so deeply? There is an internal ear, an invisible receiver which, though it does not take in all the refinements of complicated technique, is magically touched by beauty, power and strength, and it is this ear that is able to distinguish the resounding tread of the giant from the busy scampering of the dwarf.'
And that seems to me the way that this particular non-opera-buff will best be able to approach opera in the future. I'll let my internal ear be a subconscious critic!
Four stars: simply because although a 'good' read, it's quite an intense read as well. At least, it was for me - the musically more attuned will probably find it easier. And for someone like me, Rose has done a good job at informing the non-specialist about the processes of artistic creation that might persuade him or her to give opera another go.
I was given it by Tim Benjamin, a composer who lives locally, and with whom I've been lucky to work on his recent operas. I am not a terrific opera buff or fan, but working with Tim has allowed me to enjoy performances of what he's written. In particular, I went to the recording of one of last year's pieces, and hearing it recorded in short sections, sometimes three of four times, allowed me to appreciate the musical coherence of it, a coherence that an audience may not notice but which is, nevertheless, there and which makes the audience, unwittingly, able to enjoy what they may not consciously understand musically.
That is not an introduction to promote Tim's work (although if anyone checks out his website, that's a bonus!), rather something that's confirmed on several occasions by Michael Rose's book. I know nothing about Rose other than the fact that he 'is a musician and writer living in London'. The description rather modestly conceals, I suspect, a thorough knowledge and love of music, especially opera. In this book, Rose takes the reader through the processes by which 15 'masterpiece' operas came to see the light of day: he includes, among others, 'L'Incoronazione di Poppea', 'Idomeneo', Il Barbiere di Seviglia', 'Les Troyens', 'Otello', 'Pelleas et Melisande' and 'Wozzek'. Each chapter examines the origins of of one opera, from concept to the search for a librettist, to composition through varying degrees of collaboration between composer and librettists(s), to performance and reception.
Rose's narrative style is a combination of his own commentary and use of facts heavily interspersed with excerpts from letters, diaries, memoirs and other documents of those engaged with the emergence of great art - composers and librettists (obviously), but also friends, family, opera directors. publishers, patrons and critics. I especially enjoyed these pieces of, as it were, raw evidence which, on the whole, Rose allows to speak for themselves.
In particular, what I liked were the primary sources that discussed the relationship between words, music and drama as that is what my involvement with Tim has largely been about. There are several examples of librettists and composers falling out or making pernickety demands on each other. Strauss, for example, generally deferential to the older and already significantly successful Hoffmansthal, the librettist for 'Ariadne auf Naxos', finally put his foot down on one occasion when Hoffmansthal had chastised him for not understanding something he had done: ...'how was I to know that you might not think of something particularly brilliant for the ending if I told you that Artot [their leading lady] was to do it? Well then, do whatever you like about the ending, only do it soon, please! But as for Artot - as a young Mozart, say, at the Court of Versailles, or among the Philistines of the Munich Court.... I am not going to budge on this point, for artistic as well as for practical reasons.... So we stick to Artot, and it's got to be a delightful part! That's final!.
And then there was Puccini, whose demands on Adami and Simoni seem to me to have been infuriating, so much so that there were not a few nigh breaking-offs in relations between them on 'Turandot'. And there are interesting exchanges between Mozart and his father about the difficulties Mozart is having with Varesco's text for 'Idomeneo'. Rose comments neatly that Mozart 'knew instinctively what Varesco never understood: that music, whatever it may add, is bound to slow up words and action, and that the validity of opera depends always upon a proper relation between the idea and its musical expansion. And so he continued to jump at every opportunity to tighten and compress...'.
I think - and I know it's the part I've just finished, but nevertheless - the most interesting section regarding the words/music/drama challenge lies in Rose's chapter on 'Wozzek'. Berg was faced with what was an acknowledged difficulty for atonal composers - the evident problem of composing at length for the voice. I can't pretend to understand why this should be, but Berg found a way to overcome it, in part, if I'm right, in acknowledging the fragmentary character of the Buchner play 'Wozzek' is based on (pp 377-378), and finding a contemporary musical take on traditional forms to suit each act and scene. In spite of this, clearly the approach worked (for those who did not consider Berg's art an 'Augean stable'). Hans Heinsheimer, a representative from Berg's publishers, recalls:
'Did we, who applauded and screamed so bravely until the lights went out and the iron curtain came down - did we really understand the new, great and revolutionary aspect of the work? A few perhaps, but most of us not. What was it, then, that moved us so deeply? There is an internal ear, an invisible receiver which, though it does not take in all the refinements of complicated technique, is magically touched by beauty, power and strength, and it is this ear that is able to distinguish the resounding tread of the giant from the busy scampering of the dwarf.'
And that seems to me the way that this particular non-opera-buff will best be able to approach opera in the future. I'll let my internal ear be a subconscious critic!
Four stars: simply because although a 'good' read, it's quite an intense read as well. At least, it was for me - the musically more attuned will probably find it easier. And for someone like me, Rose has done a good job at informing the non-specialist about the processes of artistic creation that might persuade him or her to give opera another go.
July 21, 2023
A must-read for opera lovers! He does a good job contextualizing each opera, establishing its place and importance in the development of the art form. It is also fascinating to learn more about the librettists and circumstances of the original productions. The commentary can be a bit uneven/subjective at times, but overall a fascinating read!
September 9, 2021
Well I wanted to know the history of opera and I was intrigued.. Opera is a Italian musical.
I love history and knowing stuff.
I love history and knowing stuff.
March 23, 2016
It was fine. I am not so much into opera that I care TOO too much about their creation, I guess. I didn't ear-read the whole thing, just the chapters about operas I have seen. I also skipped the synopses of the operas at the end.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews