In Defence of Opera

by Hamish F.G. Swanston

Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. In defence of opera, hardcover, Very Good, contents clean, tight, unmarked. Not ex/library. price clipped DJ, in very good conditions, light shelf wear

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Joshua McCune · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite surprised to find that no one else on Goodreads had read this or reviewed it, but after finishing it, I have begun to realise that there is one fundamentally good reason for this, and that is that the book is, for all its positives, a failure in what it intends (or, at least, intends to intend!). That failure rests on three fundamental positions; firstly, the whole premise of the book is a Defence of Opera. Actually, however, such is not the case, insofar that the book is founded on an entirely circular reasoning, whereby the supposed ‘defence’ of opera is targeted solely at the people who are already interested in opera, and so those people don’t need a Defence of Opera! The second position is that this book is not so much a Defence of Opera in any sense of its title, but acts solely as a tome in which Swanston not only boasts endlessly about his knowledge of, and constant visits to, various operas and opera houses. The third fundamental failure, and this is arguably the most important in the book’s role as, first and foremost, a book on opera, is that it tries to function both thematically AND chronologically. Trying to discuss Wagner, Mozart and Britten at the same time as explaining the impact of ticket sales upon the opera of Covent Garden does not work for the book, as much as Swanston thinks it does. It is also crucial to note that this book is only worth delving into for one sole reader: you are someone who is very well versed in opera and want to be told constantly by someone who claims that they are “defending” opera all of the issues and problematic aspects of opera that the writer dislikes. If you want an introduction to opera, if you have even a passing knowledge, or if you just want a nice read to reignite yourself with your love of opera, this is a slog to get through. Really, only about one and a half chapters are devoted to what a reader might expect from a book entitled ‘A Defence of Opera’. Certain sections are enjoyable, I’ll give it that, and a reader with a degree of interest and knowledge in opera could - ‘could’ being used lightly there - gain a certain appreciation and admiration for the writing of it. The rest of the book, though, is just an endless divulgence from Hamish about how excellently intelligent he is and how well he is able to group together different aspects of opera in completely counter-productive and random ways.