The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera

by Roger Parker (Editor)

In its lavish amalgam of theatrical and musical resources, its flamboyant charm, its extravagant appeal to the heart and the mind, and its seemingly inexhaustible power to move and astonish us, opera is clearly the most spectacular of all the arts. Now, in this beautifully illustrated,
oversized volume--boasting over 250 pictures, 30 in full color--eleven leading authorities chronicle the full sweep of this stunning musical genre, ranging from the earliest known works to such recent experimental efforts as Robert Wilson and Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach .
The contributors--including such noted opera critics as William Ashbrook, Paul Griffiths, and Barry Millington--provide superb coverage of all the major periods. We read of the remarkable success of opera in republican Venice, where by 1650 some fifty operas had been performed, including
masterworks by Monteverdi, the giant of the era. We learn of opera seria--which within the world of eighteenth-century Italian opera was the summit of prestige--and opera buffa, most noted today for three major works by Le Nozze di Figaro , Don Giovanni , and Cosi Fan Tutti . We explore the
peak of opera's popularity in nineteenth-century France, Italy, and Germany, with astute commentary on such major composers as Berlioz, Bizet, Rossini, Donizetti, and especially Wagner and Verdi. And we examine the remarkably diverse works of our own century, from Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier and
Alban Berg's Wozzeck to Benjamin Britten's Death in Venice and John Adams's Nixon in China . Throughout, the contributors illuminate how opera often reflects the cultural concerns of the age, how it is part of the social fabric, and in three fascinating sections on staging, singers, and the social
climate, they give us a look behind the scenes as well as a feel for what opera was like in the past. We discover, for instance, that before the late nineteenth century, patrons were not expected to arrive on time, sit still, keep quiet, concentrate on the stage action, or stay to the end (Wagner
put an end to this practice by darkening the theatre). Not least important are the numerous illustrations in the book, which highlight the richly visual nature of opera, the manner in which it communicates so vividly through staging and costume. Exhaustively researched and informatively captioned,
these striking pictures offer an immediacy with the past that both enriches and complements the narrative.
Nowhere does the rich panoply of opera history unfold more grandly than in this volume. Authoritative, vividly written, and exquisitely designed, it will be treasured by everyone who loves opera.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[John Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow…finally finished this book that I bought for a couple of bucks from some Salvation Army store. While it look new, it sat on my self for some time. The pandemic finally raised it to my reading file. I read another opera book and now this one.

It was rich – history, details of opera I didn’t comprehend or care about, and covering opera from all angels. Ten contributing writers bring opera to life, some better and more interesting that others but all in an interesting manner.

The book itself is beautiful – and has so many stunning pictures and interesting illustrations. I didn’t start to highlight but finally broke down during the third chapter and throughout the rest of the book. The amount of yellow showed just how much information is contained in this book, combining history – including changing countries, wars, change in leadership of regions – impacted Opera. The book shared interesting history of how there were astonishing change in Opera during the Revolution Years of France, the impact of the loss of the Czechs loss of aristocracy, how the gutting of Poland also totally changed Opera for those who had lived in Polish communities and how the Nazi’s claimed down on Opera. The discussion of censorship over the centuries could have been a chapter in itself.

Opera seems to change even less than organized religion. The book highlights that the average age of works chosen for the 1991-1992 English National Opera season was 142 years old. Of course, in the last 50 years, many enjoy mini-Operas in Broadway musicals and Operettas.
Discussion about the role of the stage hands, the size of theatres, and the sexual harassment of women performers also could have been expanded in a meaningful manner.

One of the most useful areas of this book is how it highlights so many opera houses, some that still exists. Prior to heading back to Europe, this book will be instructional to provide additional history before visiting these rich homes of the arts.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting set of subjects. I had no idea that there were Russian operas! The way opera evolved over the centuries was something I found rather fascinating. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone who has sung any chamber music or who loves the history of music in general.