Covering facts from the opening of La Scala in Milan to the career of Maria Callas and the success of the Three Tenors, this book celebrates four centuries of opera music and performance. It discusses how opera developed from its beginnings, through the 17th-century reforms of Gluck and the classical perfection and wit of Mozart, and the later rise of romanticism, with famous masterworks by composers such as Beethoven, Weber, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi and Wagner. The revolutionary 20th century is covered with the innovations of Berg, Stravinsky and Britten, among others. A comprehensive reference section includes biographies, a timeline, and opera house openings and premieres.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Every opera fan needs this book....The sidebars, citing important world events, and the succulent visuals make this book one to keep. -- San Francisco Examiner, 17 December 1998
Opera lends itself to coffee table books. The sumptuous artwork in this volume encompasses everything from a painting of Lully's "Armide" staged in the rococo style of 18th century Paris to a photograph from Peter Sellars's production that set Handel's "Orlando" at Cape Canaveral....The level of scholarship is first-rate, as well as tart and to the point. -- St. Petersburg Times, John Fleming, 27 December 1998
Opera lends itself to coffee table books. The sumptuous artwork in this volume encompasses everything from a painting of Lully's "Armide" staged in the rococo style of 18th century Paris to a photograph from Peter Sellars's production that set Handel's "Orlando" at Cape Canaveral....The level of scholarship is first-rate, as well as tart and to the point. -- St. Petersburg Times, John Fleming, 27 December 1998
About the Author
Michael Raeburn is the editor of Heritage of Music, published in eleven volumes and translated into many languages.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An outstanding compendium for the rest of us!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Chronicle of Opera (Hardcover)
This seems to me a monumental achievement in its scope of information, presentation and scholarship yet never pretending to be more than it is and at the same time, far greater than the sum of its facts. Beautifullly illustrated and annotated, this book by Mr. Raeburn takes us through the most interesting of operatic tours from Peri to Maxwell Davies. It is at once a monument to the joy and intelligence which Mr.Raeburn has lavished on this book and to the labor of love which created it. A joy to read with information that meets the reader's needs from every conceivable angle while missing litle detail without overwhelming with a myriad of facts. A coffee table book, if there is really is such a animal, which one can pick up and put down at leasure and with continued pleasure. A heartfelt thanks to Michael Raeburn for writng this masterpiece and to Thames and Hudson for publishing it. I can only hope it will bring joy and profit to all involved: reader, author and publisher. This publication deserves nothing less and much more. Thanks to Amazon.com for the chance to e-mail comments to them. This is my fourth message today. Even if it is never read it was fun writing it.
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