C. W. von Gluck: Orfeo (Cambridge Opera Handbooks) (Paperback)

by Patricia Howard (Author) "Mythical stories of a mortal reclaimed from the kingdom of the dead are common to the cultures of both East and West..." (more)
Key Phrases: puro ciel, minor yes, castrato voice, Chorus of Furies, Mercure de France, Blessed Spirits (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This book explains how and why Gluck's historically important and best-loved opera Orfeo came into existence, and shows why it has retained its popularity. The work is placed in its context of Gluck's 'reform of opera', an artistic movement involving actors, dancers, designers, writers and philosophers, as well as musicians and librettists. Patricia Howard and her fellow contributors describe how the opera has been reinterpreted during the two hundred years between its first performance and the present day. Differing twentieth-century views based on practical experience of the work are put forward by the conductors John Eliot Gardiner and Sir Charles Mackerras, the singer Kevin Smith and the English National Opera music consultant Tom Hammond.

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 30, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521296641
• ISBN-13: 978-0521296649
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,047,072 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
  
  (Publishers and authors: Improve Your Sales)
• Also Available in: Hardcover  |  All Editions