First Nights at the Opera

by Thomas Forrest Kelly

What was it like at the opening night of Mozart’s Don Giovanni or Wagner’s Das Rheingold? This glittering introduction to the world of opera takes us behind the scenes during premiere performances of five extraordinary operas.
"A rare and wonderful cultural history."—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post
“An absorbing tangle of minutiae about performing circumstances, personalities, conventions, expectations, critical responses, gossip. . . . This book is readable. Addictively.”—Michael White, Opera Now
“This thoroughly enjoyable and informative book will delight all opera lovers; highly recommended.”—Library Journal

Genres: Music, History

464 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2004

About the author

An American musicologist, musician, and scholar. He is the Morton B. Knafel Professor of Music at Harvard University.

Reviews

[Mary Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers 5 major operas from different composers/periods [Handel's Gulio Cesare, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots, Wagner's Das Rheingold, and Verdi's Otello) with details on the run up to their premieres, all the wheeling&dealing it took to make it happen, what the physical spaces were like, who were the singers, and what the first audience saw and how they responded. Great look at the history of opera as well as great composers and performers -- as well as the business of putting on operas. My favorite part was each opera has (translated) original documents from contemporaries (and sometimes the composers themselves).

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of a sequel to Kelly's First Nights, but focusing on opera. He again takes five major works and gives a detailed accounting of their premieres: Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots, Wagner's Das Rheingold, and Verdi's Otello. This book has all of the strengths of the earlier volume: hitting the sweet spot of content and tone to appeal to both non-musicians and musicians, making extensive use of primary sources, and good structure. It was especially interesting to read about the stagecraft involved with producing an opera. I also enjoyed the contrast between reading about the first three operas, which were made for and produced as part of a theater's regular opera season and whose composers were in their early or middle careers, and the final two, whose productions were highly anticipated special events whose composers were at the height of their fame and stature.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well illustrated and handsomely laid out, historically informative but easily readable, this opera pop-history publishing at its best.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brings to life the life and times of the productions reviewed