Introduction; Part I: 1. Pre-operatic forms; 2. First operatic forms: Peri, Caccini, Monteverdi, Cavalli, Keiser; 3. Formalization; 4. Reform - the reintegration of elements; 5. Comedy and the 'real world'; 6. 'Authentic' performance; Part II: 7. Romanticism and romantic opera in Germany; 8. Opera in nineteenth-century Italy; 9. Grand Opéra and the visual language of opera; 10. The Wagnerian revolution; 11. Nationalists: vernacular language and music; 12. The role of the singer; Part III: 13. The turn of the century and the crisis in opera; 14. First modernism: symbolist and expressionist opera; 15. The dramaturgy of opera: libretto - words and structure; 16. Narrative opera: realistic and non-realistic; 17. Radical narratives; 18. Directors and the direction of opera; Appendices: 1. Motifs from Der Ring; 2. The development of singing voices; 3. The development of lyric theatre alternatives to 'opera'; 4. Some major operas, artistic and political events of the twentieth century; Glossary of terms; Bibliography.
Perfect for music students and opera-goers, this book investigates what opera is, how it works and how it has developed.
Robert Cannon is an independent music critic and writer and runs dedicated courses on opera and theatre. He designed and created the first Degree in Opera Studies, which is offered as Distance Learning by Rose Bruford College and is validated by the University of Manchester.
'Cannon's passion for the topic shines through - each chapter is
peppered with little details that a more detached author may have
thought unnecessary. Even a novice who has never seen a particular
production will suddenly feel oddly familiar with it. Students of
music and opera will find the uncluttered and jargon-less yet still
erudite tone of this book invigorating, and are sure to be reaching
for it as a first port of call. And there's certainly no room to
doubt Cannon's authority - he created the first ever degree in
opera studies. One for your reading lists, class.' Laura Sylvester,
Muso
'I liked the way that a strong connection was established between
historical events and contemporary cultural achievements, the
shared themes and the close relationship between music, poetry,
painting and theatre … Also included are an extensive 12-page
bibliography, a table of major opera, artistic and political
developments from 1899 to 2008, and a glossary of key terms.
Throughout the text there are illustrative tables, providing
detailed easy to follow analysis of arias, scenes and acts, visual
guides to historical movements, and chronologies relating to genres
and individual composers' works … As a work of reference and of
study, its 400 pages provide a thorough grounding which the
well-informed enthusiast will relish and be pleased to have on the
shelf.' The Bookbag
'… masterly … a highly recommendable guide to the history of
opera.' Classical Music
'I would certainly want to own a copy.' Opera
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