In this lavishly illustrated volume the history and
social context of opera is explored by a group of
leading British and American scholars, under the
editorship of Roger Parker. The core of the book is a
historical survey of opera, from its beginnings in
Florence four hundred years ago, up to opera in the
1990s. The greatest coverage is given to the nineteenth
century, the time during which most of the operas
performed today were composed. There are also chapters
on the history of staging, on opera singers, on opera as
a social occasion through the ages, and a chronology.
Although all major composers of opera are mentioned, and
their works discussed, the various chapters concentrate
less on simple historical narrative and more on the
complex development of opera, especially on its
relationship with the other arts and its place within
the broader world of culture and politics.The numerous
illustrations -- nearly three hundred, some thirty of
which are in colour -- serve the vital purpose of
underlining the richly visual nature of opera: the
manner in which it communicates so vividly through
staging and costume, and the spectacular way in which it
often reflects the cultural concerns of the age. Rather
than simply illustrating the text, the pictures work as
a kind of parallel history, supplementing and enriching
the verbal narrative. The contributors are all experts
in their chosen areas, but all of them have remained
alive to the basic attraction of opera: its extravagant
appeal to both the senses and the intellect, and its
seemingly inexhaustible power to move and astonish
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