The Prima Donna and Opera, 1815-1930 (Cambridge Studies in Opera) [Hardcover]

Dr Susan Rutherford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2006 | Series: Cambridge Studies in Opera

This book is concerned not so much with the 'prima donna' as with prime donne: a group of working artists (sometimes famous but more often relatively unknown and now long forgotten) and the circumstances of their professional lives. It attempts to locate these singers within a broader history, including not only the specificities of operatic stage practice but the life beyond the opera house - the social, cultural and political framing that shaped individual experience, artistic endeavour and audience reception. Rutherford addresses questions such as the multiple discourses on the image of the singer and their impact on the changing profile of the professional artist from figlia dell'arte at the beginning of the era to middle-class woman at the end; the aspect of the 'stage mother' and patronage; issues of vocal training and tuition; professional life in the operatic market-place; and performance (both vocal and dramatic) conventions and practices.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Impressively well researched, the book provides a fascinating account of the lives of established and aspiring singers and of the social and cultural forces that shaped them." --Choice

"A comprehensive and articulate study, intelligently constructed and stylishly written." --BBC Music Magazine

"The Prima Donna and Opera presents a fascinating social and historical narrative built on the written words of prime donne and those who knew them. Rutherford weaves together vibrant anecdotes from the period to form a powerfully suggestive - even gripping - narrative, one that is impressive not only for its wide-ranging assemblage of information, but also for the complex relations it exposes between opera and women." - Sean M. Parr, Current Musicology

Book Description

Examining both famous and unknown artists, this book offers a reappraisal of the female operatic singer during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It attempts to locate these singers within a broader history, including not only the specificities of operatic stage practice but the life beyond the opera house.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 394 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (September 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052185167X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521851671
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,958,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.